The Nothing Phone (2a) appears in a new Plus version with a more powerful chip and improved camera equipment. ntv.de tried out whether the additional charge of 50 euros was worth it.
According to a Canalys study, the British manufacturer sold 246 percent more smartphones worldwide in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. According to its own information, this makes it currently the fastest growing provider. This is largely due to the fact that Nothing only brought its first device onto the market around two years ago. But the British also do clever marketing and their smartphones not only have their own style, but also impress with their quality.
Nothing regularly releases something new to keep users and media attention. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is launching just in time for the start of the IFA. As the name suggests, this is a slightly more powerful variant of the mid-range device Nothing Phone (2a), which was released six months ago. This is also reflected in the price; at just under 430 euros, the Plus is 50 euros more expensive than the comparable memory variant of its predecessor cost at the start. Is the extra cost worth it?
New metallic look
Nothing Phone (2a) Plus and (2a).
(Photo: kwe)
You can only see the difference on the back, where the Plus offers a new, chic metallic look. Nothing also offers the newcomer in a “modern black”. Otherwise, the design has remained the same and, as with the normal (2a), three light strips (glyphs) flash if desired for calls, notifications or other events.
The Plus also weighs a light 190 grams, which is partly due to a plastic frame. Nevertheless, the device feels high quality and is protected against dust and splash water according to IP54. The newcomer also has the same, very good 6.7-inch AMOLED display, which enables a sharp display with a pixel density of 394 ppi and can shine brightly with up to 1300 nits.
Like its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus has a battery that has a capacity of 5000 milliamp hours. This means that the device can easily last through work-intensive or playful days, and even a day and a half can be used with moderate use.
Stronger chip
The new processor doesn't break any records in the benchmark test, but it is powerful enough.
(Photo: kwe)
Even the more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chip doesn't noticeably change this. The central processing unit (CPU) should work ten percent faster and the graphics unit should be 30 percent more powerful than the chip in the simple one (2a). It is supported by twelve gigabytes (GB) of RAM, and the non-expandable flash memory is 265 GB.
The increase in performance should pay off especially in games; in everyday life you won't notice the difference. The predecessor can be operated so smoothly and reacts so quickly that you have the feeling of using a device with a high-end chip. In fact, the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro only offers mid-range performance, but you never notice it.
Nothing does an excellent job with the software, which also applies to the user interface, which is not only different but also better than many other manufacturers. The option to alternatively use ChatGPT as a digital assistant when using Nothing earphones is also a success. The device is delivered with Android 14.
Better front camera
Nothing has changed in terms of the camera equipment on the back: an optically stabilized main camera with up to 50 megapixels (MP) and an aperture of f/1.88 delivers attractive images during the day but also at night, combining four pixels for better light output. It is ready quickly, focuses quickly and usually fires without much delay. There is also an equally good 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/2.2.
The new Plus version doesn't have a telephoto camera either, but Nothing has given the front camera an upgrade. It has 50 MP instead of 32 and can record 4K videos at 30 frames per second. The f/2.2 aperture has remained unchanged.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that the Plus differs from the normal Nothing Phone (2a) in that it has a slightly more powerful chip and a better front camera. 50 euros more for that is okay. If you want to save money, you can choose the barely weaker predecessor with the same memory configuration, which you can currently get online for around 330 euros. With both variants, Nothing guarantees three years of operating system updates and four years of security updates.
