Nothing’s New Phone 2a Plus is Faster and Takes Better Selfies

Nothing has introduced the Phone 2a Plus, an updated take on its mid-range smartphone with better performance and an improved front camera.

The previously teased model uses a Nothing-exclusive MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G chip with 12GB of RAM. It runs up to 3GHz, or about 10% faster than the 7200 Pro (with 8GB of RAM) in the original 2a, and has 1.3GHz Mali-G610 MC4 graphics clocked 30% faster than before. It’s not clear how this translates to real-world performance, but you should have a better experience with games and other visually intensive apps.

Nothing has also upgraded the selfie camera on the Phone 2a Plus from a 32-megapixel sensor to 50MP. The move enables both sharper photos as well as 4K video at 30 frames per second.

Software plays a key role in this update. The Phone 2a Plus ships with Nothing OS 2.6, including a new News Reporter widget that uses AI to aggregate news stories and read them aloud. The company promises three years of OS updates and four years of security updates, which doesn’t beat Google or Samsung but is better than you sometimes find in this price range.

The hardware is otherwise largely familiar, including the 6.7-inch 120Hz display, 50MP main and ultrawide rear cameras, slightly faster 50W fast charging (up from 45W), and a 5,000mAh battery. The signature Glyph lighting remains intact. You do get new colors, though, including a metallic gray and a new shade of black.

Nothing will first release the Phone 2a Plus in the UK, where a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will go on sale for ￡399 starting on August 3rd at the brand store in London’s Soho area. In the US, you’ll have to buy the device through the Beta Program for $399 starting on August 7th at 9AM Eastern.

This is a modest update that won’t have existing Phone 2a owners regretting their purchases. It does keep the handset more competitive with the Galaxy A series, Pixel 8a, and other comparably priced phones. If there’s a concern, it’s that the upgrade wasn’t strictly necessary — the original Phone 2a was capable enough in its own right.