Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Review

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus: The Mid-Range Sweet Spot, Perfected?

In the fiercely competitive smartphone arena, Nothing carved its niche by blending minimalist design with intriguing, tangible tech. The original Phone (2a) was a masterclass in compromise, delivering the core Nothing experience at an aggressive price. Now, the company is aiming higher with the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus. It’s not a flagship killer, nor is it a simple budget phone. Instead, it represents a calculated move to capture the elusive “premium mid-range”—a space where build quality, user experience, and smart features matter more than raw spec sheets. But in elevating the price and the materials, has Nothing created the perfect mid-ranger, or simply a more expensive compromise?

A Design That Feels Anything But Mid-Range

The most immediate and impactful upgrade in the (2a) Plus is its physical construction. Where the standard (2a) used a plastic frame and back panel to cut costs, the Plus model feels substantially more premium. The frame is now a bead-blasted aluminum, cool to the touch and reassuringly rigid, while the transparent back is Gorilla Glass 5. This single change transforms the device’s in-hand feel from a well-made budget phone to a genuine flagship alternative. The iconic, centered camera “eyes” and the simplified three-part Glyph Interface remain, continuing Nothing’s unique design language. It’s a testament to the fact that thoughtful materialism can elevate a product far beyond its internal components. While the design is still unapologetically Nothing, the upgraded build makes it feel more substantial and deliberate.

Polished Performance Where It Counts

Under the hood, Nothing has once again collaborated with MediaTek on a custom chipset, the Dimensity 7300 Pro-Plus. This isn’t a massive leap over the 7200 Pro in the standard (2a), but the incremental improvements are noticeable. Day-to-day navigation through Nothing OS 2.6 is exceptionally fluid, with apps opening swiftly and animations rendering without a hint of stutter. It handles moderately intensive games like Call of Duty: Mobile with ease, though it won’t be challenging the Snapdragon 8-series chips in sustained, high-fidelity gaming.

The real star remains Nothing OS. It’s clean, cohesive, and blessedly free of bloatware. The monochrome icon pack and dot-matrix widgets give it a unique identity that stands apart from the colorful chaos of other Android skins. This focus on software optimization means the (2a) Plus feels faster than its specs might suggest, providing a smooth and responsive experience that is the bedrock of a great daily driver.

More Than Just a Pretty Face: Display and Charging Upgrades

The 6.7-inch OLED display is another area of subtle but significant improvement. While still a 1080p panel, it’s now an LTPO screen, allowing the refresh rate to dynamically drop from 120Hz down to 1Hz. This has a tangible impact on battery life, which was already a strong suit of the (2a). The (2a) Plus easily lasts a full day of heavy use. More importantly, Nothing has finally brought wireless charging to its ‘a’ series. The inclusion of 15W Qi wireless charging is a massive quality-of-life feature, adding a layer of convenience typically reserved for more expensive devices. Wired charging also gets a boost to 65W, topping up the battery in just under 40 minutes.

The camera system, however, is where the “Plus” moniker feels least earned. It appears to use the same dual 50MP sensor setup as the standard model. While Nothing’s image processing has improved, delivering vibrant, sharp photos in good lighting, it still falls short of the computational photography magic seen in Google’s Pixel 8a. The ultrawide camera is decent but suffers from softer edges, and low-light performance is merely adequate. It’s a capable system for social media and casual snaps, but it’s clearly the area where the most compromise was made to accommodate the upgraded build and features elsewhere.

The Verdict

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is a confident and intelligent refinement of an already excellent formula. Nothing has correctly identified that for many users in this price bracket, the daily experience—how a phone feels in the hand, the fluidity of its interface, and the convenience of its features—outweighs having the absolute best camera or the fastest gaming chip.

This phone is for the design-conscious user who wants 90% of the flagship experience without the flagship price tag. It’s for the person who left the Apple or Samsung ecosystem seeking a cleaner, more interesting software experience. If you prioritize premium build quality, a superb user interface, and all-day battery life with the convenience of wireless charging, the (2a) Plus is arguably one of the most compelling and well-balanced smartphones on the market today. However, if mobile photography is your top priority, you may still want to look toward its competitors.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon