Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: extra like-minded than you assume
It nonetheless looks like we’re within the infancy of stylish London-based model Nothing’s smartphone journey, however regardless of solely launching two telephones in two years, that tempo has picked up for 2024, with three subsequent additions, and the promise of one other flagship, the Nothing Telephone 3, someday subsequent yr.
The present flagship entry in Nothing’s portfolio is the Nothing Telephone 2, which was unveiled within the midst of 2023. For 2024, the corporate’s smartphones have positioned a a lot larger give attention to affordability, with the extra modestly-specced (and priced) Nothing Telephone 2a arriving in March, the price range CMF Telephone 1 in July, and the refreshed Nothing Telephone 2a Plus later that very same month.
Whereas the CMF Telephone 1 finest represents the Nothing sub-brand, the Telephone 2, 2a, and 2a Plus are the freshest faces to tout the Nothing model straight, and all share loads of design traits and options consequently.
In case you’re out there for a head-turning smartphone, chances are high a Nothing Telephone would make an ideal match – it is only a matter of understanding whether or not the older and extra highly effective Telephone 2 is the one to go for, or if the mid-range Telephone 2a or 2a Plus have every part you want.
That will help you discover out, here is a three-way comparability of the three finest telephones from Nothing in 2024.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Specs comparability
| Telephone 2 | Telephone 2a | Telephone 2a Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm | 161.7 x 76.3 x 8.5mm | 161.7 x 76.3 x 8.5mm |
| Weight: | 201.2g | 190g | 190g |
| Show: | 6.7-inch (1080 x 2412) 1-120Hz LTPO AMOLED | 6.7-inch (1084 x 2412) 30-120Hz AMOLED | 6.7-inch (1084 x 2412) 30-120Hz AMOLED |
| Chipset: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Professional | MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Professional |
| RAM: | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB, 12GB | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB | 256GB |
| Rear cameras: | 50MP + 50MP | 50MP + 50MP | 50MP + 50MP |
| Entrance digital camera: | 32MP | 32MP | 50MP |
| Battery: | 4,700mAh + 45W wired + 15W wi-fi charging | 5,000mAh + 45W wired charging | 5,000mAh + 50W wired charging |
| Colours: | White, Darkish Gray | Black, Milk, Particular Version | Black, Gray |
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Value and availability
The principle issue to contemplate right here is timing. Though the Telephone 2 is a extra premium flagship providing, it debuted again in July 2023, which means its authentic asking value has had greater than a yr (on the time of writing) to fall. This is the unique retail pricing for all three telephones, for context and comparability:
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Nothing Telephone 2 | Nothing Telephone 2a | Nothing Telephone 2a Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128GB | $599 / £579 / AU$1,049 | N/A / £319 / AU$529 | N/A |
| 256GB | $699 / £699 / AU$1,149 | $349 / £349 / AU$599 | $399 / £399 / AU$639 |
| 512GB | $799 / £699 / AU$1,249 | N/A | N/A |
Utilizing 256GB of storage as a via line (as all three gadgets can be found in that capability), the launch value of the Telephone 2 initially got here in at double that of the Telephone 2a and 75% greater than the asking value of the Telephone 2a Plus. Think about time-since-launch, nevertheless, and issues look a bit totally different in the present day.
The Telephone 2a Plus is the latest entry of the three, having solely gone on sale in September 2024; which means it nonetheless prices £399 (utilizing Nothing’s house market pricing as a reference). Regardless of solely having been out a couple of months, the asking value for each storage variants of the Nothing Telephone 2a has already fallen by £20 a bit. And as for the Nothing Telephone 2, these days it is between £100 and £130 cheaper than it was at launch, relying on the quantity of storage you are after.
When evaluating costs on 256GB of storage, this makes the Nothing Telephone 2 60% dearer than the 2a and 30% pricier than the 2a Plus in mid-2024; a notable discount, in comparison with launch pricing.
There’s additionally availability to contemplate, with all three telephones readily on sale throughout the UK, Europe, and Australia. You will have a tougher time selecting up both model of the Telephone 2a within the US, nevertheless.
In contrast to the Telephone 2 – which you should purchase identical to every other product, direct from Nothing’s web site – Nothing is just distributing the Telephone 2a and 2a Plus by way of its US Beta Program. The principle caveat is that gadgets purchased utilizing this route are worldwide fashions and thus do not maintain the identical breadth of service band help for US networks – particularly CDMA-based carriers like Verizon.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Design
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Nothing has developed an arresting design aesthetic that is all its personal, one thing that is arduous to do in in the present day’s saturated smartphone market. There are some fundamentals that you simply will not miss out on, no matter which of those three Nothing Telephones takes your fancy.
