Nothing Phone (2a) Plus: A Subtle Upgrade to the Budget-Friendly Smartphone

Nothing Phone 2a Plus Review: Well, That Doesn't Add Up

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus has launched to squeeze in as the middle ground between the vanilla Phone 2a and the top-of-the-line Phone 2. But, surprisingly, the Phone 2a Plus looks more or less like its younger sibling, with a couple of changes and a price tag of Rs 27,999 (which is Rs 4,000 more than Phone 2a's base variant). So, is it a worthy upgrade or just a glorified Phone 2a? So, I got my hands on the device a week ahead of its launch, and here's a detailed review of Nothing Phone 2a Plus to answer this very question! Before getting into the review, here's a look at the Phone 2a Plus' specs for your reference: Going in, I knew that the Phone 2a Plus' box contents wouldn't be anything spectacular. You get the usual transparent SIM ejector, Type C to Type C cable and some booklets alongside the unit itself. So, again, no charger in the box. Sigh. Now, I have with me the Grey variant of the phone and it's quite good looking. Although it borrows 95% of the Phone 2a's design wizardry, it's the remaining shining 5% that makes all the difference here. The internal coiling is now metal-like glossier and the textures are more evident now, giving it this sophistication that the Phone 2a lacked. Now, this very metallic finish makes the coiling appear brownish from most angles. It's only when light directly falls on the coiling at certain angles that it unveils the true silver shade. Pretty cool, actually. So, while the back and frame are still plastic, the subtle yet important changes in design made me look past that (a bit). I also liked that the Phone 2a Plus retained the matte texture at the frame to keep it as grippy as ever. But, in all honesty, a glass back with a metal frame would have certainly been more appreciated, especially since the Phone 1 had launched around the same price back in the day. Most importantly, competing phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro arrive with a metal frame as well. Besides, the buttons are made out of aluminum as well, so just might add a metal frame to the design recipe. And, as expected, it keeps the device from wobbling on a desk. When holding it in landscape mode as well, your fingers don't hit the cameras, and I have big hands. So, that's good to see. Now, the classic Black variant is pretty good-looking too, but just like with the Phone 2a, it masks the internal components a bit, keeping the transparency from truly blossoming. Sadly, the Phone 2a Plus doesn't arrive with any upgrades in terms of display. You see the same 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The peak brightness remains the same as well, hitting 1750 nits or so, which is more than the company's claim of 1300 nits. There are no visible differences either, indoors or outdoors. But, since the competition is offering curved 1.5K displays, the expectation was honestly a bit high there. Moreover, while there's Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top, Victus would have made more sense. This is because, one - this is an upgrade over the 2a, and two - phones like the Realme GT 6T offer even Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. As for the overall multimedia experience, it's exactly the same as its younger sibling. So, for a comprehensive understanding, you can check out my Nothing Phone 2a Review. Out of the box, the Phone 2a Plus runs on Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.6, and there's nothing new here. The Nothing OS 2.6 had arrived with the CMF Phone 1 and we got to see some pretty nice additions like a dedicated Game Mode, a pop-up view for apps (finally), an AI Vivid Mode, and more. However, with the Phone 2a Plus, all you get is a new AI news reporter widget that offers you AI-generated 1-minute story summaries from across 8 different genres. Also, there's an 8-story-per-day summary cap on this, so yep, not going to be using it, are we? As for the software experience, it's much of a muchness as the conventional Nothing OS experience on the CMF Phone 1 (Review) and Phone 2a - squeaky clean and super fluid. From opening and closing apps to multitasking, the UI is very satisfying to browse through, thanks to the seamless animations. However, again, you don't see any haptic integration with the UI actions, which we'll hopefully get to see someday on this skin. Overall, it's good to see Nothing stick to its bloatware-free promise. First things first, Nothing Phone 2a Plus offers 256GB in the base variant, as compared to 128GB in the Phone 2a. The Nothing Phone 2a Plus uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset, which is a slight upgrade. In comparison to the Phone 2a's Dimensity 7200 Pro, this chipset is roughly 10% faster, thanks to clock speeds of up to 3GHz over 2.8GHz. We've compared Dimensity 7350 Pro vs Dimensity 7200 Pro to give you an idea of the performance increment over the predecessor. In addition, the processor is paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. I'd have liked to see UFS 3.1 at least in this segment, for that's the most this processor can support anyway. Bit of a bummer there. But anyway, how does it perform during daily usage as well as in benchmarks and games? Take a look: Nothing OS has always been a pleasure to use, be it on the Phone 2a or even the more budget CMF Phone 1. So, ultimately, thanks