Nothing Phone (2a) Plus in the test: Is the Plus model worth it?

Updated by Timo Altmeyer on the 15. October 2024

Only half a year after the release of the Phone (2a), Nothing is already bringing the Phone (2a) Plus onto the market. But how much "plus" does the new model really offer? I have tested the smartphone extensively and compared it directly with the standard model.

8.8

Our rating
Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Hero

Design and workmanship: New colors

The characteristic Nothing design is also retained on the Phone (2a) Plus. The transparent polycarbonate back with the LED strips of the Glyph interface is back, but with a twist: instead of black or white (Milk), the Plus model is now available in chic metallic gray or a classy black.

This makes the silver "circuit" look under the transparent back stand out particularly well. One drawback, however, is the high susceptibility to fingerprints and dust, which slightly tarnishes the otherwise almost perfect overall picture.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus packaging
The Phone (2a) Plus comes in simple, recyclable packaging.

With dimensions of 161,7 x 76,3 x 8,5 millimeters and a weight of 190 grams, the Phone (2a) Plus is identical to the standard model. Despite the large 6,7-inch display, it fits surprisingly well in the hand and remains pleasantly uncomplicated even when used one-handed.

The IP54 certification offers basic protection against dust and splash water, which is completely sufficient for everyday use. The unique selling point remains the Glyph interface with its three LED strips around the camera. It serves as a visual indicator for notifications, timers and even as a soft fill light when taking photos.

interim conclusion

The new color options give the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus a fresh look while maintaining the distinctive transparent look of the standard model.

Display, performance and battery: Small improvements in detail

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus adopts the tried and tested 6,7-inch AMOLED display of its predecessor. With a resolution of 1084 x 2412 pixels, an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 1.300 nits (in practice more like 1.100 nits), it offers a solid basis for the price range. In everyday use, the display is easy to read even in direct sunlight.

Nothing Phone (2a) Display
6,7-inch AMOLED display: Clear, smooth user experience with 120 Hz.

 Performance boost thanks to new chip 

Under the hood is the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G chip, manufactured exclusively for Nothing. In combination with 12 GB of RAM, Nothing promises a performance increase of 10% for the CPU and up to 30% for the GPU compared to the standard model. In practice, however, the difference is smaller:

  •  AnTuTu Score: 771.491 (Plus) vs. 707.480 (Standard)
  •  Geekbench single-core: 1.121 (Plus) vs. 1.068 (Standard)

In everyday use, the smartphone responds quickly and reliably. Even more demanding mobile games run smoothly, with most titles starting at 30 FPS on medium graphics settings by default. The improved heat dissipation has a positive effect during longer gaming sessions.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus side
Slim design despite large display and battery.

 Long-lasting battery with faster charging 

A 5.000 mAh battery is responsible for the power supply. In the PC Mark battery test, the device lasted 16 hours and 40 minutes - that's around 10 minutes more than the standard model. In everyday life, with economical use, you can get up to 2 days before the device needs to be put back on the charger. The charging speed has been increased slightly to 50 watts (previously 45 watts). In practice, this means:

  • 40% battery charge after 15 minutes
  • Over 70% after 30 minutes
  • Full charge in just under an hour (55 minutes)
Nothing Phone (2a) Plus charging port
As always, charging is done via USB-C at the bottom.

Wireless charging is still missing, but the Phone (2a) Plus can charge other devices with up to 5 watts via cable. A practical extra for supplying headphones or other accessories with power while on the go.

interim conclusion

On paper, the new MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G offers slightly more graphics and computing power than the Dimensity 7200 Pro of the standard model. In everyday use, however, you hardly notice this. The faster charging is also only minimally noticeable. We are talking about a difference of just a few minutes.

Cameras: Solid performers with surprises

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus retains the dual 50MP configuration on the back, but brings an interesting upgrade for selfie fans. The front camera has been upgraded from 32MP to 50MP and can now also record 4K videos at 30 frames per second. During my vacation in Madeira, I had the opportunity to test the camera performance extensively.

Nothing Phone (2a) Camera
The camera system on the back is reminiscent of eyes.

Main camera: detailed and natural

The 50 MP main camera (Samsung GN9 sensor) delivered good results on the sunny days on Madeira. The shots of the picturesque coastal landscapes showed good detail reproduction and natural colors. The rich green tones of the lush vegetation and the deep blue of the Atlantic were particularly well presented. The new "Vivid mode" enhanced the colors slightly without being exaggerated. Perfect for Instagram-worthy vacation snapshots.

The camera's good dynamics were evident during a trip to the mountainous regions of Madeira. Even in scenes with strong contrasts between bright clouds and shady valleys, the sensor delivered balanced images.

