As I waited for my turn to enter a busy Crocs store in a suburban mall in San Jose, I was surrounded by kids and teenagers. I looked at the crowd and wondered if I was the only grown man who wanted flashy Crocs footwear. Regardless of what people might think of me or the choices of footwear I wear at my age, I went ahead and bought another eccentric pair of clogs-style footwear for my growing Crocs collection. I’m completely okay with accepting Crocs as formalwear, despite the unpopular opinion.
Using the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, which sits in the mid-range segment, I felt the same way as when choosing a weird-looking but very “me” pair of Crocs — something appealing about this translucent phone. The Phone 2a Plus is high on fashion, like a pair of Crocs — very edgy and experimental but doesn’t cost as much as Balenciaga sneakers. Maybe the Phone 2a Plus is not for everyone, and that’s okay. Not everyone can pull off Crocs, and the Phone 2a Plus is too out of the comfort zone for many.
It is clear that the Phone 2a Plus aims to be a lower-cost alternative to the higher-end Phone 2 while retaining all the quirky features Nothing is known for. Here’s my review.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus price in India (as reviewed): Rs 27,999
A design that may divide people, but it’s a conversation starter
I got a few strange stares when I took the Phone 2a Plus out of my pocket and started checking notifications in a restaurant. I admit it was overwhelming for someone who doesn’t want to be the centre of attention and likes to keep a low profile, but whether it’s Crocs or the Phone 2a Plus, you can’t escape the glare of the limelight. Its see-through design reminds me of the 90s old-school transparent gadgets from Apple, Nintendo, and Sony. I was, and still am, a big fan of see-through gadgets and continue to collect them to this day.
I am a big fan of translucent gadgets. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
What also complements the semi-transparent back is the “glyph” LEDs, a signature Nothing feature. If you are new to Nothing devices, the Glyph system consists of different LEDs that provide useful notification alerts, customization options like music visualization, a timer, and charging status. However, on the Phone 2a Plus, the Glyph LED system has been scaled down to just three zones, unlike the original Nothing Phone and its successor, the Phone 2, which offered 33 zones. That said, the visual appeal of the Glyph LEDs is still present on the Phone 2a Plus, now located on the top section of the phone surrounding the camera. Some might argue that the Glyph interface is a mere gimmick, and while it may be to some extent, it’s actually useful at times (of course, not always), especially when the phone is turned face down on the table, such as when I’m writing a story or during a meeting. I don’t know why I kept the phone facing downward during those times.
Nothing loaned me the Phone 2a Plus in a brand-new grey colour, which has the rawness of a metallic slab that’s yet to be polished. There’s a black colour variant as well, which I find fascinating, but I’m not a big fan. The design of the Phone 2a Plus is reminiscent of Nothing’s other smartphones—futuristic, quirky, and experimental, yet very much usable. Although Nothing hasn’t skimped on the design front, it did cut a few corners: the back is now made of plastic instead of glass, as are the sides of the device. However, these differences are negligible and don’t make much of a difference (I recommend using a case to protect the phone anyway). I feel that using plastic instead of glass doesn’t make the phone any less superior. With smartphone prices going up, minor drawbacks (as long as the core experience remains on par with flagship models) like these can save money, which I think is a win-win situation for consumers.
A bright and vibrant display
The Phone 2a Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED screen (1080×2412) that dominates the entire front of the phone. It’s a large phone for my taste, but because the phone is so light to hold, I don’t mind using it. Anyway, I have finally moved on from my iPhone 13 mini, and I’m at a stage where embracing a large phone is now a choice I have to make.
The 6.7-inch display is bright and colourful. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The quality of the display is excellent, whether you’re browsing a news site like indianexpress.com or looking at posts on a LinkedIn feed. Everything looks and feels smooth; the 120Hz refresh rate contributes to this. I can settle for a less luxurious phone, but it’s hard for me to compromise on display quality, given how much time I spend on a phone—from interacting with a team on WhatsApp to checking updated numbers on the tech page of the site on the phone itself.