to a good software experience, my daily usage went by pretty smoothly too. However, initially, with the Phone 2a, I noticed quite a few stutters, lags, and UI optimization issues, which are not visible on its elder sibling. The processor is also capable enough to get you through some extensive multitasking. To test it out, I had exactly 20 apps open in the background, which also included Genshin Impact, Asphalt Legends Unite as well as Chrome with 25 tabs open and displaying webpages. Despite that, 18 of those apps reloaded from where I had left them, including both games. So, RAM management is still pretty good in my books. Moving on to benchmarks, I ran AnTuTu, Geekbench, 3DMark, and all those tests to give you a technical understanding of how the phone performs. Here's a look at the numbers: In terms of gaming, it translates into offering the same experience in terms of graphics settings and FPS as the Phone 2a. I tried Genshin Impact, Asphalt Legends Unite, Warzone Mobile, and CoD Mobile on the Phone 2a Plus, and here's a look at the kind of settings you get out of it: The camera performance has also not changed, for the rear camera sensors remain the same. The primary 50MP Samsung JN9 sensor and 50MP JN1 ultra-wide do a good job of capturing details and dynamic range both during the day and at night. Color accuracy is also pretty good, with the primary sensor mostly capturing natural shades and hues. However, just like on the Phone 2a, there's an evident color disparity between the primary and ultra-wide shots, with the latter coming off as slightly more saturated. For more details, again, refer to my Phone 2a review. Selfies are a different story. While it does arrive with a better 50MP Samsung JN1 selfie shooter over the Phone 2a's 32MP, it's not as optimized. From strangely washed-out and blown-out shots to selfies getting easily blurry, the consistency and stability are all over the place right now. From the looks of it, it's certainly not as good as the Phone 2a's shooter. But, it's nothing that can't be fixed with a software update. Talking about videos, nothing has changed on this front either. It can capture at up to 4K 30FPS, as well as at 1080p 60FPS. The front shooter is limited to 1080p 60FPS, same as the Phone 2a. While the battery capacity remains the same on the Phone 2a Plus packing a 5000mAh unit, there has been a slight upgrade in the charging speeds. You now get 50W wired charging instead of the 45W cap on the Phone 2a. There's also support for 5W reverse wired charging this time around, which can be useful in certain scenarios like charging your earbuds, smartwatch, or even other phones. That's a nice touch, but that's about it. The screen-on-time is similar to the 2a though, that is, around 7 hours. The 5W increase in charging speeds is not a big upgrade either, just being around 5 or so minutes faster. It still takes around an hour to fully charge. The lack of a better display, build quality or bigger battery is a big letdown with the Phone 2a Plus. I was also expecting a better processor in this price segment, especially since Nothing has been taking gaming seriously with the addition of a dedicated Game Mode with Nothing OS 2.6. With better phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, OnePlus Nord 4, and Realme GT 6T, that offer a better display, cameras, battery backup, and performance, it's nearly impossible to recommend the Phone 2a Plus over them. While the software experience argument can still be won by the Phone 2a Plus, to experience just Nothing OS, you don't even need to spend as much. The budget CMF Phone 1 offers the exact same experience. Want something a bit more premium? Get the Phone 2a instead, and you won't miss a thing. Besides, other skins like Motorola's Hello UI, Xiaomi's HyperOS, and OnePlus' OxygenOS are much more feature-rich. No charger in the box is also a dealbreaker, whilst the competition is throwing in a good quality case as well alongside the charger. While the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is far from being a bad phone, it doesn't justify its existence as an upgrade of Rs 4,000 over the Phone 2a. Even the 256GB variant of the Phone 2a costs Rs 2,000 less. Ultimately, the Phone 2a Plus is just a mere DLC to the Phone 2a that you can choose to easily skip out on without remorse.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus Review - Pros and cons, Verdict | 91Mobiles

Display brightness could have been better No charger in the box No charger in the box With the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, the relatively new smartphone brand Nothing has expanded its presence in the sub-Rs 30,000 segment. The brand has just four smartphones in its kitty so far, counting one from it sub-brand CMF Phone 1 (review). The Phone (2a) Plus offers the same glyph interface as the previously launched Nothing Phone (2a) (review). Notable improvements include the new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro SoC, an upgraded 50MP front camera, and 50W fast charging capabilities. Do these changes make the Nothing Phone 2a Plus stand out in a segment crowded with options? Keep reading to discover. Nothing hasn't tweaked the design and display of the new Phone (2a) Plus at all. The handset looks and feels the same as its younger sibling Phone (2a), with flat edges and transparent plastic back. The transparent back reveals the Glyph Interface, which, while not as