Nothing Phone 2a vs Phone 2: Which one should you buy?

Nothing has unveiled its latest smartphone offering in India dubbed Nothing Phone 2a. The device is not your average Nothing phone, it’s cheaper and targets the value buyers. It doesn’t have the premium build, nor does it have a high-end specs sheet. But what it has is a clean Android skin, Glyph lighting, and symmetrical bezels – features that are elusive in the sub-Rs 30,000 price range. Feel like buying it? Well, wait, there’s another device that you can get by spending a little more – the Nothing Phone 2. It is overall a better device in most categories. The Phone 2 is Nothing’s flagship offering from 2023 which was launched at a starting price of Rs 44,999. Now, however, it costs just Rs 36,999, and with offers, it can be grabbed for under Rs 35,000. Also Read: Nothing Phone 3 vs Nothing Phone 2: Design, Specifications, Price - Worth The Upgrade?

Let’s compare both devices and see what’s different. By the end of this article, you should be able to know which one is for you. Also Read: Nothing Phone 3 Launched Globally With New Design At Rs 79,999: What's Special?

Nothing Phone 2a vs Phone 2: Design and Display 

There’s a stark difference between the design of the Phone 2a and Phone 2. The Phone 2 goes with a more customary approach having dual cameras placed vertically on the back and the Glyph lighting setup all over the back, even surrounding the lenses. The Phone 2a has a design of its own with dual cameras positioned horizontally. It has the Glyph interface only on the upper half of the screen. The lower half has an unconventional design, which you may or may not like.

It is worth noting that the Phone 2a has a polycarbonate back and sides, which may be a downside over the glass back and aluminum framing on the Phone 2. Polycarbonate is nothing but plastic.

So, the design is a personal choice, but you get a better Glyph setup and a sturdier build on the Phone 2.

Both phones share the same screen size – a 6.7-inch punch-hole display. However, the Phone 2 has an LTPO OLED screen with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 1600 nits of peak brightness. The Phone 2a has a 10-bit AMOLED screen panel with 120Hz standard refresh rate and 1300 nits of peak brightness. It also has symmetrical bezels like the Phone 2, but they are a tad bit thicker.

Nothing Phone 2a vs Phone 2: Camera 

Both phones have the same camera setup with a 50MP main lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. However, the Phone 2a has a Samsung GN9 main sensor, whereas, the Phone 2 has a better Sony IMX890 lens. There’s a 32MP camera on the front of both devices. The Phone 2a can shoot 4K videos at 30fps, whereas, the Phone 2 can record 4K videos at up to 60fps.

Nothing Phone 2a vs Phone 2: Performance and Software 

One of the major differences between the two is in the performance department. Starting with the chipset, the Phone 2a has a Dimensity 7200 Pro SoC, which is a capable chip scoring AnTuTu points around the 700K mark. However, it is weaker in comparison to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Phone 2, which has an AnTuTu score that almost touches 1 lakh.

Notably, the Phone 2a has up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage as opposed to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage on the Phone 2. That said, the Phone 2 has faster RAM and storage.

One advantage of the Phone 2a is the larger 5,000mAh battery over the 4,700mAh cell inside the Phone 2. However, the former lacks wireless charging since it has a plastic back. The Phone 2 has wireless charging support. Both have 45W wired fast charging.

The Phone 2a comes with Android 14 out of the box and is promised to get three more years of software updates and four years of security updates. The Phone 2 came with Android 13 since it was launched last year, but it has the same update promise. This means the Phone 2 will get up to Android 16, whereas, the Phone 2a will receive up to Android 17.

Which one should you buy?

Overall, the Phone 2 is arguably better than the Phone 2a as it should be given it’s a flagship-grade device. The Phone 2a, on the other hand, is a bang-for-the-buck phone that offers enough power and features for a starting price of Rs 23,999.

Having said that, if you are looking for a new phone and your budget is just around Rs 25,000, the Phone 2a is the device to go with. If you are a heavy user and can shell out about Rs  12,000 – Rs 13,000 more, the Phone 2 should be your choice.