Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus: It’s not bigger but here’s what’s better

After launching its first midrange model back in March – the Nothing Phone 2(a), Nothing has introduced what is essentially an enhanced version of that phone, known as the Nothing 2(a) Plus. So no, unlike what the term “Plus” traditionally means in the tech universe, this isn’t a plus-sized version of the regular Phone 2(a) but rather an upgraded one.

So what’s enhanced with the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus over its standard sibling? Well, it basically boils down to these few things – a faster processor, a higher resolution front camera, faster charging, and of course, a beefier price tag. Further details are listed below.

Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus specs and features

Like other Nothing products, what stands out the most with the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus is its design. It has a front glass panel, featuring Gorilla Glass 5, a plastic frame, and a plastic back which houses 26 LED lights which Nothing calls the Glyph Lights. Two “see-through” colour options are available with the Phone 2(a) Plus, namely Grey and Black.

At the front, the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus features the same display as the regular Phone 2(a). This is namely a 6.7″ Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2412×1080 pixels and 120Hz refresh rate.

Powering the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus is a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G processor, which is said to be 10% faster than the chip found in the standard Phone 2(a). The Phone 2(a) Plus’ GPU is also clocked 30% higher than the one paired with the Phone (2a)’s Dimensity 7200 Pro chip.

According to Nothing Malaysia’s website, as well as the variant sold in the US and UK, the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus is equipped with 12GB of RAM, along with 256GB of storage.

At the back, you will find a pair of 50MP shooters, which act as the smartphone’s main wide shooter as well as its ultrawide camera. Nothing says that since the Phone 2(a)’s launch in March, it has released seven camera-focused software updates with 26 individual camera improvements.

These updates are supposed to fine-tune the camera experience by enhancing colour accuracy, saturation, and optimised colour consistency. Additionally, they improve blur accuracy, camera app loading speeds, and overall performance.

As for video recording, the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus can shoot up to 4K at 60fps. Aside from the back, you also get a 50MP shooter up front, which is quite a bump from the Nothing 2(a)’s 32MP front camera.

The Nothing Phone 2(a) is IP54-rated, making it resistant to dust and water splashes, so remember not to dunk it into the water. Being exposed to some raindrops shouldn’t be an issue with the Phone 2(a) Plus though. The smartphone also gets a dual stereo speaker setup.

As for its battery, the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus is packed with a 5,000mAh battery which is claimed to deliver up to two days of use on a full charge. Nothing also promises that the battery will maintain over 90% of its maximum capacity even after 1,000 charging cycles.

The Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus can be topped up faster than its standard sibling, thanks to its 50W fast charge feature. Nothing says is an improvement of nearly 10% compared to the Phone 2(a), which can fast charge at 45W.

Software-wise, the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus runs on Nothing OS 2.6 on top of Android 14, and comes with ChatGPT integration. The London-based company is promising three years of major Android software updates and four years of security patch updates.

Will the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus be coming to Malaysia?

If you’re wondering whether the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus will be reaching Malaysian shores soon, well, there is no answer just yet, as Nothing Malaysia has not given any info on when its latest mid-ranger will make its launch in the country. However, the phone is now sold in markets such as the US and the UK, with price tags of $399 (approximately RM1,800) and £399 (approximately RM2,286) respectively.

However, Nothing says further market availability and pricing will be announced in September. With that being said, can we expect it to be launched here in Malaysia by then?

The “regular” Nothing Phone 2(a) made its launch in Malaysia in March this year, with the Nothing Phone 2(a) Special Edition reaching our shores two months later. Both models are priced at RM1,699 and come with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Only 100 examples of the latter model are available though.