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.

Nothing Introduces Phone (2a)

Phone (2a) assets

Dubai, UAE, 6 March 2024 – Nothing officially announced Phone (2a), its highly anticipated new smartphone offering, the world’s most attended technology event, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 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

At 5,000 mAh, Phone (2a) contains Nothing’s smartphone biggest battery to date, delivering 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  8 frames at different exposure levels in RAW format, and then adjusting the brightness of each pixel up to 5 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 goes down to 30 Hz for videos and still to preserve battery.

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 3 years of software updates and 4 years 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

Rishi Kishor Gupta,Regional Director for Middle East and Africa at Nothing announces that Phone (2a) will be publicly available in all GCC countries from Friday, March 8.

  • Phone (2a) is available in Black and Milk colors, with two models to choose from: 8GB/128GB for AED 1,199 in the UAE and SAR 1,349 in Saudi Arabia, and 12GB/256GB  for AED 1,399 in the UAE and SAR 1,549 in Saudi Arabia.
  • 8GB/128GB Exclusive Limited time offer at AED 999 in UAE with Amazon and Lulu Hypermarket & SAR 999 in Saudi Arabia with Jarir Bookstore
  • In the Middle East market,users will have the chance to be amongst the first in the world to purchase Phone (2a), as well as get some exclusive perks and offers available on a first come first served basis. Full details are below:
    • Address: Sharaf DG outlet, Deira City Center, Dubai
    • Start time: 6PM UAE Time 
    • Customers will also get an exclusive bundle that includes a customized thank you card from Carl Pei, CEO, Nothing, CMF Buds, CMF 65W GaN charger and a limited edition phone case that has the drop city printed. The bundle pack will also include phone straps and a Nothing branded tote bag.
    • 5 lucky customers present in store during the drops will get the chance to win the exclusive bundle. Follow @nothingarabia for more details
  • List of full prices & availability across GCC
CountriesVariantPriceAvailabilityLaunch Offer – Limited Time Offer OnlyAvailability
UAE*8/128GBAED 1,199Sharaf DG, Jumbo, Amazon,Lulu, Eros, Virgin & noon (Regular price includes Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w))AED 999Amazon and Lulu Hypermarket
12/256GBAED 1,399  
KSA**8/128GBSAR 1,349Jarir Bookstore, Lulu Hypermarket, Extra, Zain, Amazon, noon & Haddad (Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w) Free Buy CMF Watch Pro @SAR99 Only (Worth SAR279)SAR 999Jarir Bookstore
12/256GBSAR 1,549  
KUWAIT*8/128GBKWD 101Xcite, Lulu (Regular price includes Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w))KWD 99Xcite
12/256GBKWD 118  
QATAR*8/128GBQAR 1,199Lulu Hypermaket, Virgin, Jarir Bookstore & Alif (Regular price includes Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w))  
12/256GBQAR 1,399  
OMAN***8/128GBOMN 125.90Lulu Hypermarket, Sharaf DG, Emax, IR – (Regular price includes Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w))  
12/256GBOMN 146.90  
Oman*** : Prebooking starts from March 8th and Open Sales on March 12th – includes Bundle with CMF Buds + CMF Adaptor (65w) for both
  •  

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.