Price: £319 from fave.co/43aF7Yi
For a company that was only founded in 2020, Nothing has generated a huge amount of interest. The firm has made a few pairs of earbuds, but its smartphones get most of the attention. The original Phone (1) made a real splash, though the follow-up Phone (2) was a very small upgrade.
However, for Nothing’s third smartphone, the company is doing something a little different. The Phone (2a) is significantly more affordable than both previous handsets, though Nothing says it’s technically a Phone (1) successor.
On paper, it’s a noteworthy upgrade over the original that still manages to reduce the price. But does that make it the best phone you can buy for under £350? I used the Phone (2a) as my main smartphone for over a week to find out.
DESIGN
The Nothing Phone (2a) has a design that’s sure to turn heads. Just like the Phone (1) and Phone (2), it has a semi-transparent back, hinting at the internals without showing them.
One notable difference compared to previous models is a plastic back rather than glass, making it feel less premium. This certainly isn’t a phone that you’ll mistake for a flagship.
However, it’s relatively lightweight at 190g, with curved edges making it very comfortable to hold. I was even able to use it one-handed at times, which isn’t something you can say for many modern phones.
Nothing’s signature ‘Glyph Interface’ of LED lights is still here, but it’s been scaled back on the Phone (2a). Rather than covering most of the back of the phone, there are just three lights arranged around the camera module.
If you loved the out-there design of Nothing’s previous devices, this may be a
