MUST-KNOWS

Before delving into this review, it’s important to address a few key points. Firstly, the opinions shared here are entirely my own and reflect my personal experiences with the Phone (2a). This includes any preferences or biases I may have towards certain features or aspects of the device.

Secondly, I want to clarify that I am not affiliated with Nothing, Flipkart, Croma, or any other brands mentioned in this review. This is not a sponsored review, and I purchased the phone from Croma’s offline store for personal use. Nothing has had no input or influence on the content of this review.

Lastly, I received the phone running Nothing OS version 2.5.3 initially and it has since received three software updates, now running the latest build, 2.5.5. All observations and opinions shared in this review are based on my experiences with this specific version of the software.

With these points clarified, let’s dive into the review.

A FEW PRODUCT SHOTS

UNBOXING and PRICE

I purchased the 8GB RAM 128GB ROM variant of the Phone (2a) from Croma’s offline store. Since I bought the phone during the initial sale period, I did get the Rs.2000 bank discount and effectively, I got the phone at Rs. 22000. I purchased the black colorway of the phone because while I appreciate striking designs, the white variant felt a bit too flashy for my liking, and I tend to prefer the understated elegance of black.

The unboxing was pretty average, in my opinion. Sure, the presentation and the box itself were very premium and had a pretty good feel. The white cardboard box has the design of the top 60% of the phone with the concentric circles engraved into it and once you open it, you get a paragraph printed on the left side about Nothing and their philosophy and links to their socials.

However, my impression of the unboxing experience leaned towards the mediocre due to the contents of the box. Look, this is a premium-budget, almost midrange smartphone. And not having a charger in the box is a pretty big no-no. In this price range, buyers usually have the mentality of more things equals better and Nothing’s conservative approach to the box contents is a big letdown in my books.

But, once we ignore the no-charger-in-box fiasco (Thank you, Apple!), the rest of the experience is quite special. You get a high-quality Type-C to Type-C cable with transparent ends, a transparent sim ejector tool which looks cute, in my opinion, very minimal paperwork, and the phone, wrapped in a white paper outer covering. You can sense that there was some care put into the packaging of this phone, even though the price definitely doesn’t justify it.

DESIGN and MATERIALS

You can go only two ways with this design: you either love it so much that you find yourself admiring the back more than the front, or you dislike it so intensely that you’re tempted to slap on an opaque case without a second thought!

Either way, this phone attracts a lot of looks in public. I have had people ask me, ‘Is that a Nothing phone?’, and people whispering, ‘That looks like a Nothing phone,’ while commuting in public transport.

I personally do love this look. Honestly, this phone looks way better in real life than it does in photos and renders. While the black variant I have is a little bit muted and less attention grabbing compared to the white or milk variant, when there’s enough light or when the sunlight hits it right, this phone looks absolutely stunning. The intricate details on the back, like the small ridges in the NFC coils and the exposed screws, the LED strips for the glyph lights (we’ll get there, don’t worry!), the subtle red square on the side, and the Nothing branding at the bottom, all contribute to its beauty. The centered placement of the rear cameras adds a touch of charm due to its symmetry.

Again, this look isn’t for everyone. I asked my sister and she didn’t like it. My mom on the other hand, liked it very much. So, for anyone considering this phone, I would recommend going to an offline store and trying out the demo unit to see if you like it.

The back is made of polycarbonate, but it never feels like it. And this is coming from a person who used to use a glass-backed phone prior to the Phone (2a). Nothing has embraced the plastic for what it is unlike many other companies that try to make their plastic look like glass.

However, this back attracts fingerprints—a lot of fingerprints, especially if you have wet palms like mine. They seem more noticeable on this black color than on lighter colors. Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to clean off, so no concerns there.

Another thing to keep in mind about the phone’s plastic back is how prone it is to scratches. From everyday use like pulling it out of your pocket to placing it on different surfaces or just giving it a quick wipe-down with anything other than a microfiber cloth, the back can pick up scratches quite easily. At first, they’re not very noticeable—you’d have to squint to see them. But down the road, these little scratches might become more noticeable. So, I would suggest you either buy a case or put some kind of film or protector on the back to keep it looking pristine.

Coming back to the build, the sides are also made of plastic. It has a slightly textured, paper-like feel to it. It resists fingerprints and is grippy. And in case you’re wondering, no, it doesn’t get scratched as easily as the back.

