
Just last month Nothing announced a special edition of its Phone (2a) and it did not last very long. Having sold out first time around, however, now there's suddenly more stock available direct from Nothing's Store.
The original Nothing Phone (2a) was a surprise and delight when it comes to the best affordable phones. Indeed, it won the Best Mid-Range Phone at the T3 Awards 2024, outpacing rivals from Samsung and Google to take the crown.
As you can see from the image up top, the 'SE' version of Phone (2a) comes with a much brighter colour palette, delivering blues, reds and yellow highlights against a white-and-grey rear – a stark contrast compared to the usual 'Nothing black or white' palette. It looks great.
That is all that makes this Phone (2a) a 'Special Edition', though, as everything else is present and correct as per the original device release. That means plenty of power, thanks to a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro processor, a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery, and a slew of updates to the software to make it an even better-to-use handset.
The main divisive feature about the design, however, is the duo of cameras to the rear towards the centre top. I think they look kind-of 'cutesy', though, almost like a little Minion from the not-affiliated Dreamworks movie. The new colour palette does soften the look for the better in my view.
And fans clearly agreed: it didn't take long for the Nothing Phone (2a) Special Edition to sell out last time, so if you've been waiting to buy one then you'd best be quick with this sudden opportunity. I can't imagine that by 10th June – just in time for Apple WWDC – that there'll be any of this Android special remaining for purchase.
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Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.
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