The Nothing Phone (2) impressed us when it arrived this summer, it took what was an interesting novelty in the Nothing Phone (1) and delivered a true shot at the flagship phone market.
However, starting at $599 it also took another step toward flagship phone pricing, which was a step too far for some fans. Fortunately, it seems that we might not have much longer to wait for a more affordable option again with a new leak from the oft-accurate tipster Yogesh Brar showing off a Nothing Phone (2a) that also includes a full rundown of the alleged specs (via PhoneArena).
These specs are Nothing to sneeze at
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Nothing Phone (2a) |
|---|---|
| Price | $400 |
| Display | 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED |
| CPU | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Rear cameras | Dual 50MP |
| Front camera | 16MP |
| OS | Nothing OS 2.5 (Android 14) |
The breakdown from Brar shows a PVT unit, which is pre-production hardware that is used to test the phone before its actual release. The camera placement, the modified Glyph placement, and the size of the phone are all certainly final, but it is encased in a housing and certainly not the final design of the phone that we are seeing.
Other than the centering of the rear cameras, the significantly reduced Glyph lights on the back of the phone is the most notable departure from the Nothing Phone (2). Regrettably we don't get to see it in action to see what the overall impact is, which is unfortunate as that clever little detail is certainly one of the standout features.
Nothing Phone 2a PVTGets:- 120Hz OLED panel- Dimensity 7200- 8/128GB- 50MP dual camera setup- Ships with Nothing OS 2.5- Android 14- New back design- Redesigned Glyph- Glyph controls similar to Phone 2MWC launch, Good for $400 pic.twitter.com/WNCoJoRMhWDecember 16, 2023
While the Nothing Phone (2) launched with the then one generation back Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ chipset, the Nothing Phone (2a) is going to be another step down from there with its midrange MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset. We haven't tested a phone with it yet, but from a benchmark standpoint it is behind even the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 outside of its GPU performance. However, Nothing has done well with eking every last ounce of performance out of whatever chipset it has used, so we'll withhold judgment until we can get one in to review.
The dual 50MP cameras sound impressive on paper, but the devil is in the sensor details when it comes to phone cameras, so absent more information we have no idea how those cameras will actually perform.
The display sounds impressive for a $400 phone with a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED panel. Again brightness, color gamut, and more may not be up to true flagship standards, but those basic specs sound great for a sub-$500 phone.
The last piece of information that Brar had to impart was that the phone should be coming at MWC 2024, which is February 26-29, but if we know Nothing (I really set you up with that one), we expect that there will be plenty of marketing coming soon to build up excitement for its next device.
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