Huge Nothing Phone 2a leak reveals weirdest phone design of the year

Pre-release renders and specs for the Nothing Phone 2a have been published by OnLeaks and Smartprix, giving us a lot of insight into Nothing’s first attempt at a budget phone. Based on what we’re seeing, Google’s Pixel 7a should be worried.

This isn’t the first time OnLeaks has claimed to have the design of the Phone 2a. But after a previous iteration was proved false, and further information was sourced, he’s confident that these renders now properly represent the real deal.

Like other Nothing phones, the 2a has a very distinct design — featuring dual cameras in the top center of the back panel that look like a pair of goggles. That’s nestled within an intricately designed decorative panel beneath the main glass back, and surrounded by three “Glyph Lights”. These appear to be a limited version of the full-on Glyph Interface that the Nothing Phone 2 offers, but will hopefully still provide customizable notifications for apps in a similar way.

Looking at the front, we see the Nothing Phone 2a has a flat display to match the flat metal sides, and a central punch-hole at the top for the selfie camera. The Phone 2a shown in these renders is the Dark Gray color version, though we also expect a white edition. 

Some impressive-sounding specs

We also have several alleged specs for the Nothing Phone 2a, also sourced by Smartprix. Here’s what is rumored.

Supposedly offering a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000 mAh battery and 45W charging, the Phone 2a puts some flagship Android phones to shame with its size and likely speed. And even though it only offers two rear cameras, the dual 50MP sensors put it ahead of the current best cheap phones like the Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy A54, and likely the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A55 that will replace them.

The mystery factor here is the Nothing Phone 2a’s performance. Offering up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage is quite generous, but we don’t yet know how powerful the Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset will prove to be. 

One obvious downside in these specs, compared to rival phones, is the dust/water resistance rating. At IP54, the Nothing Phone 2a would be less resilient than the typical IP68-rated premium phone.

Currently, Nothing has the Phone 2a down for a March launch, but we could get our first in-person look at MWC 2024 next week. We’ll bring you all the official info as we get them, but for now check out our Nothing Phone 2a rumor hub for more leaked details.

More from Tom’s Guide

• Apple’s iOS 17.4 update features new insight into your iPhone’s battery life
• First ever iOS trojan discovered — and it’s stealing facial recognition data
• iPhone SE 4 tipped for 2025 release date — and it’ll come with a big display upgrade

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he’s also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he’s likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.