dynamic as the flagship Nothing Phone 2, effectively lights up for notifications, calls, visual countdowns, and progress indicators. The white LEDs are positioned around the dual rear camera setup. To read more about the phone's Glyph Interface capabilities, we recommend checking our Nothing Phone (2a) review. That said, the company has introduced the Phone 2a Plus in a new grey colour variant that looks quite elegant in person. Additionally, the shiny NFC coil around the camera module and other decorative coils along the bottom half of the back panel enhance its overall appeal. However, I wish the smartphone was sturdier and more durable than its previous iteration. The Phone 2a Plus is only IP54 splash-resistant, meaning it can't be exposed to significant water or rain. Furthermore, its plastic back might not resist scratches if you plan to use it without a case. The Nothing smartphone features an in-display fingerprint scanner, which takes a fraction of a second to unlock the device. As for I/O, the phone boasts a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer on the bottom edge and stereo speakers that get plenty loud. Coming to the viewing aspect, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 1,300 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The display provides excellent viewing angles with dynamic colours and deep blacks. The display content is legible both indoors and outdoors, but its readability under direct sunlight is not the best. There are phones within the segment which offer higher peak brightness. The Nothing Phone 2a Plus allows users to tweak the display's colour profile and enable HDR video for an enhanced viewing experience. While the display may not support DCI-P3, it is still quite captivating. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is the world's first with MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro SoC ticking at its core. It is a slight upgrade from MediaTek's Dimensity 7200 Ultra SoC - both synthetically and in real-world performance. The handset achieves 7,71,491 on AnTuTu, which is roughly 70,000 more than the Phone (2a), whereas on Geekbench, it scores 1,121 in single-core and 2,203 in multi-core tests. While these may not be the benchmark numbers within the segment, POCO F6 still holds that crown, which is sufficient to provide stutter-free performance for everyday use. During our testing, the Nothing phone performed seamlessly while navigating, scrolling, browsing, and streaming. Additionally, during our test lab where we gamed BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing 3 for 30 minutes each, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus thermals throttled up to 11.8 degrees on aggregate. Having said that, the average frame rate for BGMI at Smooth Graphics dropped from 90 to 37.72. On the software front, the Nothing Phone (2a) runs Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.6 out of the box. The handset is expected to receive three years of major OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates, which will keep it relevant at least until 2028. The Nothing OS offers a clean and minimalistic software experience, along with an optional monochromatic theme that makes the UI black and white. Additionally, the phone comes with just one third-party app pre-installed while the remaining 25 are from Nothing and Google. The number of pre-installed apps is substantially less than most mid-rangers within the segment. Apart from this, the software is packed with features such as widgets, an AI Wallpaper Generator, a Glyph Composer, and a ChatGPT-integrated News Reporter. This last feature is a widget that curates news from a trusted third-party source across eight different genres. The news is then summarised and converted into one-minute audio files using AI for easy listening. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus offers battery performance comparable to the regular Phone 2a. Its unchanged 5,000mAh battery allows the Plus model to achieve 14 hours and 34 minutes on the PCMark battery test, which runs a series of sequences and programs until the battery drops to 20 percent. In our YouTube video streaming test, with the screen brightness and volume set to 50 percent, the handset consumed just 4 percent of its battery after half an hour. As for gaming, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus consumed 19 percent of battery on average after playing BGMI, Call of Duty, and Real Racing 3 for 30 minutes each. This suggests the handset is capable of lasting at least a day with moderate to heavy usage. The phone supports an upgraded 50W fast wired charging solution, achieving a full charge from 20 percent to 100 percent in 51 minutes with a compatible PD charger. Note that a charger is not included in the box and needs to be purchased separately. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is priced in India starting at Rs 27,999, which is roughly Rs 4,000 more than the Phone (2a). For the additional cost, you get improved performance, better selfies, and faster charging speeds. Everything else remains practically the same.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus vs Phone 2a Comparison: Is Plus Really an Addition

