Nothing Phone (2a) Unboxing, First Impressions, First Camera Samples - Best for the price?

We unbox the recently revealed Nothing Phone (2a) with the Dimensity 7200 Pro, a dual 50MP rear camera, and a Glyph interface for the Philippine market. 

Nothing Phone (2a)'s design glitters under sunlight

The new Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a new "Fresh Eyes" design with an IP54 rating, 120Hz 6.7-inch FHD+ LTPO AMOLED screen, custom 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro octa-core processor, and a 5,000mAh battery with USB-C 45W fast charging.

At the back are the dual 50MP rear cameras with LED flash and the Glyph Interface. In front is the 32MP f/2.4 selfie camera. 

Other features include stereo speakers, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS, dual nano-SIM, and more.

In the Philippines, the price starts at PHP 18,990 for the 8GB/128GB variant while the faster 12GB/256GB edition retails for PHP 20,990.

On paper, this is one of the most attractive smartphones 

Let's dive in.

Unboxing/Accessories

Nothing Phone (2a) slim packaging

It comes in a box with a high-resolution macro shot of the back of the phone in its colorway. Around the box are the Nothing branding, key specs, and regulatory information.

Nothing Phone (2a) box inclusions, documents, USB-C cable, and SIM ejector tool

Inside the box is the Nothing Phone (2a) with a plastic screen protector, documentation, SIM ejector tool, and Nothing USB-C to USB Type-C cable.

There are no included wall chargers, bumper case, or earphones inside the box.

Build Quality/Design

Nothing Glyph interface

Nothing takes a unique approach to its design and use of its build materials. Whereas other brands make polycarbonate materials look like more premium materials, Nothing has chosen to make the best of the materials that we think look and feel better.

Solid yet lightweight!

The flat polycarbonate frame is solid and lightweight and has a matte texture, making it easier to hold and less likely to slip. However, we still recommend getting a case for this phone. The front panel is glass while the rear panel is transparent glasstic. Both are fingerprint smudge magnets.

Nothing claims that to achieve its unique and eye-catching rear design, the company used an industry-first 90-degree angle unibody cover (Infinity Back cover) that wraps around the edges while integrating the dual rear camera module. This should result in an aesthetically pleasing structure while making the device sturdier. 

The phone weighs 190 grams and it measures 161.74 x 76.32 x 8.555 mm

Nothing Phone (2a)'s screen

In front is the 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED screen with a 2412 x 1084 resolution, a 30 to 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a 1,100 nits peak brightness. It supports 10-bit colors and 2,160Hz PWM dimming. It is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protected too.

Around the panel are the ultra-slim and symmetrical bezels. On the upper bezel is the hidden super slim earpiece that doubles as the second speaker. Below it is the punch hole that houses the selfie camera.

Nothing Phone (2a)'s top and bottom side

On top of the phone is the microphone port while at the bottom are the speaker grills, USB-C port, a microphone port, and the SIM tray.

Nothing Phone (2a)'s left and right side

On the phone's left are the volume up and down buttons while on the right is the power button. All the buttons have a decent amount of resistance and a satisfying feel when pressed.

Nothing Phone (2a)'s SIM tray and SIM ejector tool

The SIM tray can carry up to two nano-SIM cards. The SIM ejector tool follows the aesthetic Nothing is known for.

Rear dual 50MP cameras with LED flash and microphone

At the back of the phone are the 50MP f/1.88 main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor with OIS, and a 50MP f/2.2 114-degree ultra-wide angle camera with a 1/2.76-inch sensor and an LED flash.

The stock camera app's modes include Photo, Video, Portrait, Expert, Slo-Mo, and Time-lapse.

The Expert mode allows for controls of ISO (100-6400), Shutter Speed (32 secs to1/8,000 sec), EV (+-3), Focus, and White Balance. Users can also switch between 1x, and 2x crop.

First Camera Samples

Nothing Phone (2a) rear camera daylight 1x

Nothing Phone (2a) rear camera daylight 2x

Nothing Phone (2a) rear camera daylight ultra-wide

We were surprised by the images from dual 50MP cameras. The images from the 1x, 2x crop, and ultra-wide have vibrant colors that pop while the dynamic range is deep. The 1x and 2x are slightly sharper than the ultra-wide camera's images but all are equally detailed. We are impressed.

In front is the 32MP f/2.2 selfie camera with a 1/2.74-inch sensor. Camera modes include Photo, Video, and Portrait.

Nothing Phone (2a) selfie camera daylight

Nothing Phone (2a) selfie camera portrait

The selfies produced are sharp with decent color reproduction and skin tones. However, we noticed greenish discoloration in the black and shadow areas.

As of now, the cameras take good images but the selfies need to be updated to have true blacks without the greenish discoloration.

It is equipped with the 4nm Dimensity 7200 Pro octa-core processor. Depending on the configuration of the phone, the phone can get up to 12GB of RAM.

Inside is the 5,000mAh with a 45W fast charger support. The brand promises a two-day battery life and that the battery will maintain 90 percent of its maximum capacity after 1,000 charging cycles. The brand also said the battery will charge from 0 to 50 percent in just 20 minutes.

Other key features of the phone include an in-display fingerprint scanner, face unlock, Dual SIM, WiFi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, stereo speakers, and IP54 water and dust resistance.

Running the show NothingOS 2.5 based on Android 14 with three years of software updates and four years of security updates. Nothing has expanded its Nothing-designed icons, widgets, animations, interactions, and information levels across more features and apps. 

Nothing has also added an AI-powered Wallpaper Studio where users can enable unlimited personalized wallpaper options for the home and lock screens.

On the back of the phone are the iconic Glyph Interface albeit with a smaller number of 3 lights when compared to its big brothers. However, it still retains the capabilities from the Phone (2) including the Glyph Timer, and Glyph Progress, and supports 3rd party apps like Uber.

Nothing Phone (2a) Specs

Display: 6.7-inch Gorilla Glass 5 protected flexible 10-bit LTPO AMOLED screen w/ 30-120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, HDR10+, FHD+ 2412 x 1080 resolution at 394 ppi

CPU: 2.8GHZ 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G610 MC4

RAM: 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM

ROM: 256GB/512GB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.88 w/ OIS + 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle 

Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.4

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 45W fast charging

OS: Android 14 w/ NothingOS 2.5

Connectivity: WiFi 6 2x2 MIMO, 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP54 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, 3x HD microphones, Glyph Interface, USB-C, Colors: White, Black

Dimensions: 161.74 x 76.32 x 8.55 mm

Weight: 190 g

Price: PHP 18,990 (8GB/128GB), PHP 20,990 (12GB/256GB)

As of the moment

Nothing Phone (2a)'s web surfing

Out of the box, we are impressed by the design, build, features, and software of the Nothing Phone (2a). 

We love the unique approach of leaning towards polishing the materials used instead of making the materials look more like other premium materials.

Inside the phone are competitive specs that include the 4nm Dimensity 7200 Pro, LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB/512GB storage, and a 120Hz flexible AMOLED screen with symmetrical bezels.

The unique visuals of the software and the hardware elevate the smartphone experience, especially in its price range.

The added functionality of the Glyph Interface is still left up in the air.

Our only concern so far is the greenish discoloration in black and shadow areas from the selfie cameras.

It may not have the most bleeding edge of specs, but it does have that premium flagship-level polish where it matters. And these are just our first impressions, we are excited about what it can do with longer use.

Stay tuned for our full review coming soon.

What do you guys think?

Stay tuned.