Nothing is going crazy with their launches this year, with recent leaks suggesting the Nothing Phone (2a) is getting new colors soon. The device was originally launched with black, white, and milk variants on March 12, 2024, and it immediately made a mark on arrival. The device was the definition of mid-range and while it was lacking in many ways, users were quick to see that the limitations were ones they could live with quite easily. The Nothing Phone (2a) color options soon increased to include an elegant blue, but this model was exclusively launched in India this month. Now we hear that this is not the end of the Nothing Phone (2a) color variants, with two more shades coming soon. This announcement doesn’t even cover the community event model that should be launched later in the year.
Image: Nothing Phone (2a) in Blue
Nothing Phone (2a) Gets New Color Options
Since its inception, the Nothing phone brand has been nothing but unique in its approach to technology. The Nothing Phone that was initially launched generated a lot of buzz for a phone that proudly stood by its idea of getting rid of excess. The smartphone was simple but it brought a distinct sense of style and identity to the device and to its users. Some hated it and thought the ideology was purely performative, but a larger section of the population took to it just as quickly. Nothing Phone 2 carried forth this popularity, and Nothing 2a was soon introduced at an even better budget price. It’s evident the company is trying to steer clear of selling a repetitive design, the growing number of Nothing Phone (2a) color options is an obvious sign of this strategy.
The Nothing Phone (2a) color variants on release were the basic colors you’d expect from any smartphone—black, white, and a not-so-traditional milk. The standard color options allowed the design to shine and bespoke their “minimalist” ideology quite well. On May 2, 2024, the Nothing Phone (2a)’s new color made an appearance in India, and we can all agree that it’s not a bad look but it doesn’t necessarily add anything to the device’s aesthetic. The company’s sales must be doing quite well for them to risk another release, as they posted a mysterious tweet on May 25th that held no details except three dots shown in red, yellow, and blue. They threw out another tweet with an image that said “(2a)” with colorful dots.
— Nothing (@nothing) May 25, 2024
With the blue color already out, many have taken the tweets to suggest that the Nothing Phone (2a) is getting red and yellow color options soon, to keep the blue dot company. For a business that has criticized others for doing too much without making substantial changes, the excessive release of new color variants does seem wasteful. We’re sure most would prefer them to prioritize investments in changes that improve the user experience, like an upgrade to the camera or specific software specs.
Still, we’d be lying if we said a Nothing Phone (2a) in yellow wouldn’t be a perfect match for the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds released this year.
Nothing Phone (2a) Community Event
The Nothing Phone (2a)’s new colors aren’t the only redesign we’ll see from the company in 2024. Apart from the Nothing Phone (2a)’s red, yellow, and blue variants, there is an ongoing community project in the works where fans get to make suggestions about the design, packaging, and marketing changes that will be used for a re-release of the Noting Phone (2a). Stage one of the community project is complete and Kenta Akasaki and Astrid Vanhyuse from London will now work with Nothing’s Industrial Design and Research and Development team to recreate their “Phosphorescence” design concept in reality.
Stage 2 voting is now open! Show support for your favourite wallpaper entry.
One vote per user, votes cannot be changed, choose carefully!
Head to nothing tech! pic.twitter.com/5VDhltfpsp— Rob Godwin (@robgodwin_) May 17, 2024
Stage two of the Nothing Phone (2a) Community event is now ongoing and voting has begun on the wallpaper submissions that were made to the company. Some submissions include generic stock photo suggestions, but many creative concepts could bring an entirely new aesthetic to the released device. Once the voting is complete, a panel will review the submissions and a winner will be selected to work with Nothing on making their concept a reality. Two more stages will take place in relation to the Nothing Phone (2a) Community event—packaging and marketing—before we get to witness the final product.
The reaction to the Nothing Phone (2a)’s new colors and community project initiatives is mostly positive but there are quite several fans hoping the company will move on from investing this much time in a smartphone that was meant to bridge the gap between the Nothing Phone 2 and 3. Some users would prefer the company move on to the next model with the updated specs but it is evident we’ll have to wait a while for the Nothing Phone 3.