The Nothing Phone (2a) has landed and it’s a brilliant overall package when you consider the price of Rs 23,999 for the base variant. The selling points of the device are mainly the design and overall specifications for the price, but if the Phone (2a) is not your cup of tea, here are the five best Nothing Phone (2a) alternatives that you can buy right now in India, all under Rs 25,000.
1. POCO X6 / X6 Pro – The Best Alternative
You can read our POCO X6 vs Phone (2a) comparison in detail. The POCO X6 launched earlier this year and is easily one of the best Nothing Phone (2a) alternatives you can buy right now for two main reasons. First, its base variant is a tad bit cheaper than Phone (2a)’s, and second, it has a higher resolution 1.5K display. It also has a slightly larger 5,100 mAh cell with much faster 67W charging speeds with the charger included in the box! In comparison, Nothing Phone (2a) offers a 1080p display and a 5,000 mAh battery with 45W charging speed.
Although its performance (Snapdragon 7s Gen 2) falls short compared to Dimensity 7200 Pro, if you’re in the market looking for a device with a better display, fast charging speed, higher base storage, and comparable camera performance for a price cheaper than the Phone (2a), the POCO X6 is a phone worth considering. Software is not the forte of POCO or Xiaomi devices and it’ll be hard to find a device on this list that provides a software experience as clean as the Phone (2a).
If you had originally planned to purchase the 8/256GB version of the Nothing Phone (2a), the POCO X6 Pro, in my opinion, is a better pick, especially if you want the best performance for your buck. With UFS 4.0 (vs 2.2), LPDDR5X RAM (vs 4X), and Dimensity 8300 Ultra (vs 7200 Ultra), the POCO X6 Pro is arguably the fastest device in the segment. What’s also great is that the base variant of the phone comes with 256GB of storage and is priced at Rs 25,999, the same as Phone (2a)’s 256GB variant.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Sharper display | The software has bloatware and Ads |
| Faster Charging (67W vs 45W) | Slower Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor |
| The charger and case are included in the box | Below-average ultrawide camera performance |
| Cheaper than the Phone (2a) | Upgradable till Android 16 only (vs Android 17 on Phone (2a)) |
| Higher base storage at 256GB | |
2. Redmi Note 13 Pro – Better Display, Protection, Faster Charging
In the Redmi Note 13 series, the 13 Pro is the closest competitor to the Nothing Phone (2a). It’s got a sharper 1.5K 120Hz display, better display protection with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, faster charging at 120W, and better ingress protection with an IP68 rating. The Note 13 Pro launched with Android 13 and will get updates till Android 16, while the Phone (2a) will get up till Android 17.
The Note 13 Pro has a triple camera setup, the primary being a 200MP sensor. While camera numbers hardly account for the results obtained by end processing, the ISOCELL HP3 sensor used in the 13 Pro is larger (1/1.22″) than the Samsung ISOCELL GN9 (1/1.5″), which translates to better images in the form, on paper at least.
Phone (2a) takes the lead in performance thanks to the Dimensity 7200 Pro being faster than the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. Hence, unless your main objective is gaming, the 7s Gen 2 will do just fine.
The base variant of Note 13 Pro costs Rs 25,999 which is a bit more expensive than the Phone (2a), however, if you absolutely need a better display with better protection, faster charging, and better cameras, and can live with the subpar software experience, the Note 13 Pro is a good alternative.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Sharper display | The software has bloatware and Ads |
| Faster Charging (120W vs 45W) | Slower Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor |
| The charger and case are included in the box | A bit more expensive |
| Better primary camera | Upgradable till Android 16 only (vs Android 17 on Phone (2a)) |
3. Motorola Edge 40 Neo – High Refresh Rate, More RAM
The Edge 40 Neo from Motorola is one of the best-selling mid-range Motorola devices in the market and for good reasons. One of the main reasons is the FHD+ 10-bit curved P-OLED display with 144Hz refresh rate. Although the Dimensity 7030 is around 30% slower in CPU and 80% slower in GPU-related tasks than the 7200 Ultra if we rely on benchmarks.