From the budget CMF Phone 1 which launched recently to the most premium Phone 2, Nothing has had almost every vital price segment covered. But, the significant price gap between the Phone 2a and the Phone 2 demanded to be filled, and now, the newly launched Phone 2a Plus makes it happen in a rather odd fashion. The latest Nothing Phone 2a Plus is quite literally the Phone 2a's doppelganger, stealing almost everything on the design front. But, is it all that there is to the new device? If you are planning on spending Rs 27,999 for the Phone 2a Plus, should you go for it or settle for the Phone 2a instead? That's what this comparison should clear out for you, so let's get right into the comparison between Nothing Phone 2a Plus vs Nothing Phone 2a I've called the Phone 2a Plus a doppelganger of the Phone 2a (Review) for pretty solid reasons. Both phones are a tad too similar, starting from sharing the same dimensions, and weight, down to even the build quality. Yes, the Phone 2a Plus is made out of plastic as well, so don't expect to see a fancy glass back with a metal frame here. The volume rocker and power buttons are still aluminum though, in case you're wondering. There's been no improvement in the IP rating either, with the Phone 2a Plus sporting the same IP54 resistance. However, the Phone 2a Plus is the shinier son, featuring a glossier metal-like finish on the internal coiling at the back. So, due to all that transparency, it certainly looks more premium and almost made me hallucinate it to be a glass back. The Phone 2a Plus also stays truer to its colors, with the brownish metallic glossy tinge coating the power button and volume rockers. But, the premium mirage is real until it's not. Everything else, from the camera module design to the three glyph lights at the back is borrowed by the Phone 2a Plus, down to the T. I really do wish that the Phone 2a Plus had something unique going for it to stand out, like the CMF Phone 1 (Review). Sadly, that's clearly not the case. If you are not impressed by the design changes either, wait till you hear that both phones arrive with the EXACT SAME displays. Yes, there's a 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED with a 120Hz fast refresh rate support. There's Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top of both displays, but I really do wish the Phone 2a Plus had at least used Victus here. The display quality, although nice, is no upgrade, and that's a pretty big con of the Phone 2a Plus. The segment it belongs to has phones offering 1.5K displays, with a lot of them like the Realme GT 6T and Motorola Edge 50 Pro even offering curved panels. So, you can see where my disappointment is coming from. Even the brightness levels are identical here. Also, both phones have stereo speakers as well, with the receiver doubling down as the second speaker. So, for a detailed understanding of the displays, you can simply head over to my Phone 2a review. Both phones come with Android 14-based Nothing OS right out of the box and will get to see Android 17. With the latest Nothing OS 2.6, both phones get to see cool new additions like a Game Mode, pop-up view for apps, and a couple of other features that were long pending. However, the Phone 2a Plus gets an extra AI News Reporter widget, which I'm a bit on the fence about. So, this particular widget offers you 1-minute AI-generated news story summaries from across 8 different genres. But, you get just 8 story summaries per day, rendering it pretty useless, if you ask me. Everything else remains the same, from those fluid app opening and closing animations to that truly bloatware-free experience. The bad thing is that there's still no haptic feedback integration in the UI, making it feel very hollow in comparison to a lot of other skins out there. Besides, the Nothing OS, although clean, is not nearly as feature-rich as skins like Motorola's Hello UI and OxygenOS. One important point to note for Nothing Phone 2a Plus is that it starts with the 256GB variant as compared to the 128GB base variant of Nothing Phone 2a. The Nothing Phone 2a Plus arrives with the 4nm-based MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro SoC. Now, according to Nothing, this chipset is 20% faster than the Dimensity 7200 Pro powering the Phone 2a. The chipset on both phones is paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. We've done an in-depth comparison of both chipsets. Check out Deminsity 7350 Pro vs Dimensity 7200 Pro. That's about it for the technicalities. I've done some proper testing, so let's take a look at the real deal now: When it comes to benchmarks, apart from the general AnTuTu and Geekbench tests, I also ran AITuTu for the phones as they come with a few AI features as well. Here's a rundown: So, while you do get to see around the promised 20% increase in performance, it's not as impressive. Besides, it does not even reflect in any way during day-to-day usage and games. That brings us to the next sections. Since the performance increment is nothing spectacular on the Phone 2a Plus, you can't tell it apart from the Phone 2a. They perform exactly the same, no matter how many apps, games, and Chrome tabs I have open in the background. Both phones manage to handle it all without breaking much sweat. I remember how the Phone 2a used to lag back when it had first launched. But, after all those updates, it's very stable. So, it's good to see how stable the Phone 2a Plus is right out of the box, and I didn't face any stutters or lags during my time with it. The gaming performance is exactly the same on both phones. You get to see the same settings and frames on all the games. Take a look: