What you need to know
- Nothing Phone 2a finally gets a launch date.
- It is said to have a glyph interface and translucent design like the previous Nothing phones.
- Carl Pei notes that the current phones in the segment are purposefully made to look better on paper than they actually are; Phone 2a aims to change that.
Nothing has finally put an end to speculations regarding its next product launch, the Phone 2a — the company's entry into the budget smartphone market. The device is all set to launch on March 5.
Nothing first revealed that it was releasing a new phone with a community update video early this month. However, the company dropped some hints on Tuesday (Feb. 13) that the Phone 2a will hit the market soon.
According to Carl Pei, the budget segment that the company is aiming for, Phone 2a, is currently filled with phones that are purposefully made to look good on paper, and most of them are outsourced by the tech giants as their primary focus is on the top-tier models.
The video cites examples of phones from Nothing's rival brands like Vivo, Realme, and Samsung under the cost-effective segment. Pei further mentions the bloatware alongside unnecessary advertising usually found in those cheaper Android phones. Pei also cites examples of phones using polycarbonate and brushing them up as metal on the back.
Pei said that with such phones in the segment, he seems confident that the company will "shake the market" with the upcoming Phone 2a. The phone is said to cater to young and creative thinkers, as it has been designed with care and attention to detail, like the Phone (1) and Phone (2).
Chris Weightman, the Industrial Designer at Nothing, has further weighed in about the Phone 2a in the latest video. He revealed that the Phone 2a has been designed from scratch to bring something "new and fresh to the market."
Weightman further shared some sketches of the Phone 2a, which indicates that the device indeed opts for a circular camera visor, unlike the previous Nothing phones that feature a dual array camera setup, matching the initial renders and hands-on images. However, it does not resemble the later released render that turned out to be fake.
He also explained the graphic design we would see on Phone 2a was inspired by the Newyork Subway map made by Massimo Vignelli. Additionally, the transparency design is here to stay with the Phone 2a, which is interesting despite being a budget phone.
Weightman notes that the Glyph interface is a crucial part of Nothing phones and will also be seen on Phone 2a. However, we expect it to differ from what we have seen on Phone (2).
Lastly, Carl Pei can be heard saying the launch of the Phone 2a is set for March 5, and the company has also started teasing the same on its social handles.
