Nothing Introduces Phone (2a)

Phone (2a) builds from Nothing's highly praised flagship smartphone, Phone (2), to deliver an optimal experience by doubling down on core user needs, while leveraging all of Nothing's expertise and innovation.

LONDON, March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nothing today announced Phone (2a), its highly anticipated new smartphone offering. Phone (2a) is here to provide the optimal daily smartphone experience, doubling down on core user needs with all of Nothing's expertise, engineering and craftsmanship. A device for people who love to explore new innovations and designs but also know what they want (and don't want) from their smartphone. Including a powerfully unique processor, an exceptional 50 MP dual rear camera, an extra bright flexible AMOLED display, and an intuitive OS that delivers a fast and smooth experience with every interaction.

"This year is all about accelerating our progress, and Phone (2a) is our first big step forward. Phone (2a) is going to enable more people to experience the Nothing innovations that many have come to love, and we're confident it will become our best selling product ever," said Carl Pei, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing.

Performance

Phone (2a)'s Dimensity 7200 Pro processor has been exclusively co-engineered with MediaTek to deliver the best performance with optimal power efficiency.

Built on TSMC's latest second-generation 4nm process technology, Phone (2a) effortlessly powers through any task with unparalleled power efficiency and blazing speed. Paired with an expansive 20 GB RAM with RAM Booster technology, the 8-core chip – clocking speeds up to 2.8 GHz – ensures swift and responsive multitasking all day long. This results in a performance that is 13% more powerful than Phone (1) and 16% more efficient.

Together, Nothing and MediaTek have introduced optimisations such as Smart Clean (+200% UFS read/write speed over prolonged usage) and Adaptive NTFS (+100% file transfer speeds with Windows computers) and have been able to reduce power consumption of specific components by up to 10%.

Battery and Charging

Nothing's biggest smartphone battery to date is a powerful 5,000 mAH unit. It delivers up to two days of use on a full charge. Not only is it larger, it also performs better. From Phone (1), Nothing has increased battery longevity by over 25%. This means it can maintain over 90% of its maximum capacity after 1,000 charging cycles, corresponding to over three years of daily charging. The battery also has a 13% reduction in temperature when charging and discharging compared to Phone (1), which contributes to its longevity.

For rapid power-ups, Phone (2a) supports 45W Fast Charging, delivering 50% of power in just 20 minutes. An optimal charging solution that avoids the risk of depleting battery life, often related to higher watt count and charging speeds.

Camera

For capturing life's greatest hits, Phone (2a) features a flawless dual 50 MP rear camera that's powered by our TrueLens Engine. The TrueLens Engine is a series of advanced computational algorithms that come together to ensure every shot taken on Phone (2a) is as close to real life as possible. This includes Ultra XDR, which has been co-developed with Google to ensure a more accurate display of highlights and shadows in every shot. It works by capturing eight frames at different exposure levels in RAW format, and then adjusting the brightness of each pixel up to five times to display the most true-to-life result.

For landing the perfect selfies anytime, anywhere, Phone (2a) has an exceptional 32 MP front camera that uses the same sensor as Phone (2), which has 27% more light sensitivity versus Phone (1) and enables more details to come through.

Display

Phone (2a) has a 6.7" flexible AMOLED display, which means it can deliver stunningly accurate colour reproduction of 1.07 billion colours while minimising battery consumption. Also, with a peak brightness of 1,300 nits, Phone (2a) delivers an uncompromised viewing experience even in the brightest outdoor conditions.

With a refresh rate of 120 Hz, Phone (2a) provides sublimely smooth interactions that dynamically adapts to the content displayed. This refresh rate now ranges from 30 Hz - 120 Hz to ensure smooth responsiveness whilst allowing for better battery consumption.

Phone (2a) features the thinnest bezels in Nothing's smartphone line-up, measuring just 2.1 mm symmetrically on all four sides of the screen. This achievement results in an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 91.65%, made possible through the combination of a flexible panel with structural engineering improvements.

Design

Phone (2a) is the ultimate representation of Nothing's unique design expression. In fact, it embodies the first-ever internal smartphone design concept that was created all the way back in 2020, a few months after Nothing launched.

With Phone (2a), by placing the cameras inside the NFC coil, Nothing has created a new product icon: the eyes. Behind these is the hub of intelligence that powers the phone, much like a brain. Phone (2a) features an industry-first with its 90° angle unibody cover wrapping around the edges to create a new dimension and perspective to Nothing's design, while seamlessly integrating the dual camera module. Not only is this structure aesthetically pleasing, it makes the device sturdier, with a notable improvement on drop test results.

Adding to the cohesion between form and function, the unique camera 'bump' also plays a role in stabilising the phone when it's lying flat on a surface as well as helping minimise finger obstructions when taking a picture.

