The Nothing (2a) Plus, released just four months after its predecessor, the Nothing (2a), offers several meaningful upgrades. With an upgraded MediaTek processor, improved front-facing camera, and a $50 price increase, the (2a) Plus aims to compete with budget smartphones like the Google Pixel 8a. However, despite its promising features, the fingerprint scanner proves to be unreliable, hindering an otherwise excellent phone.
Design-wise, the (2a) Plus takes a unique approach. Unlike the monotonous designs of most smartphones today, this device harkens back to the cellphone era of the 2000s, where phones had more personality and character. The transparent enclosure showcases the phone’s internal components, with visible screws, ribbon cables, and an NFC coil. The rear features a pair of horizontal lenses, reminiscent of a pig’s snout, surrounded by three glyph lights, which add an exciting design element.
I appreciate the (2a) Plus’ departure from the typical smartphone design, offering a sturdy build and excellent build quality that doesn’t give away its $400 price tag. The power button and volume buttons feel clicky and responsive, and the phone is relatively lightweight at 190g. However, it lags behind the Google Pixel 8a in terms of its IP rating. Rated at IP54, it offers less protection against the elements compared to the Pixel 8a’s IP67 rating.
One of the standout features of the (2a) Plus is its glyph interface. The three glyph lights can be customized to light up for specific activities such as call recognition, essential notifications, music visualization, and app progression bars. While they may not offer significant functionality or utility, they add extra frills that enhance the overall user experience. However, the glyph interface is not without its faults, as the fingerprint reader on the (2a) Plus proves to be unreliable, failing to read the right thumb consistently. Despite attempts to remedy the issue, including software updates, the faulty scanner remains a massive drawback.
In terms of navigation, the (2a) Plus adopts a swipe-based system similar to iOS, with intuitive gestures for accessing the homepage, going back, and multitasking. The power button is customizable, allowing users to assign specific actions to double clicks. The multitasking feature simplifies the process by holding and dragging the window to the top of the screen, leaving the rest of the display free for other tasks. However, the screenshotting gesture is unnecessarily complicated, requiring three fingers on the upper half of the screen and the potential for accidental taps.
Performance-wise, the (2a) Plus offers impressive battery life with its 5000mAh battery, surpassing the capacities of many other smartphones on the market. The AMOLED display delivers vibrant colors, crispness, and high brightness for use in various lighting conditions. The device runs on the MediaTek 7350 Pro processor, paired with 12GB of RAM (expandable up to 8GB), ensuring smooth multitasking and everyday productivity. Although the Geekbench scores may not match higher-end devices, the (2a) Plus satisfies the needs of most users.
The camera capabilities of the (2a) Plus stand out, particularly in low-light conditions. With its pair of 50MP cameras and night mode, it captures vibrant and well-saturated colors without excessive noise. The images taken in low light showcase impressive clarity and detail, with minimal pixelation even when zoomed in. The only drawback is the inability to zoom in with the 50MP mode, requiring users to switch to the 12MP option. Additionally, the Motion Photo mode, although misleadingly named, offers live photos similar to iOS but lacks noticeable differences between the Natural and Vivid modes.
In conclusion, the Nothing (2a) Plus offers several compelling features, including a unique design, intuitive navigation gestures, impressive battery life, and excellent camera capabilities in low light. However, the unreliable fingerprint scanner hinders its overall performance and usability. Potential buyers should consider this drawback before purchasing the device. Despite its shortcomings, the (2a) Plus showcases the potential for innovation in the smartphone market and provides a refreshing break from the monotony of traditional designs.
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