The rumor mill tells us that the Nothing Phone (2a) launch date is set for 5 March 2024 at 11:30 GMT but all we have for now are a scattering of specs and predictions about the smartphone. Designed to “remove barriers between people and technology to create a seamless digital future,” the release of the Nothing Phone is one of the most interesting moves we’ve seen a smartphone company make in years. While other brands compete for complexity, Nothing redefines the tech industry with simplicity, which is precisely why we’re curious to know more about the Nothing Phone (2a) specifications and see how it plans to stay relevant in a market already overcrowded with technology. Reports indicate that the Nothing Phone (2a) price will be even lower than that of Phone (1) without a drop in quality, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out.
According to Nothing CEO Carl Pei, the Nothing Phone (2a) is designed to unite its tech-savvy users who want full control over their smartphones with the set of users who may not be as gifted with technical prowess but want to make the most of the simplicity and design that Nothing represents as a brand. The most recent Phone (2a) update tells us that the phone design takes some inspiration from Italian designer Massimo Vignelli among many others and we’re excited to see how this is reflected in the aesthetic of the new Nothing phone.
Image: The Nothing Phone (1)
Nothing Phone (2a) Launch Date Set: Get Ready for a “Clear Upgrade” From the Older Model
The much-awaited Nothing Phone (2a) March 5 release gives us some time to prepare for the arrival of the device, but unfortunately, unlike other phones where we’re all but certain of the specs even before launch (hint: the Google Pixel), the Nothing Phone (2a) specifications remain shrouded for the most part but not entirely. The Nothing Phone (2a) rumors at Smartprix indicate that the device will feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED 1084 x 2412 resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While all the other smartphones on the market appear to be in pursuit of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Nothing Phone (2a) specifications should feature MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200.
With two phone launches behind them and OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei at the helm, the Nothing brand is slowly building up its identity as a bloatware-free brand. Apart from learning about the Nothing Phone (2a) launch date, we also know that the device will feature dual cameras at the back—a 50MP Samsung main sensor and a 50M ultrawide camera. According to GSMArena, the device will also have a 32 MP front camera, which is nicer to see compared to some of the flagship models from other brands.
Turns out, this Nothing Phone (2a) render was inaccurate.#Nothing #NothingPhone2a pic.twitter.com/5XMyO5FfU3
— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) February 10, 2024
Nothing Phone (2a) rough sketches more or less hint at the earlier-leaked renders#Nothing #NothingPhone2a pic.twitter.com/EdgMOb3lpW
— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) February 13, 2024
Codenamed Aerodactyl, the Nothing Phone (2a) spec price leak also suggests that the phone will be available at $400, which should redefine the mid-range category of affordable phones. Twitter/X user Roland Quandt presented some additional predictions for the device, which included two colorways—White and Black—and two storage options of 8GB RAM with 128GB storage and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage.
“With Phone (2a), we’ve really doubled down on the core user needs—performance, camera, you name it. And it’s also kind of leveraging some of the most loved features of Phone (2) while ensuring it delivers on a clear upgrade compared to Phone (1) on every single front.”
—Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder, Nothing
Some of the Disappointments of the Nothing Phone (2a) Rumors
One of the more unfortunate Nothing Phone (2a) rumors is that the new edition might arrive without the Glyph interface. While the rear design of the phone is quite similar to the see-through aesthetic of the Phone (1) and (2), some renders indicate the absence of the coil that lights up on the phone. Other rumors suggest there will be a much smaller role of the Glyph features, with a limited number of strips to the design unlike the 11 sections on the Phone (2). Turning the usually plain design into an expressive space with the intent of being “joyful” the Glyph interface is our favorite detail of the other two phones.
Nothing Phone Industrial designer Chris Weightman did not properly confirm or deny the presence of the Glyph feature, taking a more ambiguous route of stating that they had to work to figure out where it fits into the aesthetic of the Nothing (2a) phone. “The function that they provide is really important, we definitely didn’t want to lose that. But with the overall kind of design of the phone being quite different to Phone (2), yeah we had to work a little bit to figure out exactly where the Glyphs fit in this time,” he stated, continuing on explain that their customer interactions with the phone led them to explore exactly how the Glyphs were being used and what they could do with it. The company recently announced the Glyph developer kit for designers to use and customize what the Glyph can do so it’ll be a rather surprising move if the company actually skips the design detail on the latest phone. We’ll have to wait for the Nothing Phone 2A launch date to see if the disappointing rumor is true or not.
Image: Post by Nothing on Twitter/X announcing Phone (2a) “Fresh. Eyes.”
In more unfortunate news, it seems the Nothing Phone (2a) will not be coming to the U.S. with a open release. The Verge reported that the company is looking at a developer release only for the U.S. market similar to what was seen with Phone (1), where only a few of those who sign up will get to test the device. According to Nothing CFO Tim Holbrow, the company sees its strongest performance in India, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Germany, and the UK so those markets should definitely see a launch. This is expected as the U.S. market is incredibly saturated with the bigger players dominating the space, leaving little room for competition that doesn’t include themselves. Spaces like the Indian smartphone market have a little more room for mid-range phones even if they don’t carry the label of the top 5 brands on the market.
As the Nothing Phone (2a) launch date fast approaches many speculate that we could hear more about the device during the Mobile World Congress 2024 event in Barcelona that is scheduled between 26-29 February 2024. Some had hoped for the phone launch to take place then but now that Nothing Phone (2a) March 5 release has been confirmed by the company, all we might see is more details surrounding the actual launch, developer program, etc.