Nothing OS

Phone (2a) enters the market with Nothing OS 2.5. Unlike the majority of the devices in this category, it comes with Android 14 out of the box, with an impressive three years of software updates and four years of security updates.

With Nothing OS 2.5, Nothing has expanded its library with even more Nothing-designed widgets, with swipeable views and animations for more levels of information and interactions on your home screen. Phone (2a) marks the launch of a new Recorder widget which allows users to create voice memos on-the-go. Plus Nothing has introduced an AI-powered Wallpaper Studio, which enables unlimited personalised wallpaper options for your home and lock screen.

The Glyph Interface

On the back of the phone, Phone (2a) reimagines the iconic Glyph Interface. A new way to interact with a smartphone that encourages people to put their screens down and refer to light and sound patterns for key information. The new Glyph Interface still retains the new capabilities of Phone (2), including the Glyph Timer and Glyph Progress that utilises 3rd party integrations, whilst contributing to the distinct aesthetic of Phone (2a)'s new back design with a unique trio-light configuration. 

Sustainability

Phone (2a) delivers Nothing's lowest carbon footprint in a smartphone. At 52 kg, it's 12.5% lower than that of Phone (1). With sustainability goals in mind, Nothing has developed a brand-new recycling process in Nothing's manufacturing plant, which allows for plastic waste from the Ear (2) production line to be repurposed into Phone (2a). Nothing has also maintained its commitment to plastic-free packaging, using recycled fibre instead. The device itself also contains a number of recycled materials:

100% recycled aluminium used in the mid frame 100% recycled tin on 6 circuit boards 100% recycled copper foil on the main circuit board Recycled steel on 22 steel stamping parts Over 50% of the plastic parts are sustainably sourced

Availability, Pricing and Perks

As part of the Phone (2a) launch, Nothing is excited to announce its first-ever partnership in the AI space with Perplexity, the AI powered answer engine redefining how we search for information online. Eligible individuals that purchase Phone (2a) between March 5-19 are able to receive up to a year of Perplexity Pro. Perplexity is growing in popularity because there's a clear demand for a platform that cuts through the noise of information overload, delivering precise, user-focused answers in an era where time is a premium. Nothing champions this mission and looks forward to bringing this opportunity to Phone (2a) users. For more info, please visit nothing.tech/perplexity.

 "Perplexity and Nothing are united in a shared commitment to user-centricity, delivering a great product, and the belief that finding information should be simple and efficient. Perplexity is a beautifully designed answer engine and Nothing Phone (2a) is a beautifully designed device, and we are excited to bring Perplexity Pro to Phone (2a) users." said Perplexity Co-Founder and CEO, Aravind Srinivas.

Phone (2a) is available in Black, White and Milk, with three models to choose from:

8GB/128GB (£319 GBP / ₹23,999 INR / €329 EURO) 8GB/256 GB (₹25,999 INR) - India only 12GB/256GB (£349 GBP / ₹27,999 INR / €379 EURO)

Across 13 cities, users will have the chance to be amongst the first in the world to purchase Phone (2a), as well as get exclusive perks and offers available on a first come first served basis. Locations include: Delhi, Dubai, London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore and more

Most global customers will be able to pre-order Phone (2a) beginning at 12:30 GMT on Tuesday, March 5 via nothing.tech

Phone (2a) will then be publicly available to most global markets on Tuesday, March 12 via nothing.tech and partners

In the US, Phone (2a) is available in Black with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $349 through the Developer Program, which users in the US will be able to sign up for via Nothing.tech on March 12. Once accepted, users will be provided a link to purchase Phone (2a) and be encouraged to provide feedback.

A full list of specifications and features can be found on nothing.tech. To stay updated on all the latest information, please follow Nothing on Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter.

The CMF by Nothing sub-brand is also launching two new products today: Neckband Pro and Buds. Neckband Pro, the first 50 dB Hybrid ANC device in this category, will have limited availability outside of India. Whilst all global markets will have access to Buds, which deliver the best-in-class for ANC across the market.

About Nothing

Founded in 2020, Nothing is here to make tech fun again. Its debut smartphone, Phone (1), made Time Magazine's prestigious Best Inventions for Innovative Smartphone Design award. Through cutting-edge design and user interface innovation, the London-based company is creating an alternative ecosystem of tech products for the young and creative.

In 2023, the company launched Phone (2) to wide acclaim from its community, the media, and design enthusiasts, contributing to reaching a milestone of two million units shipped across their product range in less than three years.

To date, Nothing has released three audio products, two smartphones, and, as of September 2023, a sub-brand: CMF by Nothing. All Nothing products are developed in close collaboration with their community, which includes over 8,000 private investors, and are crafted with sustainability at the forefront.

Phone (2a) assets

Contact: press@nothing.tech