Nothing, the UK-based tech startup, quietly ran a Community Update via YouTube this morning, Thursday 1 February 2024, and within its various sections was a key reveal: that the company's next phone is officially called the Nothing Phone (2a).
There have been rumours in abundance about this next Nothing release, and I wrote about an invitation to a launch event in December of last year, which was widely expected to be for the Phone (2a).
Well, mark your calendars as the 27 February, at Mobile World Congress 2024, is now almost certainly the reveal for the Phone (2a) - although, officially, Nothing still hasn't confirmed this. But I think it's pretty obvious.
I'm an avid Nothing fan, having used and loved the Nothing Phone (2) for an extended period of time. So what will the Nothing Phone (2a) offer? Well, the Community Update didn't exactly reveal much, except that it will be 'a clear upgrade' compared to the original Nothing Phone (1) in every regard.
That's an interesting prospect as, much like with Google's 'a' series phones, like the Google Pixel 7a, I suspect this will mean some flagship specs at a mid-to-entry-level product price point. There will be concessions, of course, but Nothing - despite saying, er, nothing specific about the specification - sounds like its Phone (2a) will effectively replace the company's original handset in its line-up.
That's not to say that some specifications haven't leaked already: the Nothing Phone (2a) has been spotted on a certification website already, with the rumours suggesting a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor, a pair of 50-megapixel main cameras plus an ultra-wide 16MP snapper.
What I've certainly not seen yet - and, again, Nothing wasn't showing a thing - is what the Phone (2a) will look like. Just how much of the Phone (2)'s Glyph lighting feature will translate to a more budget handset? I can't imagine it can be as advanced in that regard. Oh, and just to point out the obvious: my picture up top is of the Nothing Phone (2), not the (2a)!
There is already a Nothing Phone (2a) mock-up, though, but as my T3 colleague has said, "I'll eat my hat if it looks like this". Personally I hope that Nothing keeps it all under wraps until the 27 February to maintain at least a little excitement around the product's reveal. After all, it's easily going to be the biggest MWC 2024 launch of the forthcoming show...
