The point of a budget smartphone is to exist as the fast fashion equivalent of itsflagship counterparts.
Mid-range Samsung devices are known for sporting the brightest, most vibrant displays, just like theirBig Phonecounterparts.
Based on the spec sheet, the Nothing Phone (2a) reprises the first-generation NothingPhone (1).
The Nothing Phone (2a) is the company’s first mid-range offering.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
This isnt Nothings best foot forward, but its trying something new here.
The Nothing Phone (2a) is squarely a mid-tier unit.
It runs a Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Pro processor, and its available with 8GB or 12GB of RAM.
The backside of the Nothing Phone (2a) has been compared to a pig’s snout.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The Phone (2a) has up to 256GB of storage space.
For those with access to the 8GB models, the phone starts at roughly $320.
Thats still plenty bright.
Nothing’s widgets are why you’d use a Nothing phone in the first place.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The battery is another selling point of the Nothing Phone (2a).
The 5,000 mAh pack promises up to two days of battery on a single charge.
I plan to put this through its paces with the review unit.
A look at Nothing OS 2.5.Screenshot: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Overall, Android devices have improved with battery offerings in this latest batch of releases.
Nothing has to compete with Samsung and Motorola for battery longevity among the mid-range set.
It comes chock full of heavily-designed widgets, plus a launcher that lets you change the icons.
There are also themed Lock Screen widgets from Nothing, which are sleek with the always-on display.
The Nothing Phone (2a) runs Android 14 right out of the box, underneath Nothing OS 2.5.
If you want the whole Nothing experience, youll have to adjust how things are set up.
Your mileage may vary, but its clear theres a path you have to take to get the branding.
I also found some inconsistencies pawing through Nothings version of Android.
Its subtle but the kind of interface kink that comes up when a manufacturer heavily customizes Android.
On the flip side, there are upsides, too.
The Phone (2a)s camera system features Nothings TrueLens Engine.
I like the Glyphs and the whimsy they suggest when they light up and go off.
But without a camera that can compete with Samsung and Googles respective releases, the Glyphs are a gimmick.
The Nothing Phone (2a) will beavailablestarting today in select markets.
Want more of Gizmodos consumer electronics picks?
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