Nothing released Phone (2a) Plus, an upgraded version of the Phone (2a).
It offers advanced camera options, including 4K video capabilities, an AI "portrait optimizer" for enhanced photo quality, and improved gaming performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G processor. It features a 50MP main camera with optical stabilization, AI Vivid mode, and Ultra XDR technology.
The Phone (2a) Plus is priced at £399 in the UK and $399 in the U.S. for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model, with higher memory options available.
The device runs on Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.6, offering three years of Android updates and four years of security patches. It includes enhancements like an improved Game Dashboard and the ability to block third-party app notifications.
Nothing has launched an AI-powered news aggregation feature called "News Reporter" that summarizes top news stories and converts them to audio voiced by an AI version of Nothing's CFO, using Meta's Llama large language models for summarization. The accuracy of the AI news summaries remains uncertain due to the potential limitations of generative AI models.
The 'Plus' in the name refers to the performance enhancements, which are targeted towards mobile gaming fans, rather than a larger screen size.
The Phone (2a) Plus has limited color options (black or grey) and 5G connectivity in the U.S., where it can be purchased for through Nothing's beta program. UK residents can purchase it directly from Nothing, with global availability details to be revealed in September.
The release of the Phone (2a) Plus is an attempt by Nothing to enhance the Phone (2a) for power users at an accessible price point, while the company's next flagship phone, the Phone (3), is set to launch next year.
The new model aims to revolutionize the budget phone segment with quality and innovative design features.
UK users can purchase the Phone (2a) Plus first at a limited drop in London on August 3, while US orders start on August 7.
Sources: Wired, The Verge, PCMag, El País, Mashable, Engadget, TechRadar, CNET, Android Central, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, cnbeta.com.tw, Deccan Herald, Canaltech, Gazeta, Yahoo News, Times of India, India TV News, The Hindu, Indian Express.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
