Nothing Phone 2a Plus: Is the $50 price increase justified?

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Nothing has proven to be a genuine newcomer to the smartphone market with flagship models like the Nothing Phone (1) and Phone (2).

While the young London-based company has yet to establish its position as the next “flagship killer,” the recent Nothing Phone (2a) has helped it prove that it can also make great budget Android handsets. 

However, the company’s latest offering, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, is a bit confusing. It is essentially the same Phone (2a) with some design and internal tweaks. Does this alone justify its $50 price bump? 

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus display, design and colors 

The Nothing Phone Plus (2a) display is the same as its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (2a). 

The device features a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a dynamic refresh rate ranging from 30 to 120 Hz. This screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and has a peak HDR brightness of 1,300 nits and a typical brightness of 700 nits.

While the display remains unchanged, it stands out as one of the best in the under $400 category, especially with its symmetrical bezels that enhance the overall aesthetic.

	Nothing Phone (2a)	Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Size	6.7-inch AMOLED	6.7-inch AMOLED
Resolution	1080 x 2412 pixels	1080 x 2412 pixels
PPI	394	395
Refresh Rate	120Hz	120Hz
Peak Brightness	1,300 nits	1,300 nits
Typical Brightness	700 nits	700 nits
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
IP Rating	IP54	IP54
Colors	Black, White, Blue, Milk	Black, Grey

As we mentioned previously, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus carries the same design as the Phone (2a). If you were expecting a slightly bigger handset due to the “Plus” moniker, you would be disappointed as the size is identical to the Phone (2a). 

There are a few design changes. The cable accents on the back of the Phone (2a) Plus have a shiny metal-like finish, as opposed to the Phone (2a)—they look especially cool. 

The build quality is the same. The Nothing Phone (2a) was made of high-quality plastic, and the same goes for the Phone (2a) Plus—Nothing won’t switch to metal just for a $50 price bump.

While the Nothing Phone (2a) looks twice as good for its price, it has an IP54 rating. This means it can handle water splashes and semi-fine particles like dust. So, taking it with you on the weekend beach trip will not be an issue. f 

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is available in Grey and Black (which is more like dark gray). Unfortunately, there’s no white shade this time. 

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus specs & features 

One of the key upgrades for the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is its processor. While the Phone (2a) featured the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, which was a great mid-range processor in its own right, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Google Tensor G3 on the Pixel 8a or the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 on the Nothing Phone (2). 

So, Nothing upgraded the processor to the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro, which is exclusive to the Phone (2a) Plus.

	Nothing Phone (2a)	Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Processor	MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro	MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro
Clock Speed	Up to 2.8 GHz	Up to 3.0 GHz
Technology	TSMC 4 nm Gen 2	TSMC 4 nm Gen 2
Core Count	8	8
GPU	Arm Mali-G610 MC4 at 1.3 GHz	Arm Mali-G610 MC4 at 1.0 GHz

The new processor has a faster 3.0GHz clock speed and a faster GPU, which means the Phone (2a) Plus will perform better than the Phone (2a), but it is still a far cry from the more expensive Qualcomm or Tensor chips. 

The standard Nothing Phone (2a) had a pair of 50MP sensors on its back in a parallel configuration, and they kept it the same for the Phone (2a) Plus. 

The cameras are just fine for a mid-range device but falter a bit in challenging scenarios. So, whether you use the front or the back, the Phone (2a) Plus will perform very symmetrically. 

	Nothing Phone (2a)	Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Rear Cameras	50MP primary + 50MP ultra-wide	50MP primary + 50MP ultra-wide
Front Camera	32MP	50MP
Battery & Charging	5,000 mAh & 45W wired	5,000 mAh & 50W wired

A 50MP selfie camera also means you can shoot videos at 4K/30FPS with the front-facing camera.

Similar to the Nothing Phone (2a), the Phone (2a) Plus has a huge 5,000mAh battery that easily delivers over a day of heavy usage. 

Interestingly, the Phone (2a) Plus has 50W wired charging support, up from 45W on the Phone (2a).

Otherwise, the Glyph lights are the same as the Phone (2a) with Android 14 skinned with Nothing OS with three years of Android updates and four years of security updates.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus price, availability

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus was launched on July 31, 2024, and, as usual, Nothing relentlessly teased bits of information throughout the month leading up to that date.  

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus	Price
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM (India Exclusive)	27,999 INR ($335)
12GB RAM + 256GB ROM	$399  / £399 / 29,999 INR – Nothing is yet to confirm the Europe pricing.

The Phone (2a) Plus is about $50 more expensive than the standard Phone (2a).

21Interestingly, the 8GB/256GB variant mentioned earlier is exclusive to India. So, outside of India, the Nothing Phone (2a) will only come in a 12GB/256GB combination, and there’s no 128GB variant, as giants like Google and Samsung are yet to adopt 256GB of internal storage for their base variants. 

Otherwise, the Phone (2a) Plus will be available in the UK and Europe, with limited availability in the United States. 

Online orders in the US and India open on August 7, while the rest of the world will have to wait till September.  

However, if you are interested in getting the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus sooner, make your way to London, to Nothing’s Soho store, where the Phone (2a) Plus will be up for grabs on August 3.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus will be available in the US starting August 7, 9:00 AM ET. This is not a pre-order but a regular order with immediate shipping. 

The 12GB/256GB variant will cost $399 and it will only be available in the Grey color through a slightly complicated developer’s program. 

• Sign up for the developer’s program at Nothing.tech.
• Agree to the terms and conditions. 
• Nothing will send you a link to purchase the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus (12GB/256GB) in Grey. 
• Make the purchase. 

Remember that, like the Nothing Phone (2a), the Phone (2a) Plus won’t work the same way with all the US carriers. 

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Nothing’s CMF Phone 1: A stylish $200 Android smartphone
• Nothing Phone (2a) design leaked in renders; chipset confirmed
• Nothing Phone (2a) will debut on March 5, with a limited US launch
• Nothing Phone (2a) is coming soon, with a “Glyph Developer Kit”

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.