Inaccurate Nothing Phone 2a render puts us back where we were

What you need to know

• SmartPrix/OnLeaks stated their recently revealed "new look" at the Nothing Phone 2a was incorrect.
• It would appear that the render was never the Phone 2a and could be seen during the promotional run of the Phone (1), likely as an old concept photo.
• We're now looking toward the Phone 2a's previous design, which offered a horizontal camera array, as a new rumored look at its cases surface.

Information on Nothing's upcoming budget phone makes an about-face as its recently leaked renders prove inaccurate.

Tech publication SmartPrix, in conjunction with X tipster OnLeaks, posted a "new look" at the upcoming Nothing Phone 2a a week ago. Since then, it turns out the render was fabricated, and the supposed changes don't seem to be happening. It was previously shown that the Phone 2a would feature a vertical dual-camera array on the top left side of its rear panel.

The images also showed Nothing's alleged plans to chuck out much of its Glyph lighting system, all turned out to be fake. 

SmartPrix contacted its source once again for details. Steve H. McFly (OnLeaks) explained that the renders he provided were apparently of a Nothing phone that never saw the light of day. The same image that was previously made public was seen alongside the Phone (1) during its promotional run, likely as a concept photo.

Moreover, Evan Blass, another notable X tipster, stated readers should've been skeptical about the latest renders considering they weren't "Foxconn-sourced" nor were they "CAD-based." He then reiterates Nothing's new tagline for the phone: "See the world through fresh eyes" and that the latest SmartPrix/OnLeaks renders don't fit that narrative.

Similarly, OnLeaks got back (Feb. 12) a set of purported case covers for the Phone (2). The images show a clear space for a horizontal camera array, befitting of what was previously suggested before that latest false look at the cheaper device.

Blass' post of the supposed rendering of the Nothing Phone 2a in black would fit this rumored case cover, as well. This design was previously rumored back in December, which also came with a more minimalistic Glyph lighting array. The device was rumored to drop Qualcomm in favor of MediaTek's 7200 SoC once it launched.

Additionally, despite MediaTek's chip providing 200MP capabilities, the Nothing Phone 2a is supposedly arriving with a 50MP primary lens and a 32MP selfie camera.

Nothing teased the arrival of the Phone 2a in a community update at the beginning of February. The company's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, confirmed its existence but didn't expand further. However, there were previous rumors that stated the London-based brand could launch the device during MWC 2024, which is set to take place in Barcelona, Spain, from February 26-29.

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