All we know so far and what we want to see

Nothing is still a relatively new company but that’s not stopping it from diversifying its lineup a bit with a brand new phone. We’re not talking about the Nothing Phone 3 just yet either. Instead, rumors suggest a budget variant of the Nothing Phone 2 is in thew works. In this guide, we discuss every Nothing Phone 2a rumor or leak we’ve heard so far. We’ll also share a few things we’d like to see from the Nothing Phone 2a as well.

Although Nothing has yet to confirm it, there are a ton of rumors suggesting the Nothing Phone 2a is in the works. The first rumors of the Nothing Phone 2a arrived in late November of 2023, which suggested the phone would have specs and performance capabilities similar to the first Nothing Phone. Shortly after, leaker Yogesh Brar brought us the first alleged pics and even more hardware details for the Nothing Phone 2a. Since then, we’ve seen at least a few other smaller leaks filling out more details on design and specs as well.

Unless Nothing suddenly changes its mind, or for some reason is purposely leaking misleading information, it’s all but guaranteed the Nothing Phone 2a is a real product.

What is the most likely Nothing Phone 2a release date?

The Nothing Phone 2a is part of a brand-new product line so we can’t look back into the phone’s history for any firm indications, but thankfully we don’t have to. Early Nothing Phone 2a leaks suggest the phone will launch at Mobile World Congress 2024, which means it’ll likely start shipping a few weeks or so after the announcement.

We know a decent amount about the Nothing Phone 2a specs thanks to several leaks from Brar, Roland Quandt, and others. The Nothing Phone 2a will supposedly be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 with options of either 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage or 12GB of  RAM and 256GB storage. It’ll feature a redesigned glyph that is similar to the Phone 2’s design but likely cuts a few corners to keep pricing lower. While we don’t have an exact display size, leaks suggest the phone will have a 120Hz OLED display. We don’t know much else about the phone’s hardware yet outside of the camera, and even then all we know is there will be a 50MP dual camera configuration.

Aside from the details above, we can also tell you the phone is said to have two colorways, black and white, and will ship with Nothing OS 2.5 based on Android 14.

What might the Nothing Phone 2a price be?

The Nothing Phone started as a much more mid-range affair and so the price went up a little when the Nothing Phone 2 arrived with improved internals. Still, the Nothing Phone 2 is currently priced at just $699, which means the Nothing Phone 2 will have to undercut this pricing to appeal to value-conscious consumers.

According to the initially leaked information on the Phone 2a, Nothing plans to aggressively price the phone at under €400 for those in Europe, or what is likely to be around $400 if and when the phone arrives in the US. That’s $100 less than the Pixel 7a retail price, though it looks like the Nothing Phone 2a will be a slightly more modest device in terms of hardware and performance.

The Nothing Phone 2a looks like an intriguing budget phone but there’s no reason to wait for it if you’re ready for a new device now. If you need a phone on a budget, we recommend the Google Pixel 7a ($477 at Amazon), Samsung Galaxy A54 5G ($449.99 at Samsung), or another one of the great options in our best cheap phones guide. If you’re just interested in the Glyph feature, you could spend about $200 more than the rumored price of the Nothing Phone 2a and shell out for the Nothing Phone 2 itself.

If you are certain you don’t want to spend more than $400-500 on a phone and don’t need a new one right away, waiting might not be such a bad idea. Not only will you learn more about the Nothing Phone 2a, but the Pixel 8a is also rumored to be launching later this year.

Nothing Phone 2a: What we want to see

The Nothing Phone 2a is meant to be a cheaper, more basic alternative to the Nothing Phone 2 and so we don’t expect it to necessarily make waves in terms of features or hardware. Still, here are a few things I’d like to see from the Nothing Phone 2a.

While the Nothing Phone eventually came to the US as a limited beta from the manufacturer, by this point, the phone was already long in the tooth, and the Phone 2 wasn’t far off. Even the Nothing Phone 2 was delayed in the US until late 2023, arriving in other markets first.

This time around, I sincerely hope Nothing can ensure a more unified launch window, though more than anything, I just hope this phone releases in America. Many cheap and emerging brands tend to skip the US for their more budget-oriented projects, so it’s certainly possible the company could aim the Nothing Phone 2a at emerging markets only. Still, the US needs unique budget phones beyond the usual offerings from Samsung, Google, and Motorola.

I really want to like the Glyph, and I think it has potential, but so far all the use cases I’ve seen around it are nice but not necessarily game-changing. Yes, I know the Nothing Phone 2a’s Glyph technology isn’t likely to improve over the Nothing 2, and rumors seem to paint the picture it might be redesigned to cut costs. Still, this isn’t a hardware issue, as it’s a partnership/support problem more than anything. With the addition of another phone hopefully, Nothing sees the merit in pushing the Glyph software just a bit further so it becomes a true must-have feature.

The Nothing Phone 2 decided to cap its selfie camera to 1080p, which seemed like an odd decision for a device that seems built for creatives and others who like to stand out from the crowd, thanks to its unique eye-catching design. It’s not even a cost issue necessarily as devices like the Pixel 7a cost less than the Phone 2 and yet offer 4K recording. While it’s a small thing, I’d like to see this addressed for the Nothing Phone 2a and the inevitable Nothing Phone 3.