The familiarity is deeply rooted, extending well into the camera systems of the two phones. You see the same 50MP Samsung JN9 primary sensor with OIS, coupled with another 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide. So, as much as I'd like to say there's some difference here, there's not. Both phones capture shots that are impossible to tell apart. The good thing is that, unlike the Phone 2a, the Phone 2a Plus doesn't have those terrible camera optimization issues at launch. From a good dynamic range to good details on both sensors as well as natural colors, these two phones have pretty commendable rear camera setups. There's a very slight color disparity in the two phones, with the Phone 2a Plus boosting the colors very slightly. However, when it comes to human subjects, both phones are very inconsistent in capturing skin tones. But, mostly, while the Phone 2a Plus lightens the skin tones, the Phone 2a darkens them out a little too much. However, it's the selfie shooter on the Phone 2a Plus that has gotten a bit of an upgrade, straight from 32MP to 50MP. But, the results are rather perplexing, with the Phone 2a's shooter capturing better selfies. While the Phone 2a Plus captures a bit more detail, it completely annihilates them with washed-out colors and strangely grainy photos. The Phone 2a Plus selfie shooter definitely needs quite a bit of work. On the other hand, the Phone 2a captures pretty natural skin tones. As for videos, both phones can shoot at up to 4K 30FPS through the rear setup, and at up to 1080p 60FPS through the front. At this point, I think we're done being surprised. Yes, the battery capacity is the same as well, with both phones packing a 5000mAh unit. And, they both end up delivering similar screen-on-times as well, averaging at around 7 hours. However, the Phone 2a Plus offers 50W fast charging compared to the Phone 2a's 45W charging tech. That barely offers any significant difference in the charging speeds, with a 5-minute difference at most. Both phones will take you around an hour to fully charge. You know it's not an upgrade when a phone feels more like a limited edition extension of the base model. And, well, that's the case here, with the phones sharing almost (if not over) 85% similarity in terms of both design and specifications. The Rs 4,000 price jump from the Phone 2a's base 8GB/128GB variant (Rs 23,999) to the Phone 2a Plus' 8GB/256GB base variant (Rs 27,999) is just not justified. You get double the storage, sure. But, that's not what we're here for. These are not supposed to be the same phones, and the Phone 2a Plus is supposed to be a proper upgrade. But, the weak upgrades in the design, performance, camera department (which is also unoptimized right now, to remind you), and the addition of 5W reverse wired charging support are just not enough. This was a big miss by Nothing, and they could have easily made this a great device by simply the addition of a better IP rating, build quality, and a solid glass back + metal frame build. Well, it is what it is, and if you ask me, settle for the Phone 2a instead. Then, get your hands on a good-quality charger preferably Nothing's own 45W GAN charger (Buy Here), which costs Rs 2,500, which will still cost you less than getting the Phone 2a Plus. So, there you go. That wraps up this comparison. Otherwise, this price segment offers several other good options like Motorola Edge 50 Pro and the top-of-the-segment OnePlus Nord 4. Yes, we did pit the Phone 2a Plus against the all-metal Nord 4, check out the Nothing Phone 2a Plus vs OnePlus Nord 4 comparison. Now, if you have any related queries, do drop them in the comments down below and I'll get right back to you. Also, what's your take on the comparison? I'd like to hear your side of the argument, so do let me know of that too.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus hands-on review: This could make you forget that the Pixel 8a exists

Budget phones have this stigma of lacking style, but as we've seen from Nothing over the last couple of years, that's far from the case. With the introduction of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, it's yet another testament to the company's philosophy of delivering affordably priced phones with stunning designs. Coming off the launch of the Nothing Phone 2a this past spring, we're getting a slightly beefed up version with the Nothing Phone 2a Plus. Normally whenever I hear about a 'Plus' model, my first inclination is that it would be a much bigger phone -- but that's not the case here, as it sports the same 6.7-inch AMOLED. However, it does get a boost in nearly every other aspect to make it a better phone on paper. I think it's a bit odd to get a 6-month refresh on an existing phone, but it does beg the question if it's necessary at this point. In my Nothing Phone 2a Plus hands-on review, I'll point out its standout differences and whether it could make me forget about the Pixel 8a. Thankfully there's not as big of a price hike for the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, which at $399 is only $50 more than the standard model. At the same time, its upgraded specs do nicely to justify its slightly higher cost -- which undercuts the Pixel 8a by a wide margin. You only have two color options though: grey and black. Even though it's an unlocked model, band support among wireless carriers is limited. For example, it doesn't support AT&T and Verizon's 5G network -- so