Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6: Which Mid-Range Smartphone Should You Buy?

Nothing Phone 2a Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Design and Display

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus features the brand’s signature design ethos, with a transparent back panel and Glyph lighting. This design stands out from the boring glass sandwich smartphones on the market. Nothing is offering the smartphone in Metallic and Grey Black. It is 8.5mm thick and weighs 190 grams.

Thanks to the sleek profile and lightweight chassis, the smartphone didn’t cause wrist fatigue when we used it for hours. The soft matte finish on the sides not only lends a premium hand feel to the device but also makes it comfortable to hold for an extended duration. The handset is also IP54-rated for dust and water resistance.

The POCO F6 5G handset is lighter than the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus because of its plastic back panel. It features an industrial slab design in black, green, and titanium. The device has a matte finish that keeps fingerprint smudges at bay. The phone also flaunts an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance.

Those who prefer a subtle and classy design with better durability will like the aesthetics of the POCO F6 5G. However, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus takes the crown in the design department with its grabbing design and Glyph interface.

Coming to the display, both smartphones feature a similarly-sized display with a 120Hz refresh rate on the front, but the similarity ends here. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus offers a flat panel while the F6 has a curved one with a higher peak brightness. The Phone (2a) Plus gets a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 while the POCO F6 has a Gorilla Glass Victus, which is relatively better. It also offers a few AI features for the display, including the Super Resolution and AI HDR enhancement.

We enjoyed the viewing experience on both of these smartphones. However, the POCO F6 5 G’s flagship display features make it a much better multimedia and gaming device than the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Performance

With the externals of these devices out of the way, let’s get to the core and talk about the performance. The Phone (2a) Plus is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro processor, which is exclusive to this device. On the other hand, the POCO F6 5G was the first smartphone to launch in India with the flagship Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 chipset.

In daily tasks, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus and the POCO F6 5G perform exceptionally, providing a buttery smooth experience. However, the disparity between the two processors becomes evident when you look into finer details.

For starters, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus takes close to 25 seconds to boot, while the POCO F6 5G boots in just 18.29 seconds. The AnTuTu v10 and Geekbench benchmarking scores of these devices further widen the gap between the two.

As you can see above, the POCO F6 5G beats the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus by a large margin in both AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmarking. The story is not much different when it comes to 3DMark, Car Chase, Manhattan, and CPU Throttling tests as you can see below.

The POCO F6 5G offers solid performance compared to the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus. However, the former throttled to 86% of max performance, which means the clock speed was reduced to dissipate heat. The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus throttled to 92% of its max performance, thanks to a lower-powered and more efficient processor.

If you are looking for a smartphone that can handle all tasks without heating up and breaking a sweat, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is the one to pick. However, the POCO F6 5G is the perfect device for those who prefer raw power, like gamers.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Cameras

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is a better camera smartphone on paper, with 50MP cameras across the board. The 50MP primary camera can capture detailed daytime shots with consistent and well-saturated colours. The camera also reproduces accurate skin tone and performs well in low-light conditions.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Daylight Camera Samples

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The 50MP ultrawide lens clicks amazing shots without any colour shift from the primary lens and retains all details. The dual camera setup also delivers sharp results at 2x zoom. The same ultrawide lens is also used on the front for selfies, and the results are stunning.

The POCO F6 5G also offers amazing, natural-looking daytime shots with good dynamic range, excellent details, and accurate colour reproduction. We were impressed with the camera’s sharpness.

Poco F6 Daylight Camera Samples

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However, the POCO F6 5G falls short in the ultrawide and selfie department. The disparity between the main camera and the ultrawide shooter is quite apparent. That said, there’s no major distortion around the edges and minimal colour shift. The 20MP selfie camera performs well in good lighting but tends to beautify excessively.

So, if you are all for a good selfie camera and an ultra-wide lens, the Phone (2a) Plus is a better choice.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Software

Both brands offer a similar update policy. We liked NothingOS 2.6’s minimalistic UI and bloatware-free interface. The ChatGPT integration makes the whole experience very intuitive.

On the other hand, the HyperOS on POCO F6 5G offers several AI and customisation features with great animations. However, the whole experience is marred by bloatware and spammy notifications. So, if you like a minimalistic approach, the Phone (2a) Plus would be perfect.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Battery and Charging

Both smartphones have the same battery capacity but the POCO F6 wins here with faster charging speeds. Moreover, you must purchase a charger separately with the Nothing device. On the other hand, POCO is offering a 120W charger with the phone.

These smartphones can last all day on a single charge, but Nothing Phone (2a) Plus takes the crown in the PC Mark Battery test. During our test, the POCO F6 5G lasted 12 hours 39 minutes on a full charge with max brightness, while the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus lasted well over 15 hours.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs POCO F6 5G: Verdict

If you want a sheer-performance-driven handset with subtle aesthetics, faster charging, and a brilliant display, then the POCO F6 5G is better. However, remember that the smartphone is considerably pricier and has annoying notifications and bloatware.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, on the other hand, is a more well-rounded smartphone and is cheaper. It stands out from the crowd and offers a clean and minimalistic UI, powerful cameras, and more sustainable performance. Bear in mind, the charger costs would be additional.