“Think Different” is an advertising slogan created by Apple in the late 1990s, designed to reinvigorate a consumer electronics brand that had fallen on hard times.
The slogan, complete with its poor grammar, was launched soon after the return of co-founder Steve Jobs as CEO and coincided with a radical reimagination the Mac. Remember the original iMac “bubble” computer in its range of bright colours? It was a bold design choice in a world that had become accustomed to boring beige Windows boxes. The iMac was an instant consumer hit.
But now, more than 25 years later, Apple isn’t thinking as different(ly) as the rest of the industry it loved to make fun of in its “I’m a PC, I’m a Mac” ads.
It’s most important product today, the iPhone – like many Android flagships – is a black slab of glass. These are the new beige boxes. The real differentiator now is the software. For many, choosing a smartphone comes down to a preference for iOS or Android.
The hardware at the high end, whether it’s from Apple or Samsung or Huawei, is advanced and powerful.
Apart from folding phones, which may forever remain a niche, smartphones have become homogenous. Anyone seeking something that stands out (beyond foldables) will be hard-pressed to find anything radical. Phone slabs have become the safe bet, especially for Apple, which has become much more conservative in its design decisions.
Which makes innovation in the smartphone world all the more exciting when manufacturers choose to push the boundaries.
Nothing Technology
One such company is Nothing Technology, founded by Carl Pei, the co-founder of another challenger smartphone brand, China’s OnePlus. Backed by investors including Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin and YouTuber Casey Neistat, Nothing set out to reinvent the smartphone experience. And its phones are now available officially in South Africa for the first time: TechCentral reported last month that Cernotech, a local distributor, has secured a deal to launch Nothing’s products here. After a brief delay in securing stock due to demand from the Indian market, the phones are expected to go on sale in South Africa from 1 July. They’ll be sold direct through nothingtech.co.za and will also be available through Vodacom at launch.
The Nothing brand has attracted significant interest, including among tech-savvy users and youngsters (millennials and generation Z), who have been drawn to the products’ design ethos.
Cernotech is launching four Nothing models in South Africa, the flagship Nothing Phone 2 (in two models, one with 256GB/8GB and another with 512GB/12GB of storage/RAM). A second, lower-cost model, the Nothing Phone 2a, comes in 128GB/8GB and 256/12GB variants. Indicative pricing remains as follows:
| Model | Storage (GB) | RAM (GB) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing Phone 2 | 256 | 8 | R16 100 |
| Nothing Phone 2 | 512 | 12 | R17 825 |
| Nothing Phone 2a | 128 | 8 | R8 700 |
| Nothing Phone 2a | 256 | 12 | R10 000 |
TechCentral has spent a couple of weeks with the Nothing Phone 2a, which is aimed at the mid-tier segment of the market. For the price, it is a very capable phone.
We had a look at the 256GB/12GB model. But both the entry-level 128GB model and the 256GB version feature a MediaTek 7200 Pro system-on-chip, 5G, 5 000mAh battery, 6.7-inch Amoled screen (with a very respectable 1 300 nits of peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate) and under-screen fingerprint reader. Wireless charging is not supported, though it will power up to full in 60 minutes using a 45W power brick (not included). There are also two 50-megapixel cameras on the rear, one with optical image stabilisation, and a 32MP selfie shooter.
The MediaTek processor is more than capable of handling everyday tasks with little lag in the software – currently updated to Android 14, with at least another two more Android updates to come.
Read: Nothing Phone to be launched in South Africa
But it’s the user interface and the “Glyph” feature – a series of LED lights on the rear of the phone – that make it stand out from the crowd. Indeed, it’s these features that make this phone worthy of consideration for those looking for a high-quality mid-tier device.
Though users can choose any interface they want, the standard Nothing Phone interface – a minimalistic design that leans heavily on a black-and-white aesthetic – is nicely thought out. Being Android, users can of course mix it up whichever way they like if they ever get bored of the Nothing default. (An aside: Microsoft Launcher for Android is well worth checking out.)
Clearly, Nothing has put a lot of thought into the user interface. From blur effects on wallpaper to larger user-adjustable icons on the homescreen, you get the feeling using the device that nothing (har, har) has been rushed here. It’s refined, and very usable.
But it’s the “glyphs” on the back where the real difference with other phones lies. These lights – sadly, in white only – can be customised in the settings so when your phone is face down on a table, you can see which app is sending you notifications. If it’s important – your phone app or banking app, for example – you’ll know you should probably flip it over and check.
Of course, being a midrange phone, Nothing has had to cut costs in some areas. But it’s chosen these well. The MediaTek processor isn’t sluggish, but it’s also not as quick as a top-end Qualcomm or Apple chip. The phone is also made of plastic, which may scratch easily. But that’s about it, really.
The only other thing to be aware of is that the Nothing Phone 3’s introduction may be imminent, with some technology publications pointing to a July 2024 launch. That would be in line with the July 2022 and July 2023 launches for the Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2 devices, respectively.
Sure, the Nothing Phone 2a is not going to win any awards for its camera or its processing speed or even for its (very good) battery life. But if you’re after a phone that looks a little unusual, a little different to everything else that’s out there, to be a conversation starter, then the Nothing Phone 2 and its mid-tier sibling, the 2a, are well worth checking out.
The Nothing Phone 2a – and, presumably the 3a to follow – could perform very well in the South African market, which is increasingly looking for value offerings amid a difficult economic climate. It’s a welcome addition to South Africa’s smartphone ecosystem. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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