you're stuck on 4G and 3G connections instead. Your best bet would be to use it with T-Mobile, but it still technically does not support all 5G bands. Unlike before, getting your hands on the Nothing Phone 2a Plus will be easier because of its broader availability to consumers. This means you don't need to be a developer to buy one. Instead, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus in grey will be available in the US through its US Beta Program starting on August 7 at 9:00 am ET -- but those in the U.K. could pick it up earlier on August 3 at the Nothing Store Soho in London. At first glance, it looks exactly like the Nothing Phone 2a -- complete with that translucent design that lets you see the inside of the phone. It also has the same exact set of LED strip lights that make up its Glymph Interface on the back of the phone. The only major difference with the Nothing Phone 2a Plus' design are the two new color options for it. I really like the lighter color tones and accents of the grey version I'm testing, which has better contrast than black version of the Nothing Phone 2a I reviewed. While it's a recycled design, it's still a stunning one that's highlighted by the shimmery coil that snakes down the back of the phone. For a sub-$400 phone, I really can't complain about the display. It's the same 6.7-inch AMOLED (1084 x 2412) with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. Everything looks crystal clear and sharp as before, including the wide viewing angles and color saturation that AMOLED screens are known for. Nothing claims that it can achieve 1,300 nits of brightness, but considering how the Nothing Phone 2a peaked at 990 nits in our testing, I'm not overly optimistic it'll be much improved here once it's properly tested, but I don't mind proving me wrong. Regardless of the outcome after it's put through Tom's Guide's display benchmarking, I have few complaints after pulling up a few videos on YouTube. Not only does its adaptive 120Hz refresh rate make them look fluid, but the iridescence and poppy colors make for a satisfying experience. For a budget phone, the dual camera system on the back of the phone matches what I'd find in other phones in this price range -- so I'm at least happy about that. However, I was expecting upgraded camera hardware to give it a leg up over its sibling. It turns out that the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is rocking the same 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide cameras as before. In my Nothing Phone 2a review, I praised the main camera for its excellent details and dynamic range performance. I suspect it'll be no different with the Nothing Phone 2a Plus -- but I really hope that the algorithms in Nothing's TrueLens Engine can help it out in the low light department. That's because in my Pixel 8a vs. Nothing Phone 2a photo shootout, it couldn't match the brightening abilities of the Pixel 8a in pitch black conditions. The only hardware upgrade for the Nothing Phone 2a Plus pertains to its beefier 50MP selfie camera, which is up from the 32MP front-facing camera in the standard Nothing Phone 2a. This pixel crunching selfie camera has a lot to prove, so I'm eager to see if the upgrade makes a difference against the Pixel 8a. Even though it's able to run most games, I didn't get the smoothest frame rates with the Nothing Phone 2a because of its underwhelming processing performance. That's probably why Nothing's giving its Plus model a boost by switching to a MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G chip, which the company claims to be 10% faster than the Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro in the standard 2a model. Just as before, navigating around with the interface is accompanied by fluid animations and instant responses that scream performance. But then again, these actions don't take a lot of muscle power -- so the real test would be to find out how its graphic processing performance compares. Not only does it get a better piece of silicon under the hood, but the Phone 2a Plus also gets a boost to 12GB of RAM, which could make the budget phone run faster by recalling apps stored in its memory with RAM Booster once its native RAM is filled up. With the new chipset, it could help to extend the Nothing Phone 2a Plus' battery life -- especially when it's packing the same 5,000 mAh battery as before. Considering how the Nothing Phone 2a managed to outlast the Pixel 8a in Tom's Guide's battery benchmark test with a time of 15 hours, I'm confident that the Plus will undoubtedly go for longer. The only other challenger for the Plus would be the OnePlus 12R, which reached an astounding 18+ hours. The last major hardware upgrade for the Plus is that it gets a slightly faster 50W wired charging speed, which is up from the 45W charging speed of the standard Phone 2a. I suppose this wickedly fast speed is consolation for it still lacking wireless charging. Aside from its unique design, the other distinctive quality about the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is its software. Nothing OS 2.6 still has that eye-catching dot matrix design language that covers everything from the icons of the apps to the font. On top of that, the Phone 2a Plus adds new Nothing widgets that include the on-the-go reminder Date widget -- as well as the Community Headlines widget, which is a hub of sorts for Nothing Community members. They're minor additions in my