The phone has a dual-camera setup with the primary sensor being a 50 MP OmniVisionOV50A sensor with f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and a size of 1/1.55″; the secondary camera is a 13MP. Camera-wise, the Phone (2a) should be ahead, but if you need a gorgeous-looking device that can charge fast, has great cameras and color options, and has faster charging speed, the Edge 40 is a decent pick.
One of the other pros of Edge 40 Neo is that you get 12/256GB variant for Rs 24,999 compared to Phone (2a)’s 8/128GB variant that retails at Rs 23,999. The major con of Edge 40 Neo is the poor software and support (only two major Android updates). The processor isn’t great when compared, and the cameras are average at best. You can read our Edge 40 Neo vs Phone (2a) comparison in detail.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Curved display with a higher refresh rate and looks more premium | Much slower Dimensity 7030 SoC |
| Faster charging (68W vs 45W) | Only two major Android updates |
| The charger is included in the box | Subpar ultrawide camera performance |
| Near-stock Android experience |
4. OnePlus Nord CE3 – Better Camera
The main camera on the Nord CE3 is the Sony IMX890, the same sensor used in phones such as the OnePlus 11. The battery charging speed is 80W and the phone comes with an 80W charger in the box. The display is an FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED, and everything is powered by the Snapdragon 782G, which isn’t as good as the Dimensity 7200 Pro or even 7s Gen 2. However, OnePlus has promised three major updates which is great.
All in all, the CE3’s selling point is its camera. The storage is a faster UFS 3.1, and the display is a 10-bit unit like the Phone (2a), but where the Nord CE3 lacks is in the performance. Although the base variant of the same with 8/128G storage is a tad bit cheaper at Rs 22,799; hence, if you need a phone with a great main camera, faster charging, and are willing to sacrifice on performance, the Nord CE3 is a decent pick over the Phone (2a).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Faster charging (80W vs 45W) | Much slower Snapdragon 782G |
| The charger is included in the box | |
| Flagship primary sensor (IMX890) | |
| Faster UFS 3.1 storage | |
| Three major Android updates |
5. iQOO Z7 Pro – Bigger Screen, Faster Charging
The iQOO Z7 Pro looks quite similar to the Phone (2a) in terms of specifications, but it has a slightly bigger 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display in comparison to the Phone (2a)’s 6.7-inch display and faster charging. The battery is at a smaller size at 4,600 mAh but the faster 67W charging and the charger comes included in the box.
The primary camera is a 64MP shooter which is a Samsung ISOCELL GW3. The secondary camera is a macro 2MP shooter and the less we talk about it, the better. The processor is similar and so is the price. If you want a phone that’s slightly bigger and has faster charging, the Z7 Pro is a decent pick, and for everything else, the Phone (2a) easily beats it.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Slightly taller. Better for video consumption | Bad haptics |
| Faster charging (67W vs 45W) | Lower battery capacity |
| The charger is included in the box | 2M Macro camera. No Ultrawide. |
| Similar performance to the Phone (2a) (Dimensity 7200 Ultra) |
Best Phone (2a) Alternatives: Beebom’s Take
The Phone (2a) gets so many things right it’s tough to recommend an alternative. POCO X6 comes really close, thanks to its lower price and 256GB as the standard storage in the base variant. However, the software experience will leave you with much to be desired. Similarly, the Note 13 Pro is great at charging speeds and display quality and protection, but the software is again a letdown.
The other devices miss out on one thing or the other, so unless it’s one specification you desire the most, due to the price of the Nothing Phone (2a), it should remain an undisputed mid-range device for months to come, until and if POCO drops the X6 Pro price to Rs 22,999, then it will be a good fight. But as of now, if your budget is Rs 23,999, we can’t recommend the Phone (2a) enough.
