Nothing Phone 2a: The most eye-catching affordable phone of 2024 – destined to flop?،
But then I thought of the other mid-range phones leaving in 2024, and I… changed my mind.
Nothing Phone 2a: Carl Pei gives mid-range phones another try, but the Galaxy A55, Pixel 7a and iPhone SE 4 suggest 2024 might be the wrong time to do it
Leaked Nothing Phone 2a render with three Glyph lights around the dual camera.
- 120Hz OLED display
- MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC
- 50MP dual camera setup
- 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM
- Nothing OS 2.5 (based on Android 14) with 3 years of OS upgrades
- Revamped rear design with only three Glyph lights
- Expected price around $400
- Launch at MWC
Now, if you want my opinion on this datasheet, what stands out could be the choice of SoC. And to put the Dimensity 7200 in context, I can tell you that one of MediaTek's most affordable chips is comparable to the A12 Bionic (iPhone XS) and Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.
To be even more concrete, regarding the direct competitors of the Nothing Phone 2a, the Dimensity 7200 is slower than the:
- Exynos 1480 should power the next Galaxy A55 (20% slower CPU – according to leaked Geekbench 6 results)
- G2 tensor power the Pixel 7a (CPU 25% slower, GPU 50% slower)
- Dimensions 9000 power the OnePlus Nord 3 (CPU 45% slower, GPU 90% slower)
- A16 bionic should power the iPhone SE4 (130% slower on CPU, 130% slower on GPU)
Leaked hands-on images of a seriously boxed-up Nothing Phone 2a hint at a different design than the Nothing Phone 2.
While there's nothing wrong with having a lower mid-range chip in your phone, you can understand why the Nothing Phone 2a's Dimensity 7200 SoC doesn't really stand out when seen in context – At least on paper. That being said, I'm not surprised by Nothing's cost-cutting decisions.
Remember, the Nothing Phone 1 launched with an older Snapdragon 778+ SoC, and the “flagship” Nothing Phone 2 replaced Qualcomm's 2023 flagship SoC with the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. So there's certainly a trend towards Carl Pei's SoC selection, which is why the new Dimensity 8200 gives way to the almost a year old 7200.
Even though the Dimensity 7200 powering the Nothing Phone 2a is shaping up to be the weakest chip among the top contenders for the best mid-range phone of 2024, Nothing's fluid and minimalist Nothing OS (based on Android 14) should help make the Phone 2a. run very well. On the other hand, this means that the biggest concern with the Nothing Phone 2a's performance might be related to longevity, as well as heavier tasks like gaming and constant multitasking.
Carl Pei loves the idea of stealing away loyal Apple users, but the Nothing Phone 2a will need iMessage and a miracle to compete with the rumored iPhone SE 4.
This is more or less what the iPhone SE 4 should look like.
It's no secret that as a young company led by a master visionary and marketer like Carl Pei, Nothing's short and long term goal is to steal customers from the big players – especially Apple, the most egregious example being Nothing's (failed) attempt to port iMessage to the Nothing Phone 2.
However, if that's part of the reason the Nothing Phone 2a exists (and I'm not saying it is), 2024 might just be the wrong year to challenge Apple with a mid-range Android phone running on a low-level chip, and that's because (according to reports) Apple's semi-annual iPhone SE is expected to launch in the spring – just when the Phone 2a is expected to debut.
Without going into a detailed discussion, and given the leaks/rumors I've come across, it's very safe to assume that the only two (obvious) advantages the Nothing Phone 2a might have over the (heavily redesigned) iPhone SE4 are the 120Hz screen and additional ultra-wide camera it has.
Aside from that, (as usual) Apple's new SE model is expected to offer a flagship-quality package at around $500, and even though it's $100 more than the Nothing Phone 2a, I think you agree that most people will be willing to do this. paying top dollar for Apple's unprecedented brand promise and flagship hardware iPhone SE.
In all honesty, despite being called the “iPhone Special Edition,” the iPhone SE 4 doesn’t really sound like anything “special.” The SE 4 is expected to be an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera, and the iPhone 14 happens to be one of Apple's most forgettable flagships of all time. But then you think about the price, and that's when the SE starts to look like an offering that few (if any) Android phones could match in 2024.
Nothing Phone 2a could be an essential but forgettable addition to Nothing's catalog – is its unique design enough to challenge Samsung, Google and Apple?
Would the Nothing Phone 2a's flashy and remarkable design be enough to give it a chance against the iPhone SE 4, Galaxy A55 and Pixel 7a?
There are several question marks over the Nothing Phone 2a, like whether the phone will be dust and water resistant and whether it will support wireless charging. Of course, if both turn out to be present on the Phone 2a, then the value proposition immediately increases. But if they're not… you know… the opposite happens.
So where does Nothing go with this? Well… I see the Nothing Phone 2a as a way to remind people that nothing exists until the Nothing Phone 3 launches in the second half of 2024.
Additionally, Nothing is a young brand, which does not have many dishes on its menu, and an offering like the Nothing Phone 2a would be a good starter for the more substantial main course, which is the Nothing Phone 2.
That being said, I maintain my initial position that the Nothing Phone 2a could be a bit behind in the mid-range.
Although I'm certainly happy that it exists (or rather will exist) as an option, and I admire Nothing's ingenuity in betting on phones with a unique design language (I'm sure the Phone 2a will have the looks cool), I don't see how it can compete with companies like Pixel 7aGalaxy A55 and even an older one mid-range phone like the OnePlus Nord 3.
For example, I'm not sure the Nothing Phone 2a is a worse phone than the Galaxy A55 – it might even be better in some ways. However, loyal Samsung fans would disagree. The Galaxy A54 is far from the best mid-range phone of 2023, but it is one of the most popular mid-range phones outside of China.