The phone is lightweight and thin enough to be comfortable holding in the hand, even for long periods of time. The raised camera bump gives you a small intent to rest your index finger while holding the phone with one hand, so it reduces the stress on the pinky finger, atleast in the way I hold the phone.

DISPLAY and SPEAKERS

Let’s dive into the specs. The phone features a 6.7-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification for 10-bit color depth. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and comes with a preinstalled screen protector, which is a nice touch.

Now, for those who prefer a simpler summary: This display is sharp, smooth, highly responsive, and offers excellent brightness, even in challenging lighting conditions. Plus, it strikes a good balance in size—large enough for immersive viewing but still comfortable to hold without feeling like you’re carrying a tablet.

Personally, I’m a fan of curved displays for their futuristic and floating-into-the-sides appearance, but this phone opts for a flat screen and I appreciate the practical benefits of this choice. It’s easier to protect with tempered glass and less prone to accidental touches, which can be frustrating. Plus, repairs are often more straightforward and affordable if the screen does need attention. So, while I might prefer the aesthetic of a curved screen, I understand and value the practicality of this flat display design.

I’ve used the phone for navigating, browsing the web, and reading articles, and all of these tasks are comfortably doable on this screen, even when standing right under the midday sun (trust me, I’ve tried it!).

During the night, the display gets very dim, which is suitable for reading and viewing content in low light. And if you still feel like that’s too bright, there’s a handy ‘Extra Dim’ toggle in the quick settings just for you. As a person who reads a lot of articles and books on his phone in the night, I found this feature to be very much useful. It reduces the strain on your eyes and makes the experience more pleasant while reading in the dark. Auto brightness has also been really consistent and reliable for me, adjusting the brightness to the surroundings smoothly and quickly,

Another thing to note is that the 120Hz refresh rate is an absolute game-changer. Once you start using it, there’s no going back. Nothing has implemented the high refresh rate really well here. Nothing OS just flows. Opening apps, closing apps, scrolling through the home screen and app drawer, navigating through the Settings app, scrolling through tweets on X, reading articles on Chrome—all feel incredibly fluid and responsive.

(Just a pro tip: if you experience slight jitters while scrolling through apps like YouTube, Twitter, Chrome, etc., try switching the display refresh rate from ‘Dynamic’ to ‘High’. The Dynamic setting lowers the refresh rate to 90Hz when using certain apps, which can be noticeable when navigating between the home screen and apps. Enabling the high refresh rate setting keeps the screen at 120Hz in most apps, providing a consistently smoother experience.)

This display is sharp and color-accurate, making it great for viewing a wide range of content. Text appears clear, while HDR videos and movies boast rich, punchy colors.

The symmetrical bezels on this phone make a significant difference in its overall aesthetics, more than you’d think. It looks way better than the three ultra-thin bezels with a huge chin on the bottom that we see on the majority of the devices in this segment and it makes me forget about the hole-punch camera in the top middle.

Now, is it as good as the flagships out there? Unsurprisingly, no, it’s not. But, that’s the point with a budget device, right? Giving you something good at a price that doesn’t break the bank. And I feel like Nothing has over-delivered on that front here. This display is more than excellent for the price.

The stereo speakers on this phone are pretty solid. They do a good job of creating a wide soundstage, and they get quite loud. However, I’m a bit of a bass enthusiast, and I felt like the bass could be punchier. It’s not bad at all, but I wish it had a bit more oomph to really feel those bass hits. On the positive side, the vocals and highs come through crystal clear and are very bright, especially when I’m listening to music which are more dominated by vocals.

Also, one small thing I noticed was that every Bluetooth audio device I tried connecting to this phone had better sound quality than any other device I tried. It’s like there’s a whole new level of depth and spatial separation in the audio experience. I’m not sure what kind of magic Nothing implemented here, but it’s definitely a welcome improvement that adds to the overall enjoyment of using this phone.

PERFORMANCE

I would describe the performance as fluid. I won’t bore you with benchmarks and technical details, but just for fun, this phone scores around 690,000 in Antutu—nice!

From a practical standpoint, the Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro in the heart of this phone is powerful enough for any daily tasks. Opening apps, switching between them, watching videos, scrolling through social media - Yup, this phone handles all of that without any issues. The chip is paired with UFS 2.2 storage and LPDDR4x RAM. Is the difference between this and a phone with UFS 3.1 storage noticeable? No, not unless you compare them side by side. Is the RAM speed difference noticeable between this and LPDDR5x? No.