The main camera shows its limits when zooming. From a twofold magnification, the image becomes increasingly blurry and lacks detail. At a maximum zoom of 10x, the images are hardly usable.

The main camera of the Phone (2a) Plus also performs well in poor lighting conditions. In the example shown, the structures of the tunnel walls are clearly visible and even strong light sources were captured cleanly without overexposing.

Ultra wide angle: impressive panoramas

The 50 MP ultra-wide angle camera (Samsung JN1 sensor) proved to be the ideal companion for the breathtaking views of Madeira. On a hike along the levadas, I was able to capture the vast landscapes with the 114-degree field of view. The image quality was good, even if details were lost in the peripheral areas.

Selfie camera: Upgrade with light and shadow

The new 50 MP front camera produced significantly sharper selfies in daylight with more natural skin tones than the Phone (2a). Perfect for souvenir photos against the picturesque backdrop of Madeira. However, the selfies are saved in full 50 MP resolution, which can lead to file sizes of up to 7 MB per image. Unfortunately, the image resolution cannot be changed in the settings.

In low-light situations, such as dining in a cozy restaurant, the camera tended to smooth out facial details somewhat.

interim conclusion

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus delivers solid camera performance for the mid-range. It's not a camera miracle, but it's more than sufficient for most vacation snapshots and everyday situations. Improvements compared to the standard model are mainly noticeable in the front camera. However, anyone looking for a real camera flagship will have to look in higher price ranges.

 Nothing OS: Slim and stylish 

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus runs Nothing OS 2.6 out of the box, based on Android 14. The user interface stays true to Nothing's minimalist approach, offering a clean yet feature-rich experience.

Nothing OS is characterized by its distinctive design, which relies heavily on the dot matrix aesthetic. The user interface offers 24 custom widgets, from clocks and calendars to weather indicators, all of which follow the unique Nothing look. A particular highlight is the new monochrome icon pack, which gives the home screen a coherent look.

An interesting new feature in Nothing OS 2.6 is the AI-powered news widget. It reads out news on selected topics using an AI-generated version of the voice of Nothing's CFO Tim Holbrow. However, there is still room for improvement here, especially when it comes to source information

Nothing promises three major Android updates and four years of security updates for the Phone (2a) Plus. This means that the device will probably be supported up to Android 17

Connectivity: Solid equipment for everyday use

In the mobile communications area, the device supports 5G connections in the sub-6 range, which is sufficient for most European networks. 4G and 3G are of course also supported. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is available for fast data transfers at home or in the office.

 Bluetooth 5.3 ensures improved energy efficiency and reliability when connecting to accessories such as headphones or smartwatches. NFC is also on board and enables contactless payments, for example via Google Wallet.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus SIM slot
The Phone (2a) Plus supports dual SIM, but no memory expansion via microSD card!

For navigation, the smartphone supports a wide range of satellite navigation systems, including GPS (L1), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I), GALILEO (E1) and QZSS (L1).

The asymmetrical stereo speaker system of the Phone (2a) Plus is particularly noteworthy. It delivers a surprisingly full and clear sound for a device in this price range. Even the bass is noticeable, which is often not the case with mid-range smartphones.

interim conclusion

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus has a solid connectivity package that will meet the needs of most European users. The combination of 5G support, Wi-Fi 6 and the improved speaker system makes it an attractive smartphone in its price range.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

8.8

POSITIVE

Characteristic Nothing design with glyph interface

Slightly improved processor (MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro)

High-quality 6,7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display

Faster charging with 50W

Upgraded 50MP front camera

Nothing OS 2.6 with minimalist design and useful features

Solid battery life with 5.000 mAh

NEGATIVE

Only minimal improvements over the standard model

CONCLUSION

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus only offers minor upgrades compared to the standard model. The slight improvements in performance, camera and charging speed hardly justify the current extra cost. It will be all the more interesting when the prices are equalized. Then the Plus model is the better choice thanks to the more powerful chip, better selfie camera and faster charging.

For owners of the Phone (2a), the change is still not worth it. They should rather wait for the next Nothing generation.

PRICE COMPARISON

amazon.de
Price icon 422,68€
nothing.tech
429,00€
  • 100 euros more for not really more. No thanks Nothing, please don't make the same mistake as you did with OnePlus.

  • Sebastian

    It's a shame, I was hoping for a bit more. I currently have the Phone 1, which I'm really happy with. I was planning on switching this year, but I'll wait and see what happens next year. Do you have any information about the 3 yet?

    • Hi Sebastian, for the Phone (3) it's worth taking a look at Carl Pei's community updates. You can find them on YouTube, among other places.

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