Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs Nothing Phone (2): What’s the difference?

Nothing has announced its latest mid-range smartphone, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus. Although not the most premium model, Nothing promises the Phone (2a) Plus will offer an “all-round elevated smartphone experience for power users.” 

So how does the midrange smartphone really compare to the more premium, Nothing Phone (2)? Should you splurge to ensure the best possible experience?

Although we haven’t yet conclusively reviewed the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, we have reviewed the Phone (2) and gave the handset an almost perfect 4.5-star rating. With this in mind, we’ve compared the specs of both and highlighted any noteworthy differences below.

The Nothing Phone (2) runs on Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

One of the key differences between the two handsets comes is the chipset, with the Nothing Phone (2) running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. Although it’s not the most up-to-date processor available, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 still delivers something resembling a flagship chipset experience. 

In his review, Mobile Editor Lewis Painter found this processor was able to deliver “top-notch everyday performance, with the Nothing Phone (2) comfortably able to handle anything”. Even high-end gaming titles were able to run well, although it’s worth noting that he did find the phone became hot after prolonged periods. 

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus instead runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset which is actually a world exclusive to Nothing. The chipset not only promises to be nearly 10% faster than the Phone (2a), making everyday app use easy, but it is supported by an ARM Mali-G610 MC4 GPU which promises faster gamer performance too. 

While we haven’t benchmarked the gaming ability of the Phone (2a) Plus, we’d be keen to see how the gaming ability lives up to Nothing’s claims.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus has a 50MP front camera

While the Nothing Phone (2) includes a 32MP front camera, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus sports a brand new 50MP sensor that’s able to shoot 4K video at 30fps. 

Otherwise, Lewis found the Nothing Phone (2)’s 32MP front camera should more than suffice for video calls and quick selfies, although it’s worth noting that shots did sometimes look too soft. 

Aside from the selfie camera, both handsets have a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide lens at their rear, with both main lenses featuring an f/1.88 aperture and OIS too.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus has a larger battery

With a 5000mAh capacity and 50W fast charging capability, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is ideal for power-hungry users. Perhaps surprisingly, the Phone (2) has a smaller 4700mAh capacity and can only reach up to 45W fast charging. 

Even so, as the Phone (2)’s chipset is energy-efficient, we still found it was able to power through an 18-hour, full-on day with 35% battery remaining by bedtime. On days with lighter use, you could comfortably squeeze two days of use out of the handset. With that in mind, we can assume that the newer Phone (2a) Plus battery will be even more power efficient.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is available in two new colours

Nothing has introduced two brand new colours for the Phone (2a) Plus: Metallic Grey and an updated Black, whereas the Phone (2) is available in Dark Grey or White. 

Otherwise, both the Phone (2a) Plus and Phone (2) retain the Glyph interface at the rear, though the Phone (2a) Plus’ offering is fairly limited compared to the full-fat Phone (2).

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is cheaper

As the Phone (2a) Plus is positioned as a mid-range smartphone, it’s unsurprising that it’s cheaper than the more premium Phone (2).

Launching on the 3rd of August, the Phone (2a) Plus comes as a 12GB and 256GB handset for £399. From the 7th of August, US customers will also be able to get the Phone (2a) Plus for $399 through the US Beta Program.

Otherwise, the Phone (2) comes in three different storage sizes, including 8GB/128GB, 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB, and starts at £579/$599.