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Hey, Carl Pei! The Nothing Phone 2a is too “cool” for my grandma; too “mid-range” for me

By Martin Filipov

Published: Apr 02, 2024, 10:34 AM

8comments

Nothing

My grandma needs a new affordable phone, and I seriously consider getting her the new Nothing Phone 2a, which seems to check a lot of the boxes a grandma would like to be checked:

The Nothing Phone 2a has stellar battery life both according to our battery benchmarks and real-world use experience (as reported by Preslav); this is a top priority for her since the Huawei Nova 5T she’s using right now is 3-4 years old and can barely hold a charge (at least like it used to)

The Phone 2a also brings a truly excellent display for a mid-range phone, which is large, bright, and as smooth as the one in the $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra

Another “grandma” point for the Phone 2a is that NothingOS is a simple, streamlined Android skin, which doesn’t look too overwhelming compared to others

On the surface, the Phone 2a also has a perfectly serviceable dual 50MP camera system for my grandma, your grandma, and all of the grandmas

The chip powering Nothing’s new mid-ranger is capable enough for scrolling social media, reading cooking recipes, and watching YouTube videos

And then we come to the design of the Nothing Phone 2a… There’s no other way to put it - the Phone 2a is just “too cool for grandma”. It’s almost like Carl Pei and the Nothing team didn’t make the Phone 2a with… grandmothers in mind…

But you know who it isn’t too cool for… me!

Also read: Nothing Phone (2a) Plus review: why, though?

The Nothing Phone 2a is too "cool" for my grandma; too “mid-range” for the teen-age?

As you can tell from our full "Nothing Phone 2a vs Nothing Phone 2 camera comparison" , while the daytime photos taken with the Phone 2a are pretty decent, the mixed and low-light snaps can come out super soft.

So, the other side of the coin here is the younger audience, which (of course) is Nothing’s target market for the Phone 2a, and that’s where I come in. 27 is still considered young, I hope?

Now, I must preface this by saying that I’m used to phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra, which won’t be the case for anyone who actually considers buying the $330 Nothing Phone 2a (which is nearly $1,000 cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Ultra - let that sink in).

With that in mind, and given my conversation with Preslav (who tested and reviewed the Phone 2a), as well as tests I’ve seen, I must say that my initial appeal for the Phone 2a and its seriously attractive looks has been slightly toned down due to the clearly mid-range camera and performance.

In terms of cameras, it’s very hard to argue with the samples we have here, which show that the Phone 2a can most certainly take a great daytime picture, but indoor and low-light is where it will start showing why it doesn’t cost as much as a flagship

However, even a bigger dealbreaker for me (and I believe many non-grandmas) will be the fact that the Dimenity 7200 Pro in the Phone 2a isn’t enough to make it as snappy as my old iPhone 13, or a $500-600 phone you can get

To the point of performance, I don’t refer to “heavy gaming”, or anything like that. For example, the Phone 2a seems to give you a black screen before opening the camera, and just takes a few extra seconds to complete normal tasks, which happen instantly on phones that cost some $200 more.

Opening and reopening applications can also be a bit slow, especially if you’re jumping from app to app, playing videos, other multimedia, etc. Something else I’ve noticed is that scrolling on the Phone 2a can be a bit more jittery compared to a more expensive phone.

Bear in mind that the Phone 2a’s performance hiccups could (in theory) be a result of poor optimization, meaning they could (in theory) be resolved through a software update. And (in theory)... they might not. Same for the camera performance.

Are $300-400 phones worth it if $200 more gets you a much faster phone, with flagship-grade cameras?

The Galaxy S23 FE and the flagship Nothing Phone 2 are worth the $200 on top if you can afford it.

So, yes - the different strengths and weaknesses of the Phone 2a package makes it quite tricky to say if it’s a “grandma” or a “teenager” phone. And I don’t know about you but this makes me ask myself if $300-400 phones are even worth it for most people?

For example, a brand new Galaxy S23 FE goes for only $550 right now, and apart from the display, and battery (which are comparable to that of the Phone 2a), Samsung’s affordable flagship simply walks all over the mid-ranger in every single way:

The Galaxy S23 FE has flagship-grade cameras, including a 3x zoom snapper
Flagship-grade SoC, which doesn’t hang when performing simple tasks like opening the camera, or doing heavy multitasking (switching through apps)
Faster, more reliable software support/updates
IP68 water/dust resistance, wireless charging - it’s all there if you need it
Samsung’s brand promise, which, let’s be honest, is sort of absent with a device like the Phone 2a, since Nothing is still a relatively new company - I’m not saying that’s going to be the case at all, but what if Carl Pei left Nothing to start another phone brand?! It’s not like he hasn’t done that before!

Of course, the other $550 affordable flagship, which makes the Phone 2a look bad is… the Nothing Phone 2. In practical app opening tests you can see on YouTube, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Phone 2 is noticeably faster than the Phone 2a in sustained performance, multitasking, and camera comparisons I’ve seen clearly put the flagship ahead too.

I’d trade the second camera in the Nothing Phone 2a for one great camera and a faster chip

The Pixel 7a (left) might be the one to go for if the Phone 2a’s slower chip and mediocre camera sound like a dealbreaker to you.

In the end, I love the design of the Phone 2a, and buying one for me… sorry, for my grandma, is something I do actually consider.

But the two main questions I brought up still stand:

Who is the Nothing Phone 2a for? Because it seems to have a chip powerful enough for my grandma, and a camera that’s good enough for taking pictures of her tasty dishes; but then it looks so cool that it makes me want to use it; but then I don’t, because of the performance and camera limitations…

Are $300-400 phones far less appealing given that $500-600 phones seem to give you a more future-proof package?

Or is it just that I should buy my grandma a Pixel 7a (instead of a Nothing Phone 2a), giving her another phone with mediocre battery life and display like her old Huawei Nova 5T?

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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.