A clear again is the primary hallmark of any Nothing Telephone, paired with seen screws and circuitry beneath, in addition to the occasional pop of pink, in opposition to what are in any other case (sometimes) monochromatic finishes. All three telephones maintain the identical fundamentals shut, with flat shows, flat edges that play host to an influence key on the appropriate and quantity controls on the left, and barely rounded backs.
There’s additionally the Glyph Interface to contemplate: Nothing’s iconic subtle LED array, used for every part from notifications and timers to helping in video seize. All three gadgets pack a Glyph Interface set into their rear panel, however the flagship Telephone 2 has essentially the most strong of the lot; it is comprised of 33 addressable zones, throughout 11 gentle segments. Each the Telephone 2a and 2a Plus are, by comparability, restricted to only 26 zones throughout solely 3 gentle segments.
For all of the visible similarities, although, it is arduous to disregard the Telephone 2’s extra premium aluminum body and glass again, in distinction to the 2a and 2a Plus’ polycarbonate construct, which takes on smudges and scrapes extra simply. That materials change does, a minimum of, imply the 2a and 2a Plus are lighter than the metal-clad Telephone 2, at 190g, in comparison with 201g.
All three telephones are IP54-certified in opposition to mud and water ingress, which is behind the curve of industry-standard IP68-rated safety; extra of a shortcoming for the Telephone 2 – contemplating its high-end premise – in comparison with the mid-range Telephone 2a and 2a Plus.
One asterisk that breaks Nothing’s personal conventions considerably is the Nothing Telephone 2a Particular Version, which employs much more shade in its design than we’re used to seeing from the model’s smartphones, much more so than the shiny circuitry distinctive to the Telephone 2a Plus.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Shows
You may count on a typically comparable viewing expertise throughout all three gadgets, due to their shared use of a 6.7-inch Full HD+ 120Hz OLED panel. It is a good dimension for content material with out making any cellphone really feel too cumbersome within the hand, colours are vibrant with out being over-saturated, and navigation is buttery clean, due to that peak 120Hz refresh fee.
The 2a and 2a Plus make use of the identical panel as each other, whereas the Telephone 2 ups the ante in a couple of areas, resembling its use of LTPO tech. Its refresh fee can dynamically modify from that 120Hz cap, all the best way all the way down to 1Hz, to avoid wasting energy. The 2a sequence’ display screen can shift refresh fee, too, nevertheless, its decrease restrict is just 30Hz and the steps between its whole vary are far much less granular than on the Telephone 2.
The total-screen most brightness crown technically goes to the 2a and 2a Plus, with a measure of 1,100nits (the Telephone 2 outputs at as much as 1,000nits), though this distinction can be arduous to discern in shiny circumstances. In case you’re planning on watching loads of HDR content material, the Telephone 2’s greater peak 1,600-nit threshold would possibly higher serve you (the 2a and 2a Plus peak at 1,300nits).
Whereas all three telephones function in-display fingerprint sensors for authentication, the 2a/2a Plus is oddly sluggish in observe, in opposition to the established order. As famous in our Nothing Telephone 2a Plus evaluate, the hope is that Nothing can pace it up with subsequent software program updates.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Cameras
Nothing’s telephones aren’t recognized for his or her photographic capabilities and when the Telephone 2 launched, in testing we found that it struggled majorly with elements like publicity management and dynamic vary. Fortunately, a rising tide lifts all boats, and subsequent software program updates (like Nothing OS 2.5, which the Telephone 2a sported at launch, and the present – on the time of writing – Nothing OS 2.6, which the 2a Plus runs out the field) have additionally helped enhance picture processing tremendously on the unique Telephone 2.
Whichever cellphone you decide, you are getting a pair of 50MP sensors on the again; a foremost and an ultra-wide in every case. The Telephone 2 mounts them vertically, whereas the Telephone 2a and 2a Plus go for an unorthodox lateral structure, positioned down the middle line of every cellphone’s again. In each circumstances, every cellphone’s Glyph Interface surrounds these digital camera modules and doubles as a tender key gentle.
The Samsung ISOCELL JN1 serves because the 50MP ultra-wide on all three of those telephones and delivers usable outcomes, with pleasing shade seize in good lighting. Low-light efficiency surprises on all three of those telephones – nevertheless, this sensor calls for that you simply preserve issues extremely nonetheless to get a low noise and crisp picture.
As for the primary 50MP snappers, the Telephone 2a and 2a Plus each depend on one other Samsung-made sensor – the ISOCELL GN9 – whereas the Telephone 2 opts for Sony’s IMX890, which delivers higher element and decrease noise, in addition to a shutter that is about twice as quick.
Though the Telephone 2 additionally trumps the opposite two telephones with a better video cap of 4K/60fps seize (the 2a and 2a Plus peak at 4K/30fps), it is the Plus that boasts some superior digital camera abilities all its personal.
