Nothing has just announced that it will launch its latest smartphone, thePhone 2a, on March 5 at 6:30 am ET. In contrast to its flagshipPhone 2, it looks like it won’t see a wide US launch. It will only be available as part of a limited “Developer Program” statesides. Besides the announcement, the company hasn’t revealed anything about the design and specifications, though you may watch the full 10-minute of the company talking about the ideas and goals behind its first budget phone.
In the video, Nothing founder Carl Pei explains that different people have different needs for a smartphone. “There are tech-savy users out there who want the latest and greatest specs, and that’s what we’re delivering with our flagship line,” he shares. He continues that people aren’t just in it for the specs, though, they also love the product design, the LED Glyph lights on the back of the phone, and the Nothing OS tweaks to Android. That’s where the Phone 2a is supposed to come in, keeping the core of what the Nothing brand stands for.
While we haven’t heard much about the Phone 2a in official capacity, the rumor mill is running more than hot at this point. The Phone 2a will almost certainly keep the company’s signature Glyph lights on the back and the transparent back, though there are conflicting details about what exactly the design will look like. Given the thumb image of the YouTube video embedded here, it’s likely that it will feature a design with two cameras centered in the middle of the top of the back, with LED lights either around them or arranged below them.
On the hardware front, rumors suggest the Phone 2 could use the MediaTek Dimensity 7200, paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. A 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display is expected on the front, and the camera setup should consist of a 1/1.5-inch 50MP Samsung S5KGM9 primary shooter, a 50MP 1/2.76-inch 0.6μm Samsung S5KJN1 ultrawide, and a 32MP SonyIMX615 selfie camera. When it comes to software, we should see Android 14 with the Nothing OS skin on top of it.
Nothing tries to dismiss its competitors in the video, saying that other brands in the same price bracket wouldn’t care about their products. Even then, the Phone 2a will likely face stiff competition. If the rumored €400 price tag (roughly $430) pans out true, the Phone 2a will stand in direct competition withgreat budget phoneslike the Google Pixel 7a and the Samsung Galaxy A54.
It’s also a shame that just like the Phone 1, the Phone 2a won’t come to the US as a regular product. Details about the “Developer Program” are still sparse, but if it’s anything like the Phone 1 that only launched as a limited “Beta Membership” in the US, you may experience issues with mobile internet and phone calls on some networks. Only the March 5 launch will tell us more about just how the program will work and other details, so stay tuned for that.