opinion, but the customizable Glyph Interface still gives it that extra layer of functionality to tie the light patterns to specific notifications. The dazzling light pattern certainly draws attention, but it has purpose as well. The only downside to the software is that it still gets 3 years of software updates and 4 years security updates, which is nowhere close to the 7 years you get with the Pixel 8a. And lastly, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus offers ChatGPT integration directly from the homescreen with the help of a widget. While this AI-backed service can streamline searches and queries, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus doesn't come with other native AI features that are found in other, more expensive phones -- like the laundry list of AI features found in many Samsung and Pixel phones. I'm still puzzled by the phone's roll out, especially given the short time frame between it and the standard model. At the same time, though, I can't help and wonder if all the upgrades and changes to the Plus make it a worthier option at $50 more than the regular Nothing Phone 2a. As I've pointed out all the differences, they could in total justify the Nothing Phone 2a Plus' value in supplanting the Pixel 8a in our best cheap phones list. Flying under that $400 price point, it seems like worth a consideration if you're willing to settle with 5G support with T-Mobile.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus: enhanced performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro SoC | 91mobiles.com

When it comes to the Indian market, innovation and performance are key to staying ahead of the competition. This is how a relatively new brand like Nothing has managed to become such a popular name here. The Nothing Phone (2a) brought a unique new design with capable hardware at an affordable price point, and the new Nothing Phone (2a) Plus looks to take it up a notch. As the name suggests, this device is an upgrade over the Nothing Phone (2a) by enhancing its performance and camera capabilities. Let's take a quick look at what the new smartphone has to offer. At the heart of all of the improvements on the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is the new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro SoC that supports 5G connectivity. This octa-core chipset packs six Cortex-A510 cores and two Cortex-A715 cores with a max clock speed of 3.0GHz. This upgrade in the processor can be seen in the performance on offer. The new Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is said to offer a 10% increase in CPU performance, while the GPU is touted as offering a 30% improvement over the Nothing Phone (2a). This means that the phone should offer an improved experience in multitasking and gaming. A win-win for all. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus also improves upon the camera capabilities of the previous version of the smartphone. The new device packs a massive 50MP front camera, which should greatly enhance your selfies and video call quality. In fact, this front camera is now capable of shooting 4K videos at 30fps. This also means that the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus now features 50MP sensors on the front and rear of the smartphone. In terms of battery, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus also packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 50W fast charging like the standard Nothing Phone (2a). Buyers of the new phone can expect a 10% increase in charging speed vs Phone (2a). So users can enjoy an entire day of power with a quick 20 minute charge. This efficiency is made possible thanks to the 4nm architecture that promises improved battery life and greater performance. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus also makes full use of the MediaTek NPU 657 AI accelerator found in the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 SoC. The device comes with ChatGPT integrated into Nothing OS, so direct access is just a tap away. The presence of an NPU leaves a lot of room for Nothing to implement even more AI services into the phone via a future update. With all the other features of the new phone, Nothing has stuck to the principle of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. So you still get that immersive 6.7-inch Flexible AMOLED FHD+ panel with a 120Hz max refresh rate. Further, you also get the iconic Glyph Interface with its customisable light and sound patterns. Of course, you still get the unique design that Nothing is known for. The new phone inherits the same design story as the Nothing (2a). This includes the anthropomorphic appearance wherein the cameras within the NFC coil look like eyes, whilst being surround by a sort of brain. This design highlights the merger of technology and craftsmanship that Nothing smartphones are known for. To help buyers stand out, Nothing offers the Phone (2a) Plus in two new colour variants, namely a Metallic Grey and a Metallic Black. This colour finish oozes quality while highlighting the improvements that the phone has to offer. As one can see, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is an excellent symbol of the brand's desire to constantly innovate. The switch to the new and improved MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro processor showcases the brand's desire to constantly push boundaries and offer its customers the best it has to offer!