For one, it has the highest-resolution selfie digital camera of any Nothing cellphone, ditching the 32MP decision utilized by the opposite two and putting in the identical JN1 sensor used for the ultra-wide on its entrance. In addition to higher-resolution pictures, improved element seize, and 4K/30fps video recording on the entrance consequently, the Plus can be the one entry right here to ship with a brand new AI Vivid Mode, which serves up real-time scene evaluation and really tells you what it is doing to enhance a given state of affairs, based mostly on what it ‘sees’ within the viewfinder.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Software program and efficiency
Like its {hardware}, Nothing has created a novel and interesting consumer expertise on its telephones. The Nothing Telephone 2 launched on Android 13 and ran Nothing OS 2.0, whereas the newer Telephone 2a and 2a Plus launched on Android 14 and ran Nothing OS 2.5 and a pair of.6 from the get-go, respectively.
Nothing is nice at usually pushing repair and have updates to its gadgets, which means all three telephones now run on the present Android 14 and Nothing OS 2.6 (on the time of writing). Nevertheless, as all three telephones include a middling dedication to 3 years of OS upgrades and 4 years of safety upgrades, the newer Telephone 2a and 2a Plus will obtain help up till Android 17, whereas the extra premium Telephone 2 is at the moment slated to finish its road-map a yr earlier with Android 16; which means it would miss out on options from Google and Nothing that the 2 mid-rangers get to take pleasure in down the highway.
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That stated, proper now you will get an extremely constant expertise throughout all three gadgets, with a quick consumer expertise, dressed with distinctive monochromatic app icons and dot matrix-adorned widgets. To not point out, there are some forward-looking AI options, like devoted widgets for ChatGPT entry and Nothing’s personal Information widget, which reads you new tales every day within the synthesized voice of firm CFO Tim Holbrow.
As for efficiency, regardless of its age, the older Telephone 2 stays on the high of the pile, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip at its coronary heart that, in testing, delivered 75% superior CPU efficiency and 13% higher graphical efficiency, in comparison with the Telephone 2a’s Dimensity 7200 Professional.
The newer Telephone 2a Plus swaps out the 7200 Professional for a beefier Dimensity 7350 Professional SoC, however regardless of a promise of 10% higher CPU efficiency and 30% higher GPU skill, our inside testing resulted in scores that have been simply over half that.
In on a regular basis use, you are unlikely to note a distinction until you’ve gotten all three of those gadgets aspect by aspect, nevertheless, the additional headroom of the Telephone 2’s silicon is what’s chargeable for sooner app load instances, digital camera shutter pace, picture post-processing and gaming benefits, even when the positive aspects aren’t earth-shattering.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Battery
In a wierd twist, the flagship Telephone 2 has the smallest battery of those three telephones (4,700mAh), paired with the slowest charging of the bunch, at 45W (wired). Even so, it truly places out figures corresponding to Nothing’s battery champ, matching the most recent Telephone 2a Plus, with 7 hours of screen-on time and a full recharge in roughly 55 minutes. It additionally totes wi-fi charging, which the opposite two telephones lose out on.
Whereas the usual Telephone 2a has a bigger 5,000mAh battery in comparison with the Telephone 2, it lasted rather less on a single cost (6 hours, 45 minutes of screen-on time) in testing, and takes simply over an hour to recharge, at 45W.
The 2a Plus boasts the largest battery and quickest charging of the trio (5,000mAh and 50W), however serves up close to an identical figures to the smaller-celled flagship Telephone 2, by way of screen-on and recharge instances, based mostly on peak speeds.
Nothing Telephone 2 vs Nothing Telephone 2a vs Nothing Telephone 2a Plus: Verdict
There’s rather a lot to like about all three telephones and proper now, they’re all strong buys for his or her respective value factors, should you’re after that distinctive Nothing expertise.
The Nothing Telephone 2 sports activities essentially the most premium and hardest-wearing construct, with a extra intricate Glyph Interface, higher efficiency and a sooner, greater high quality digital camera, plus wi-fi charging.
The Telephone 2a is the weakest entrant but in addition the most cost effective by a good margin, and is not that far behind the 2a Plus, regardless of the latter’s superior efficiency and minor digital camera and battery enhancements.
It actually comes all the way down to money and time. In case you can swing the excessive asking value of the Telephone 2, it delivers a extra strong expertise general, however falls quick by way of software program help when in comparison with the Telephone 2a and 2a Plus. In order for you the most cost effective, the Telephone 2a has already dropped in value since launch and can proceed to take action, whereas the Telephone 2a Plus – regardless of being a bit overpriced proper now – will doubtless pattern equally to the bottom 2a within the close to future. The Telephone 2a Plus, then, is one of the best worth proposition of the three telephones, particularly so contemplating that it additionally trumps the Telephone 2 with that further yr of help.
