Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

After a steep increase in price of good entry-level models, we're now seeing a return to more affordable prices, and the updated Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus is a prime example. It's an upgraded version of the Nothing Phone 2a, but is aimed at a more performance-conscious audience, offering some fun ways to save. For example, the internal memory is made with UFS 2.2, which I can't remember seeing in years.

On paper, however, you might have your doubts, because the specifications are clearly quite reasonable - but if you choose this particular mobile phone, it's because of the special and distinctive user interface design that really stands out from the rest. Although the design is nicely rounded and industrial, it's similar to many other phones. However, I will say that it's hard not to notice how light this phone is. Despite weighing 190 grams, it feels lighter than many others we test, so extra points for that.

The user interface is unique, with an extremely customised version of Nothing OS based on Android 14. The interface is pixelated and reminiscent of a much more professional, but also 80s-inspired representation of numbers, letters and icons. It's a significantly different visual experience than what others can offer. Nothing OS also has ChatGPT integrated, which seems a bit odd, but it's worth pointing out it's an activated option for those who dislike it. There are specialised apps for almost everything and it almost feels like getting a brand new operating system from scratch.

The back is always different, as you know, with lights and what looks like exposed circuit boards - no one can tell what brand of phone you have. It's pretty brilliant marketing, I must say. The lights are also functional for alarms, ringtones, sound and more. They can even be used as a ringlight if you're an influencer, and you get the impression that this will soon be half the population.

Nothing, like many other brands, has gone crazy with recycling and green thinking. It's not just their aluminium, but also copper and plastic that are highly recycled.
It comes in a standard configuration with 12GB RAM and 256GB memory. There's Bluetooth 5.3 and USB-C connectivity, so it's expected, but the latest standard. There are also speakers, which are okay but not impressive, though not bad either.

The chipset is the MediaTek Dimensity 7450 Pro 5G, which as the name suggests has a 5G chip, but is also used more or less exclusively by Nothing. It has eight cores, two running 3Ghz and six running 2Ghz. The GPU is a Mali G610.

You'll have to pay £300. That's a pretty steep price, I must say. For that money, you get a 120Hz adaptive 6.7' AMOLED display with 1300 nits (theoretical max; you get half that in normal use), Gorilla Glass 5 and a classic triple-camera setup with 50MP camera: a main camera, a front camera and an ultra-wide. I can't recommend vivid mode as it's far too powerful, but night mode actually worked okay. However, it feels like it can't control either the optics or post-processing when it's 'free play'. A grey rainy day is actually the most optimal lighting scenario to shoot in if you use vivid. Wide-angle could use a little more colour, as it appears a little washed out. The best camera is actually the selfie camera, which reproduces the colours much more correctly. In general, however, I miss the optical zoom. It's a shame that it hasn't been included.

The cameras work fine as such, but I'm a little surprised that 4K 60 FPS is not supported. Especially when the optics actually support it, and there's optical image stabilisation and dual LED flash - three things that usually indicate that everything is in place to deliver a good 4K experience. I also had to do a bit of searching to find more detailed specifications without much luck. It's a little odd that you don't know which sensor is used, but it makes sense as the image quality is okay, but not impressive. In a world where even cheap phones have surprisingly good image quality, that part needs to be improved when the rest is so good. There are some AI assists, but unfortunately it's not enough.

The back is Nothing's 'Glyph interface', and this is possible because the cooling system, which is of course based on the evaporation chamber principle, is placed above the components that actually get hot instead of running centrally.

The battery is 5000 mAh and should be sufficient for most people, unless you have very intensive usage. However, the wired charging is not particularly fast and takes about an hour from 0-100%, but can fast charge to about 50% in 20 minutes. However, the included cable is really well made - high praise for that.

With a better camera, this phone would definitely score higher, but it's still crazy what you get for your money with an entry-level phone.