Nothing Phone (2a) Now Available for Pre-Order

 Nothing Phone (2a), a new mid-tier/budget smartphone, has been officially announced by Nothing, following its limited debut at the company’s MWC after-party. Priced at $349, Phone (2a) targets the budget-conscious segment.

Preorders are open, but in the United States, the phone is currently available only for developers interested in integrating third-party apps with the device’s unique “Glyphs” feature on the back.

The Glyph Developer Kit for Nothing devices allows developers to build their own integration with the Glyph Interface, starting from March 5, 2024. In the UK, Phone (2a) is available in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB models, priced at £319 each. In India, these models are priced at ₹23,999 and ₹27,099, respectively, with an exclusive third configuration of 12GB/256GB for ₹25,999.

The Phone (2a) departs from the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs of its premium counterparts, opting instead for a customized MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip. This collaboration between Nothing and MediaTek has led to optimizations like Smart Clean and Adaptive NTFS, enhancing performance and reducing power consumption of specific components by up to 10%.

While the performance may be a step down from the flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Nothing Phone (2), it might offer improved speed in certain workflows compared to the Phone (1).

Phone (2a) maintains the 50-megapixel dual rear-facing cameras of Phone (2), though positioned at the center-back. The phone’s design features the trademark transparent look with light-up Glyphs, though reduced in number and located only at the top.

Phone (2a) boasts a 5,000 mAh battery, larger than those in Phone (1) and Phone (2), and maintains the 6.7-inch screen size and 120Hz refresh rate of the more premium model. Overall, Nothing Phone (2a) is shaping up to be a solid choice for its price point, offering a balance between affordability and performance.