Fresh user interface, new “News Reporter” AI widget
The Phone 2a Plus’ design is different from other smartphones. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I have been an iPhone user for years, and the interface has always wowed me. It’s simple, very user-friendly, and doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Nothing has also adopted a similar approach, and it’s working well. This phone ships with Nothing OS 2.6, which is based on Android 14, aligning with other smartphones. The user interface has no extra steps, and navigating menus and apps is straightforward. However, Nothing has added a differentiating factor to the software with a dot-matrix style interface, which is an ode to the 90s era. I loved it. There are large monochrome icons, big folders, and widgets that offer a geeky touch to the user interface, while the software itself remains clean and minimalist.
There are small touches across the interface, like the audio recording app, that make the user experience more enjoyable. As always, the interface is fully customisable and can be styled like other smartphones. However, one feature that impressed me the most and that I’d like to highlight specifically is a widget called “News Reporter.” This widget, powered by artificial intelligence and available by default on the Phone 2a Plus, all Nothing smartphones, and the CMF Phone 1, plays a news bulletin summarised by AI. When you tap the widget, a summarised news report is read out by the synthesised voice of Tim Holbrow, the company’s chief financial officer. Holbrow’s British voice is indeed soothing to the ears.
You can press and hold the widget and tap “Edit” to add or remove categories you’re interested in, such as business, entertainment, tech, and sports. These news stories are pulled from “trusted English-language news sources” through News API, using Meta’s LLaMA large language models for summarisation. All smartphone companies now offer some kind of AI features on their phones, but I found the “News Reporter” widget to be the most impactful example of what AI can do, opening up new use cases for AI and enabling new revenue streams for publications.
Nothing is promising 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches (a reasonable trade-off, given that people are taking longer to upgrade their smartphones). However, the software experience is smooth for daily use.
The phone’s camera isn’t exceptional. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Good cameras, but don’t expect extraordinary photos
A lot of my readers recently told me that the real reason they upgrade their phones comes down to the camera. I think this is a trend that’s been consistent for a long time and will continue to be. On the Phone 2a Plus, you will find two 50-megapixel cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie camera (an upgrade over 32MP on the Phone 2a), which Nothing says an improved portrait algorithm helps enhance facial features like eyes and facial hair.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera sample. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
The Phone 2a Plus’ rear camera takes excellent, clear photos with natural colours. However, it does tend to over-sharpen details in bright light. During night shots, the phone performs better but struggles to preserve details in low light. The ultra-wide camera is pretty decent, and so is the upgraded front-facing camera, which is useful for video calls—something I do a lot. I am not a selfie person, by the way.
One might wonder how the Phone 2a Plus’s camera compares to other smartphones. I didn’t find it logical to compare the camera on the Phone 2a Plus to the iPhone 15 Pro. Admittedly, the best way to judge a phone’s camera is to step out and explore as much as possible, which I do frequently due to the nature of my job. The Phone 2a Plus’s camera may not be the best, but most people won’t see it as a limitation.
Speed(y) performer meets long battery life
Inside the Phone 2a Plus is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G (12GB RAM and 256GB storage), which offers a 10 per cent increase in CPU power and a 30 per cent jump in graphics performance. Honestly, I didn’t notice a huge bump in speed, though the performance of the phone is smooth for the tasks I use it for every day, such as running apps, playing games, watching videos, and editing documents on Google Docs. The battery life is solid, too. The 5000 mAh battery easily lasts through a full day with around 30-40 per cent remaining by bedtime. The phone supports 50W wired charging, which is reasonably fast, though it lacks wireless charging (which I don’t care about due to the slow speeds of wireless charging).
The Glyph interface is unique to Nothing smartphones. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2a Plus?
The Phone 2a Plus, for me, is more than just a phone that meets or exceeds my expectations. I have a natural inclination for things that are a bit different and quirky but still offer a solid experience. If I can carry yellow Crocs to an office meeting, I am equally open to a phone that is see-through and has a light that glows when a notification pops up. You may judge me for my bold take on the Phone 2a Plus, but the device sets a good example of blending hardware and software. Smartphones can be boring, but the Phone 2a Plus is a lot of fun.
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