Is this the end of all budget smartphones?

There seems to be nothing the phone (2a) will be launching soon. This is an economy version of the regular version (2), but without its more premium details. Is it really worth buying and what about other budget smartphones?

While the iPhone 15, Samsung Galaxy S24, and Google Pixel 8 Pro are in the upper bracket, there is a large group of mid-range consumers underneath them. You can also calculate the distinct nil between them. It now comes with the phone (2A). An alternative version of their latest release.

It follows the trend that many other brands have already started, and is a budget flagship phone. But is it really worth going for such a model?

Nothing comes with the phone (2a)

Let's go to nothing first. The company released two successful releases with the Phone 1 and Phone 2. These are premium smartphones from OnePlus founder Carl Pei who is starting over. And these models know how to catch up.

The Nothing Phone (2a) will therefore be a budget version of the Phone (2). What immediately stands out is the look of the phone. It has a slightly different design, SmartPrix reports. The most striking thing: the avatar or lights disappeared. This means, for example, that your phone can no longer flash when you receive a call or notification.

A second rumor makes it even stranger. Don't worry about the frame around it, because it should hide the design. But what's striking is that the camera is a little different. However, it remains to be seen which one is closer to the actual design.

This is a trend that Samsung and Google have already started

However, nothing does what we've seen for years with many smartphone manufacturers. They come with budget versions of their flagships. Well, the price is not yet as low as true budget phones like Samsung A-line and Nokia devices, but it is eye-catching.

For example, in addition to the 12, OnePlus has the 12R, Samsung has had the FE, or Fan Edition, for years, Google has the Pixel 7a and there won't be anything with a 2a soon. The big question is whether people are really waiting for this.

The 12R is still a concept because the device comes a little later than the 12 and only gives the user a few additional options.

This is a different case with FE and nothing (2a). Both smartphones will receive a cheaper version, while the original has been available for some time.

In fact, their prices have often already fallen, so the difference is no longer significant. Even though the budget model is newer, the original still has better parts. Why do you go to that lower class? And with no 2a phone, it's even worse. This was already a mid-range phone, so why choose anything less.

For comparison: You can currently buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 for €640 on Bol.com, while the S23 FE on the same platform costs €589. Well, you get a slightly larger screen with the FE, but the regular screen has Amoled instead of OLED. Additionally, the regular S23 has a more powerful processor and a better camera.

Is this a success?

It's hard to know if models like the Nothing Phone (2a) really do well. They are not represented on the top lists. In fact, when we see the list of best-selling smartphones of 2023, we see a completely different special statistic.

The most recent list is from the third quarter, but because it may present a somewhat incomplete picture, we look at the first six months of 2023. In the list Forbes Something striking can be seen. The top four spots are for iPhones, with the 13 in fourth place, and what's even more surprising is that the iPhone 11 is in 10th place, since the iPhone 15 had not yet been released at the time, so it's of course not on the list.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the only other flagship phone we see on the list with 12.4 million units. For the rest, it only has Samsung Galaxy A models, and therefore no FE.

What is striking about the list is that they are either very expensive or very cheap smartphones that are very popular. However, the mid-range models do not seem to be of interest to the general public, which is striking. The big question is whether the Nothing Phone (2a) will really change that.

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