If you have read other reviews by fellow Insiders, it will come as no surprise that I too have had the privilege of testing Phone (2a) since December. It is always exciting to explore a new device! The first thing that caught my attention was the camera position, which is now in the middle compared to Phone (1) & (2) where it was in the upper left corner. This gives the device a fresh look. Now that the entire marketing campaign is complete, ‘Fresh Eyes’ fits the device perfectly!
It’s enjoyable to embark on this experience with a small group of insiders. Reading about someone else’s discoveries helps provide a complete overview of all the changes and functions. However, the excitement I mentioned earlier can quickly turn into anxiety as soon as you take the phone away from home. It is crucial to be mindful of when it is appropriate to use your phone and when it is not.
Before I begin sharing my experience with Phone (2a), it is important to note that I had access to a development model, not a production model. There were frequent updates available for installation, all of which were Beta releases of Nothing OS 2.5. However, I was unable to use Phone (2a) as my primary device due to technical limitations in my day job. Therefore, I used it as a secondary phone. I can only compare it directly with my current Phone (2), as I gave Phone (1) to a friend. As a regular smartphone user, I perform light tasks on a daily basis. I use my phone for sending messages, emails, browsing, and watching YouTube videos, as well as for basic app usage. I only use it for light gaming, as I have a desktop PC for more intensive gaming and I’m not interested in heavy mobile gaming anyway.
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Phone Design
As previously mentioned, the camera placement is the most distinctive feature of the phone’s design. The phone is enclosed in a protective case, which prevents me from commenting on the rest of the back design. Although it feels lighter in the hand compared to Phone (2), I was surprised to find that there is only a 25-gram difference when weighed. Additionally, the phone boasts a visually appealing screen with thin, symmetrical bezels. And again a stereo speakers setup.
I was pleasantly surprised when I watched my first YouTube video. I did not expect it to sound better, but my initial reaction was that it sounded superior to my Phone (2). I immediately played the same video on both devices for a direct comparison, and I can confirm that the stereo speakers in (2a) sound fuller and richer than (2).
Camera
I couldn’t omit it entirely without mentioning it, but I decided to exclude my part because I am not capable of conducting an in-depth camera review. Especially when you can already see and read the work of @Derren and @Rahul, who are the true camera experts!
The ‘snapshots’ I take (which are just point and click) are good enough for me, as they were with Phone (2) and Phone (1). I see no point in zooming in on a pixel-level comparison. I do not print the photos I take on a large format. Instead, I view them on my phone screen and they simply look good to me. When sharing my photos with friends and family through usual channels, the pictures will inevitably get heavily compressed. I suppose I do not expect as much as others from a smartphone camera.
Performance
Although I did not know the specifications of (2a) when I received the device, I was informed that it would be positioned as a successor to Phone (1) and would be similar to a ‘budget’ phone, without any pricing details. This meant that I would consider it a ‘budget’ phone as well and would test it as such. This was particularly interesting to me because I had never owned a phone like this before. Additionally, when I learned that it had a Mediatek SoC, I approached it with an open mind.
Is this SoC capable of providing a smooth experience, together with Nothing OS 2.5, for my described usage? YES, absolutely! I was prepared for a less positive experience, but it has proven itself to be more than capable. Although I did experience some stuttering, especially shortly after a reboot, it completely vanished after a few minutes. It seems related to finalizing the booting phase and starting all the usual processes. Once again, this was beta software. It is possible that the performance issues were related to my homescreen being cluttered with widgets for testing purposes.
The most important thing is that after a few minutes, the performance improved significantly and there were no more stutters.
A personal downside for me worth noting (which is only important for a small group of people at this time) is that I wasn’t able to get a hardware Security Key working during the Testing-phase. I truly hope this will be fixed in a future Nothing OS update, as I really believe that security keys will quickly become the standard for logins and will replace password logins eventually. I addressed this as well with additional logging information to be investigated further.
Battery
As mentioned in the intro, although I wasn’t able to put the (2a) through its paces every day, I’m still very positive about its battery life. This phone lasts a long time when watching YouTube, browsing the internet, or using Discord. I will not provide specific details about battery usage as it would not be fair to include this in a comparison without a SIM card inserted, which would not be representative. I am confident that my fellow Insiders can provide more insight on this topic. Check out their Phone 2a reviews at https://nothing.community/t/phone-2a.
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Overall, it was a great experience with my first budget phone. It changed the way I view this phone category and has proven to be capable of providing a smooth experience for the average smartphone user.
In closing, I want to thank Nothing, Rob, Natalie and the Software Team for putting the trust in us Insiders to be included in this DVT 💗. I really appreciate the time they put into making the community part of this!