I didn’t notice the temperatures soaring to uncomfortable levels even when doing intensive tasks like using the camera or playing small games. It does get warm, but that’s not a huge concern for me. Processors heat up—it’s just physics. I’m not a huge gamer, so I can’t exactly vouch for the gaming performance of the Phone (2a). But in the few small games I’ve tried, it has performed pretty well with no issues.

Is it flawless? No, it’s not. As someone who has used phones with higher-end chips, I can definitely notice minor jitters and stutters here and there. For instance, when exiting a full-screen YouTube video to the home screen, you might notice a slight hiccup. However, these nuances are something I notice only because of my experience with higher-end devices. For most people upgrading from a midrange phone or older flagship, the Phone (2a)'s performance will feel like pure magic.

The only aspect where I’ve experienced a delay is with image processing in the Camera app. After capturing a photo, it consistently takes about 2-3 seconds to process. While I’ve grown accustomed to this delay and believe most users will adjust as well, ideally, this delay shouldn’t be present in the first place.

Nothing has been impressively quick with updates and optimizations. Since I first got the phone, its performance has improved significantly, and I’m hopeful that they’ll continue to enhance it further and fix existing hiccups in future updates.

BATTERY LIFE and CHARGING

The battery life is good but can be a bit unpredictable. For example, one day I managed to squeeze out a solid 7 hours of screen-on time with almost half the battery left after using it for navigation, texting, and snapping photos. The next day, I noticed that the battery had dropped by 3% overnight, and by the end of the second day, I still had about 15% left, giving me a total of 11 hours of screen time over two days. But then there are times when I’ve only managed around 6 hours of screen time doing similar tasks, even with a bit more camera usage.

The screen-on-time display in the battery usage section of the settings is unfortunately inconsistent and unreliable, often fluctuating by significant amounts. Therefore, my experiences with screen time should be taken with a grain of salt. However, what I can confirm is that the 5000mAh battery in this phone easily lasts a full day for my usage. I haven’t managed to drain it completely in a single day yet. With careful use, it’s possible to stretch the battery to last two full days and I’ve been able to achieve this, as demonstrated by the example above. That said, I believe the standby time on the Phone (2a) could be improved significantly, as there’s noticeable drain when the phone is not in use.

The charging experience with the Phone (2a) is quite disappointing. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, there’s no charger included in the box, and the provided cable is a type-C to type-C, which might not be compatible with most standard chargers people have. This means you’ll either need to purchase a new charger or use your existing cable with a compatible charger. However, even with a compatible charger, the charging speed is notably slow compared to other phones with similar battery capacities. Although the phone supports 45W charging, I haven’t had the opportunity to test this feature personally. While the experience might be better with the official charger, I can’t guarantee it. As a result, I’ve resorted to overnight charging as it’s the only practical way to achieve a fully charged battery without waiting for extended periods during the day.

CAMERA

Let’s discuss the Achilles’ heel of this phone—the camera system. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s not outstanding, but it’s not disappointing either. Most of the time, you’ll get decent photos that do the job. Every now and then, you’ll snap a stunning shot that impresses everyone around you, and they’ll want a copy. But there are those moments when you wonder if the camera was asleep on the job, leaving you with a less-than-perfect picture that’s a bit underwhelming.

The hardware on this phone is definitely impressive. The main sensor is a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL GN9 sensor, boasting a size of 1/1.56 inches—similar to the flagship Sony IMX890 found in many high-end phones. Nothing has also not skimped on the ultrawide camera, featuring an equally capable 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor that’s also large at around ½.76 inches. This hardware package sets the phone apart from others in its price range, and I appreciate that Nothing has avoided adding unnecessary cameras (looking at you, 2-megapixel ones) just for the sake of it.

If you’re into photography and know your way around framing and editing, this phone’s camera hardware is capable of delivering some truly stunning photos. However, for most people who just want a phone that takes good pictures straight out of the box for social media, the camera on the Phone (2a) is sadly just above average, decent, or however you want to put it. It’s okay, but not exceptional for casual users.

While the hardware has potential, it’s the software that’s holding back this phone’s camera. For starters, this camera has a tendency to brighten everything up. Picture this: you snap a shot, and suddenly everything looks brighter than it should, almost too bright. And the colors? Let’s just say this phone has a thing for bold, vibrant hues. Sometimes, it goes a bit overboard. Many photos taken with this phone exhibit inaccurate colors, with greens and reds often appearing oversaturated. You might not notice it right away and might even prefer it until you compare it with photos from another phone or a GCam mod on the same device.

