Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: A better overall package, but not without flaws | Tech Reviews

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus retains a similar design to the Phone 2a, but incorporates distinctive elements and color schemes beneath its transparent back panel. The Phone 2a Plus now features metallic details beneath the surface, replacing the color-coordinated elements seen on the standard model. Additionally, the red details on the back panel are absent on the Plus version. While these design tweaks may be down to personal preference, the smartphone looks and feels premium despite its all-plastic build. The edges are also designed to be ergonomic, ensuring that they don’t dig into your hand during use. Although Nothing hasn’t changed the material of the back panel, I noticed significantly fewer visible scratches on the Plus model compared to the standard version during my review.

Beyond these design updates, the smartphone retains the same Glyph Light interface as the Phone 2a and features a similar uniform bezel design around the display.

Camera

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus features a new 50MP front camera, but retains the standard model’s dual 50MP rear camera setup. While the company may have upgraded the rear sensors, their performance remains largely similar to the Phone 2a. The rear cameras still deliver sharp, vibrant images in outdoor settings, but indoor shots could use some improvement. They tend to be slightly overexposed and brighter than usual, which can reduce color accuracy. The ultra-wide is still better in this regard, capturing colors more faithfully in a variety of lighting conditions. However, the main camera edges it out in terms of clarity, producing sharper, more defined images.

The new 50MP front camera brings noticeable improvements. Images are sharper compared to the Phone 2a, and skin tones look more natural and realistic. The front camera’s performance under artificial lighting has also improved, with consistent color reproduction. However, you may notice softer facial details in low-light conditions. Portrait shots with the front camera can be a bit disappointing, as the sensor often struggles with edge detection under artificial lighting.

Additionally, Nothing has fixed a minor issue with the Phone 2a that, while not particularly bothersome, was noticeable. The Phone 2a Plus now lets you take photos one after another, with image processing running in the background. Previously, you had to wait a second or two for the image to process before taking another.

Performance

The Phone 2a Plus doesn’t just bring a new front-facing camera and a new design; it also features a new processor. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chip, which Nothing claims is made exclusively by MediaTek for this phone, the new processor theoretically promises improved performance over the standard model, which is powered by the Dimensity 7200 Pro chip. However, the performance difference isn’t particularly significant. The smartphone handles day-to-day tasks and more demanding activities, such as multitasking and gaming, just as smoothly as the Phone 2a.

While there are no noticeable lags or stutters, one area where the Phone 2a Plus does show improvement is in thermal management. While the Nothing Phone 2a didn’t get too warm, the Phone 2a Plus stays even cooler during extended gaming sessions, which also helps reduce battery drain to some extent.

Battery and charging

Equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus offers impressive battery life, comparable to the standard model. However, it seems the company has done a better job of task optimization, resulting in slightly improved battery performance. Charging the phone to 100 percent provided a full day of use, with about 30 percent battery remaining at night.

There’s also been a modest improvement in charging speed. The Phone 2a Plus supports 50W fast charging, an improvement over the 45W supported by the standard model. However, like the Phone 2a, the Plus variant doesn’t include a charger in the box. When I tested with a 67W charger, I was able to fully charge the device in 47 minutes, starting from 10 percent.

What remains the same

Show

The Phone 2a Plus features the same display panel as the Phone 2a, featuring a 6.7-inch AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is vibrant and maintains excellent color accuracy at different viewing angles. The 120Hz refresh rate contributes to a snappy and responsive user experience. However, given the higher price tag, the inclusion of LTPO technology would have been a welcome improvement. However, the smartphone does include a dynamic refresh rate feature that lets you switch between fixed refresh rates.

For content consumption, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus supports HDR videos on YouTube, but not on other platforms like Netflix. Additionally, the display settings menu offers an HDR display option that, when enabled, allows the panel to reach its maximum brightness while watching HDR content. This increases the vividness and makes for a more immersive viewing experience.

Software

The Phone 2a offered one of the best software experiences in its price segment, and the same applies to the Plus model, as Nothing maintains a clean, bloatware-free environment. Running NothingOS 2.6, the Plus model lets you switch between the stock Android interface and Nothing’s custom look. You also get the same level of customization options on your home screen, including custom app icons, widgets, and app drawers.

Among the notable changes, more third-party apps now support Nothing’s black and white app icons, preserving the aesthetics of the device. Nothing has also introduced a new AI-powered home screen widget called “News Reporter.” This feature lets you select preferred news genres such as sports, business, technology, and more, curating up to eight news stories daily and presenting them with a humorous vocal twist. While the feature is fun and informative, it would have been even better with a text transcript accompanying the voice narration.

Verdict

With the Phone 2a Plus, Nothing is offering more options for consumers to choose from. Priced at Rs 27,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, the Phone 2a Plus matches the price of the top-end variant of the Phone 2a, which offers 12GB RAM at the same price. While the Phone 2a Plus brings improvements in key areas, the choice between the two variants ultimately depends on the needs of the consumer.

If you’re looking for a value-packed package within Nothing’s smartphone lineup, the standard Phone 2a is a solid choice. However, if you prefer metallic design elements, an improved selfie camera, and a slight bump in overall performance, the Phone 2a Plus is your best bet.

First published: August 19, 2024 | 14:54 IS