Nothing Phone 2a Plus Challengers: OnePlus Nord CE 4, Redmi Note 13 Pro, More
Nothing Phone 2a Plus Alternatives: Realme 13 Pro, Vivo V30e, more smartphones to choose from.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus Challengers: Nothing has released the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, a slightly improved version of the Nothing Phone 2a launched earlier this year. Contrary to what is usually expected of a ‘Plus’ phone, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus does not bring more display real estate or a bigger battery than its predecessor. It brings more nuanced spec improvements.
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus sports a 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. This is backed by MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chip (a step up from the Dimensity 7200 Pro on the Nothing Phone 2a) which is paired with 8 GB or 12 GB RAM and storage options while the onboard storage is 256 GB.
There are three 50-megapixel sensors on board - two on the back (one main with OIS and one ultrawide) and one on the front (up from the 32-megapixel one on the Phone 2a), making this a remarkable camera setup on the phone under Rs. 30,000. The phone runs on Android 14 and comes with clean Nothing OS on top and is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery, with 50W wired charging support (a bump up from 45W on the Phone 2a), although there is STILL no charger in the box.
The phone also brings IP54 rating, stereo speakers and the famous Glyph UI which means this Nothing too has LEDs on the back, although only on the top as with its Plus-less predecessor. All of this comes with new colour options (Grey and an updated Black) and a more metallic finish, at a starting price of Rs. 27,999.
That might strike some as a good deal, but given that this is a highly competitive zone, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus has its work cut out. Here are five phones that can give anyone considering the new Nothing, something to think about:
Poco X6 Pro: The Phone To Fear
Price: Rs 23,999 onwards
This is THE phone to fear under Rs 30,000 mark. The biggest highlight of the Poco X6 Pro is its near-flagship level MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra processor, making it a device that can help you live your high-end gaming and power-hungry task dreams without breaking the bank.
This is paired with up to 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage, making the Poco X6 Pro, truly a pro at all things multitasking. It also comes with a beautiful 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 5, Dolby Vision and 1800 nits peak brightness. The phone has a triple camera setup on the back with a 64-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro one, while a 16-megapixel sensor on the front handles selfies.
It runs on Android 14 with HyperOS on top and has a 5000 mAh battery with 67W wired charging support along with a charger in the box. Top that off with dual speakers and an IP54 rating, a quite distinct look in yellow, and the Poco X6 Pro emerges as a major headache for the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.
Vivo V30e: The Selfie Star
Price: Rs 27,999 onwards
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus brings a good camera combo to the table and so does the Vivo V30e, which more than matches the Nothing Phone 2a Plus in the selfie department, with a 50-megapixel sensor, and autofocus too (which the Nothing phone lacks).
On the back, the device brings a 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It also has an aura flashlight, which makes it more content creator-friendly, by providing different lighting conditions. It has a gorgeous curved 6.78-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
The phone is powered by a strictly mid-segment but efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, paired with 8 GB RAM and up to 256 GB storage, making it good enough for your everyday smartphone chores. It has an IP64 rating and runs on Android 14 with FunTouchOS on top. It is powered by a bigger 5,500 mAh battery with 44W charging support and comes with a charger in the box. All of this in a device that looks beautiful and premium, with a very striking dual-tone back.
The Velvet Red variant will turn heads, perhaps even more than the lights on the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.
Redmi Note 13 Pro: The Note-Worthy Opponent
Price: Rs 24,99 onwards
Once mainly lower mid-segment players, the Redmi Notes have climbed up the price ladder, and are now contenders in the premium mid-segment as well.
The one standing in the path of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is the Redmi Note 13 Pro. The phone has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1.5 K resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision and comes with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. It runs on the very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, paired with 8 GB and 12 GB RAM and with 128 GB and 256 GB storage variants, making it a very good daily driver that is capable of giving you a taste of power.
Its biggest highlight is the 200-megapixel main Samsung Isocell HP3 sensor, which delivers an astonishing amount of detail and even gives a very handy 4x lossless zoom. It is supported by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a nominal 2-megapixel macro sensor, with a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calls.
The phone comes with a 5,100 mAh battery with 67W wired charging support and a charger in the box. It comes with Android 13 but has been updated to Android 14 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS on top of it. It has an IP54 rating, stereo speakers and even a 3.5 mm audio jack. All of which make it a very Note-able Nothing Phone 2a Plus challenger.
Realme 13 Pro: The Good-Looking One
Price: Rs 26,999 onwards
If Nothing can bring light to the design game, Realme can bring luxury designer partnerships. The brand has collaborated with world-renowned museum, MF Boston, which is known for its collection of paintings by the legendary Claude Monet, and claims to have brought Monet's design to the Realme 13 Pro, with striking purple, green and gold designs named after him. It is not just about design, though.
The Realme 13 Pro also comes with some very good hardware, with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. Running operations under that Monet-ised hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, which can handle regular tasks easily and even some high-end gaming with a few tweaks to the settings, with 8GB and 12 GB RAM and options, and storage that goes from 128 GB to a massive 512 GB. Photography is in the hands of a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 camera with OIS, with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor providing a wider perspective, with selfies in the able hands of a 32-megapixel front-facing camera.
Round that off with a 5,200 mAh battery with 45W charging support and stereo speakers, all running on Realme UI 5 on top of Android 14, and you have a phone that can easily give the Nothing Phone 2a Plus a good run for its Monet…er…money.
OnePlus Nord CE 4: The Never-Settling Slayer
Price: Rs 24,999 onwards
After slaying flagships in its OG avatar, OnePlus is now adamant about making mid-segment smartphones’ lives hell with its Nord series. Going up against the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is the OnePlus Nord CE 4. The smartphone features a 6.7-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and runs on the AI-laden Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, with 8 GB RAM and up to 256 GB storage.
That combo should make daily tasks a breeze and also let you do some serious gaming. On the camera front, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 brings a very good 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor with OIS paired with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor on the back.
A 16-megapixel sensor in front takes care of selfies and video calls. The phone is powered by a huge 5,500 mAh battery which comes with really fast 100W charging support, and there is a charger in the box too. It has IP54 dust and splash resistance rating, and stereo speakers, and operates on Android 14 out of the box with OnePlus’ famous OxygenOS on top, making the device a well-specced proposition.
Top this with a smart and glassy look and a slightly more affordable price and you get a competitor that will ensure that the Nothing Phone 2a Plus…well, ‘never settles’.
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