Nothing's Phone 2a Plus is the smallest of upgrades, but I'm still a big fan | Stuff

Transparent tech specialist Nothing has given the cheapest of its cheap phone duo a spit shine in record time. The Phone 2a hasn't even been on shelves for six months yet, but already has a bigger brother aimed at those wanting a little more gaming oomph. This isn't a successor, though: the new Phone 2a Plus will live alongside Nothing's most popular model. You don't need to consult the spec sheets to spot a Phone 2a Plus: it's rocking a new grey colour scheme, with see-through elements that've been given a shiny silver treatment. The overall styling stays the same, with the pared-back glyph lighting system and polycarbonate case first seen on Phone 2a. Those eye-like dual rear cameras have made a comeback, too. I'm in two minds: the silver is a lot more distinctive, but arguably a bit blingy for a firm that prides itself on minimalist design. The biggest internal upgrade is a new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset, which promises more power for both apps and games than the Dimensity 7200 Pro used in Phone 2a. The benchmarks (805,721 in Antutu, 1209 and 2663 in Geekbench 6) put it ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and Samsung Galaxy A35, and see it open up much more of a gap to the bargain basement CMF by Nothing Phone 1. Nothing reckons it shouldn't sap the 5000mAh battery any faster, so you can expect all-day life away from the mains. I've not had enough time with my review unit to confirm just yet. A modest boost to wired charging speeds should mean less time spent tethered, too; Phone 2a Plus can suck down volts at 50W from a compatible power brick, versus 45W in the Phone 2a. Not that either model includes an adapter in the box, mind. You're still getting a 6.7in AMOLED with skinny, symmetrical bezels and rounded-off corners. The Full HD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and 1300 nit peak brightness are a match for Phone 2a, which was very easy on the eye for an affordable phone. The two 50MP rear snappers are unchanged, but the front-facing selfie cam has been upgraded to a matching 50MP unit, instead of the 32MP one used on Phone 2a. All three sensors come from Samsung, which should mean greater image processing consistency - something the mainstream 2a was hardly lacking. I've been snapping away for a few days, but need more time to deliver a full verdict. On the software front, Phone 2a Plus arrives running Nothing OS 2.6; the firm's minimal, widget-based take on Android 14 is still comfortably one of my favourite mobile skins, with its monochrome UI being entirely free from bloat. A new News Reporter widget is available here for the first time, using AI to aggregate daily news from categories including business, entertainment, science, sports and tech. The one minute audio chunks are convenient, but the voice that reads them out sounds incredibly bored; it's not going to be replacing my Feedly RSS reader any time soon. At £399 for a 12GB+256GB variant, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is still refreshingly affordable. It undercuts the Pixel 8a and OnePlus Nord 4, while leaving enough of a hardware gap to leave the Nothing Phone 2 as the firm's flagship offering. It'll be going on sale in the UK first, with a limited drop at Nothing's London Soho store on the 3rd of August. A US developer programme will also open then, with pricing and availability for the rest of the world set to be confirmed in September.