Nothing recently unveiled its first mid-range smartphone – the Nothing Phone (2a). With a transparent brand design language and proprietary GLYPH interface, the Nothing Phone (2a) is definitely a threat to existing popular mid-range smartphones, such as POCO X6 Pro, Realme 12 Pro+, and Redmi Note 13 Pro+.
The Nothing Phone (2a) also feels like a spiritual successor to the Nothing Phone (1) which came with a upper mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor and delivered well on the basics. Today, we will compare the Nothing Phone (2a), Nothing Phone (1), and the POCO X6 Pro.
Table of Contents
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Specs at Glance
Nothing Phone (2a)
Nothing Phone (1)
POCO X6 Pro
Display
6.7-inch AMOLED
120Hz, Full HD+, 1300nits
6.55-inch AMOLED
120Hz, Full HD+, 1200nits
6.67-inch LED
120Hz, 1.5K, 1800nits
Processor
MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G
MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra
Software
NothingOS 2.5
Android 14
NothingOS 2.5
Android 14
HyperOS
Android 14
Camera
50MP (OIS) + 50MP (UW)
50MP (OIS) + 50MP (UW)
64MP (OIS) + 8MP (UW)
Front Camera
32MP
16MP
16MP
Battery
5000mAh
4500mAh
5000mAh
Charging
45W
USB Type-C
33W
USB Type-C
67W
USB Type-C
Others
IP54
IP53
15W Qi Wireless Charging
5W Reverse Wireless
IP54
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Price in India
Smartphone
Configuration
Price
Nothing Phone (2a)
8GB + 128GB
Rs 23,999
8GB + 256GB
Rs 25,999
12GB + 256GB
Rs 27,999
Nothing Phone (1)
8GB + 128GB
Rs 31,999
8GB + 256GB
Rs 34,999
12GB + 256GB
Rs 37,999
POCO X6 Pro
8GB + 256GB
Rs 26,999
12GB + 512GB
Rs 28,999
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Design
The Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (1) feature transparent design language with the company’s proprietary GLYPH interface. The Nothing Phone (2a) has a polycarbonate frame and a polycarbonate rear panel. The Nothing Phone (1) has a chassis made up of aluminium and features a glass back panel.
The POCO X6 Pro has a polycarbonate frame and a polycarbonate back panel. The brand also offers POCO X6 Pro in a vegan leather rear panel, but this one is available only in Yellow. If one were to solely consider design, the POCO X6 Pro feels dull compared to the other two devices.
The Nothing Phone (2a) with horizontal pill shaped rear camera module does manage to stand out from the rest.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Display
Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (1) feature a 10-bit flexible AMOLED display panel with Full HD+ resolution. On the other hand, the POCO X6 Pro offers a 12-bit OLED display with 1.5K pixel resolution.
The POCO X6 display can achieve 1800nits peak brightness, which is higher than the 1300nits on the Nothing Phone (2a). All three devices are equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Overall, the POCO X6 Pro has a higher resolution and a brighter display. However, the Nothing smartphones feature thin, uniform bezels all around.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Performance
The Nothing Phone (2a) is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro SoC with an integrated Mali G610 GPU. It has 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
The Nothing Phone (1) sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC and Adreno 642L. It offers 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.
The POCO X6 Pro is focused on performance, and as a result, packs a beefier MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra processor coupled with a Mali G615 GPU. It offers 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.
If one were to go by specifications and raw power, POCO’s offering is ahead of both the Nothing smartphones. However, factors like software optimization and memory management play vital roles in real-world performance.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Software
The Nothing Phone (2a) and Nothing Phone (1) boot NothingOS 2.5, based on Android 14. The Nothing Phone (1) was launched with Android 12 back in 2022, and Android 15 will be the last Android version upgrade for it.
Also, remember that the NothingOS is built on top of stock Android with some nifty features added to this.
The POCO X6 Pro comes pre-loaded with HyperOS, based on Android 14. HyperOS is a heavily skinned Android folk that offers a great level of customisations and features.
The Nothing Phone (2a) and POCO X6 Pro are eligible for three Android version upgrades, so these will receive Android 15, Android 16, and Android 17 in future.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Camera
The Nothing Phone (2a) offers a dual-rear camera setup. This includes a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL S5KG9 sensor with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens with 114° field of view. For selfies, it offers a 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor.
The Nothing Phone (1) also offers a dual-rear camera setup that consists of a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 114°. The handset packs a 16MP Sony IMX471 sensor.
The POCO X6 Pro has a triple-rear camera setup: a 64MP primary shooter with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 120° field of view, and a 2MP macro sensor. It relies on a 16MP front shooter for video calls and selfies.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Battery
The Nothing Phone (2a) sports a 5000mAh battery unit with 45W fast charging support. The POCO X6 Pro has a 5000mAh battery unit, and support for 67W fast charging.
The Nothing Phone (1) has a 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging. However, the Phone (1) supports wireless charging, at up to 15W with Qi standard, and 5W reverse wireless charging.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1) vs POCO X6 Pro: Verdict
As we said in our review, the Nothing Phone (2a) is the value champion one did not see coming. The smartphone stands out with its design and offers the latest and greatest features available in competing devices. The Nothing Phone (2a) makes other devices in the segment look boring, and it should be on your consideration list if you’re looking to pick an all-around device in the Rs 25,000 price segment.
The POCO X6 Pro is a performance-centric smartphone that caters to gamers as such. If you’re one such user, the POCO X6 Pro and iQOO Neo 7 Pro should be on your list.