Thirdly, this camera is not the best when it comes to capturing photos of human subjects. This has improved a LOT since I first got it, and I’ve managed to capture some good portrait shots with accurate and natural skin tones. However, there’s still an issue with halos around subjects, particularly noticeable when shooting against light. This is a result of the camera’s tendency to brighten everything, especially faces, which can occasionally create horrible looking halos around the subject.

Where this camera truly excels is in landscape photography, HDR captures, and close-up shots of non-human subjects. The pictures are sharp with plenty of detail, good contrast and dynamic range, particularly in night mode where the brightness is just right without making it look like daytime—ironic, considering the camera’s tendency to brighten everything. The natural blur produced by the large main sensor is creamy and beautiful, especially in close-up shots. The 2x zoom into the main sensor is decent, but I believe there’s still room for improvement. It has improved significantly with updates, but there’s potential for even more enhancement in the future.

The ultrawide camera on this phone totally surprised me—it’s actually really good. I had low expectations for typical 8MP ultrawide cameras found in most phones and had sworn off using ultrawide lenses altogether. But this phone’s ultrawide camera changed my perspective entirely. I found myself drawn to capturing sweeping landscapes, architecture, and more with the ultrawide lens, something I wouldn’t have done before.

While the ultrawide lens lacks autofocus like its pricier counterpart, the Phone (2), which means it can’t capture macro shots, the 2x zoom feature comes in handy. By getting as close as possible to your subject and using the 2x zoom, you can achieve some pretty decent-looking macro shots.

The video capabilities of this phone truly exceeded my expectations. I was bracing for a video camera that would struggle in low light, producing jittery footage with lots of grain, but I was pleasantly surprised. You can shoot 4K videos at 30fps and 1080p at either 30fps or 60fps, and the results are remarkably smooth and stable.

What’s more, switching between lenses while shooting at 1080p is incredibly seamless—a small detail that’s actually quite rare to find. Even some flagships struggle with this, making this phone’s video performance stand out.

There is a GCam mod available, which sort of fixes the color issue and allows 4K video at 60fps (though I have no idea how it does that), but the GCam photos usually lack detail and struggle in low light.

You might think I’m being overly critical or negative about this camera, but in reality, it’s quite good for most users.Given the impressive hardware specs, my expectations were high, and while the camera experience isn’t a standout feature of this phone, I’m confident that the teams at Nothing will continue to enhance it through updates, as they’ve done with their other devices.

Overall, the camera performs well for everyday use, but it may not meet the high standards set by flagship devices in certain aspects.

Uploaded a few sample shots taken on the Phone (2a) here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DjLFibd5_HygU5LAz5TM41g3MlUhayFW?usp=sharing

Feel free to pixel-peep.

GLYPH LIGHTING

Ok, so about these glyphs—they’re not just a gimmick, but they’re also not a game changer. Are they useful? Sometimes, yeah, but most of the time, they’re just a cool party trick. I mainly use them for the glyph timer, essential notifications, as a torch, and sometimes for music visualization.

I dont mean you should completely ignore the glyphs. They’re actually quite useful for a specific set of people in a specific set of scenarios. Plus, you can occasionally flex on others with those lights because they’re so unique—no other phone has them.

The glyph torch comes in handy for those stealthy late-night water runs—you know, when you don’t want to wake the whole house. Plus, the glyph lights make for a soft fill light in photos at night, saving you from those dreaded harsh shadows you get with a flash.

Also, there are some useful features like ‘Flip to Glyph,’ which puts the phone on silent and relies solely on the glyphs to notify you of calls and texts when you flip the phone. The glyph timer is also pretty handy, along with essential notifications, ensuring that one of the glyphs stays lit up until you acknowledge the triggering notification. You can choose which app notifications are set as essential, lighting up the essential glyph only for those particular notifications. Cool, right?

Music visualization is a cool party trick—something you can show off to friends and family—but it’s nothing more than that.

Here’s my point: if this was a terrible phone with only the glyphs as a redeeming factor, then I would advise steering clear. However, this phone is not that. It’s an overall good phone with the glyphs serving as an additional touch or the cherry on top, so to speak.

SOFTWARE

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the star of the show, the pièce de résistance of a Nothing phone—Nothing OS. This is the secret sauce, the magic potion that makes owning a Nothing phone worth it.

The Phone (2a) ships with Nothing OS 2.5 based upon Android 14. For me, honestly, Nothing OS is like that cozy sweater you reach for on a chilly day—it just feels right.

