The Nothing Phone 2 made its bow in July of this year, and it seems increasingly likely that Nothing might turn its attention more towards the mid-range or budget end of the market with its next smartphone launch.
Android developer Dylan Roussel (via Android Authority) has posted what is claimed to be an illustration of the Nothing Phone 2a. On the back of the device we can see a center-aligned, horizontal dual camera setup, and three glyphs – fewer than we're used to from the company's flagship devices.
That camera placement matches up with something that tipster Yogesh Brar shared previously, and points to a rear camera setup that's reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S10 from 2019. Brar suggests there are some "interesting design choices" at play.
We've also got a key spec from the latest leak: the mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor, mostly found in handsets sold in China such as the Vivo V27. Roussel also seems to think the Nothing Phone 2a might launch at Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is scheduled for the end of February next year.
Meet the Nothing Phone (2a)!Model: A142.Codenames: Pacman / Aero(dactyl?).Nothing's next phone comes with a Mediatek SoC for the first time. The Mediatek Dimensity 7200. It has 3 Glyph parts, and a brand new design.Launch event at MWC? pic.twitter.com/UTwk2bUjjADecember 15, 2023
A cheaper option
That all adds up to something that looks very much designed to take on the Google Pixel 8a, which is also expected at some point during 2024. Most phone makers have both flagship and mid-range options on offer now of course, so there's nothing unusual about what Nothing is doing here in that respect.
Rumors about a Nothing Phone 2a have been swirling since early this month, when we heard that the phone would come with a 6.7-inch display. As our Nothing Phone 2 review will tell you, that's the same size screen as the flagship option.
The Nothing Phone 2 will set you back $599 / £579 / AU$1,049 – that's already relatively cheap for a flagship phone, so you would expect the Nothing Phone 2a to cost significantly less if and when it finally sees the light of day.
Meanwhile, we haven't heard anything about the Nothing Phone 3. Both of the previous Nothing phones went on sale in July (although the Nothing Phone 1 was announced in March), which makes July 2024 a good bet for the next one.