First off, it is incredibly clean, and… simple—so clean that you’ll struggle to make the scroll slider in the app drawer move even more than a page. The number of preinstalled apps is so minimal that you might mistake your phone for a minimalist art piece. The only preinstalled Nothing app is the Nothing X app. Even official apps like Composer for the glyph lights and the Nothing Icon Pack (which applies the classic Nothing icon style to every app) are absent when you first boot up the device.

Secondly, Nothing OS is incredibly smooth. As I described earlier in the performance section, this OS just flows. Everything is quick, snappy, and 99% of the time, stutter-free. The animations when opening and closing apps, the back gesture icons coming in from the sides, and other interactions like opening apps from home-screen widgets, accessing settings from the quick settings panel or opening app folders—it’s all so fun and satisfying. Using Nothing OS feels like navigating a well-oiled machine, effortless and seamless.

Thirdly, it is beautiful, in a different kind of way. The app icons are all monochrome. No flashy colors, no distractions. It’s like they’re whispering, ‘Hey, think twice before you tap that app. Is it really worth it?’ And sometimes, it’s not. I catch myself hesitating, wondering if I’m about to fall into the black hole of doom-scrolling. It’s oddly refreshing.

The dot-matrix font sprinkled throughout the UI and settings app adds this unique touch that I find intriguing, especially because it’s not overused. And the widgets—oh boy, they’ve become my new best friends. Whether on the lock screen or home screen, they’re always there, ready to assist. Quick settings, weather updates, and a glimpse at what’s happening—it’s so accessible and intuitive. Seriously, using any other phone feels like stepping back in time.

Every official Nothing widget is so beautifully crafted that it feels like a crime not to use them. The level of customization is also appreciable—you can use any emoji as an app folder icon, choose the shape of app folders, and even enlarge the icon of any app you want.

Is it perfect? No, I wouldn’t say that. Nothing OS isn’t as feature-rich as Samsung’s OneUI or doesn’t offer the same level of customization as Xiaomi or Vivo phones. You can’t change the default font or customize the lock screen clock style as extensively as you can with Xiaomi’s HyperOS. Additionally, you don’t get the kind of customization modules like GoodLock which is available on Samsung phones. The quick settings panel could use some refinement—the WiFi and Bluetooth buttons are quite large and feel a bit out of proportion. Also, having to go into the settings app to switch WiFi networks is a bit inconvenient. These are areas where I wish Nothing OS could be more polished.

But what Nothing OS offers is a completely unique experience that feels like the phone truly cares for you. It’s difficult to put into words, but Nothing OS is filled with thoughtful touches and incredible attention to detail. For instance, when you try to turn off the screen using the power button, the display elegantly fades out from the point of interaction, creating a seamless transition. Another remarkable detail is the animation when using the fingerprint scanner—the wallpaper swirls and blurs with a sandpaper-like texture, giving it a tactile feel that’s just mesmerizing. Additionally, there’s a wave animation that ripples across the home screen when you use the fingerprint scanner, adding a dynamic and immersive touch, and even that animation matches the color of your wallpaper. Even closing an app feels special, with the app icon subtly shaking and everything around it responding in a dynamic way. These small touches make Nothing OS feel super personal and just… well, delightful. I’ll admit, I’m absolutely smitten with it. Nothing OS has spoiled me so much that I can’t imagine switching to anything else.

In terms of update cycles, this phone offers a decent lifespan with 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches. Nothing has a reliable track record of delivering updates in a timely manner, ensuring your device remains up-to-date and secure during its supported period.

I may have gotten a bit carried away in this section, but that’s because Nothing OS is simply delightful and unique. If I haven’t made it clear enough, I’d rate this software an 11 out of 10. Just get it for the software experience alone—you won’t regret it!

OTHER RANDOM THINGS

Here are a few other details worth mentioning:

Firstly, the haptics are top-notch. Unlike those cheap vibration motors that feel like they’re going to die next week, this haptic motor is tight and strong, adding a whole new dimension to the phone experience.

Secondly, the Always-On Display (AOD) is not very customizable. It simply provides an outline of your lock screen. More customization options would have been appreciated.

Thirdly, the fingerprint scanner is quick, snappy, and has rarely failed on me.

Alright, folks, that wraps it up. Thanks a bunch for sticking around through all my ranting to reach this point. This was my first official ‘review’, so let me know if you enjoyed it. It was quite a lengthy one and took a lot of effort to put together, so I’d love to hear your honest feedback. Thanks again!