Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Is the Nothing Phone 2a available in the USA? It’s complicated

The Nothing Phone 2a face down on a table.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The new Nothing Phone 2a has been released with impressive features, the most notable of which is its unique transparent design. Combined with the three strips of LED lights on the back of the phone, it’s a striking device.

The Nothing Phone 2a phone is available for purchase in several countries, but things are a bit different for those hoping to buy it in the U.S. Let’s take a closer look.

Which countries is the Nothing Phone 2a available in?

A person holding the Nothing Phone 2a, showing the Glyph Light menu.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
At launch, the Nothing Phone 2a is widely available in the following markets:
  • EU
  • U.K.
  • India
  • Australia
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Singapore

If you live in any of these areas, you can readily buy the Nothing Phone 2a for whatever the local price is. In the U.K., for example, the Nothing Phone 2a starts at 319 pounds ($408). In India, it starts at 23,999 rupees ($290).

Is the Nothing Phone 2a available in the USA?

The Nothing Phone 2a and the Nothing Phone 2 with Glyph Lights active.
Nothing Phone 2a (left) and Nothing Phone 2 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Nothing Phone 2a can technically be purchased in the U.S., but it is only available through the Nothing Developer Program. To join the program, interested individuals need to pay $349. This amount includes a black or milk-colored Nothing Phone 2a with 256GB storage and access to the Glyph Developer Kit provided by Nothing. A $364 bundle adds a case.

Members of the Nothing Developer Program are encouraged to provide feedback on their experience and outcomes using the Glyph Developer Kit. The 256GB Nothing Phone 2a (without the developer kit) costs 349 pounds in the U.K., which makes the developer program pricing very reasonable.

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2a in the USA?

A person holding the Nothing Phone 2a, showing the Glyph Lights.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Our Nothing Phone 2a review noted that the 6.7-inch Android phone features a bright screen, good speakers, and a “colorful, social-friendly camera.” We also gave its signature Glyph Lights high marks.

The Nothing Phone 2a boasts dual 50MP main and ultrawide cameras and a 32MP front camera. The camera setup ensures you can capture high-quality images and videos that are rich in detail. Under the hood, the phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro 5G 8-core chip, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently. It runs on Android 14 and Nothing OS 2.5, which provides a seamless and intuitive user experience.

If you live in a country where the Nothing Phone 2a is officially sold, it’s a great purchase. But if you live in the U.S., should you buy it through Nothing’s developer program? That’s where things get tricky.

The Nothing Phone 2a sold through the developer program is the same version of the phone sold everywhere else. However, once the 14-day return policy expires, Nothing doesn’t offer any after-sales service for the phone. Additionally, while the Nothing Phone 2a supports some wireless bands on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, it’s not designed for U.S. networks. Specifically, it doesn’t work at all with AT&T’s 5G network, not all of T-Mobile’s 5G bands are supported, and compatibility with Verizon’s network is “very limited.”

If you want a secondary device and don’t plan on using the Nothing Phone 2a as your primary smartphone, there’s no harm in buying it through the developer program. Just make sure you’re aware of the limitations that come with it if you buy it.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
An Android phone launching next week has a spec we’ve never seen before
A person holding the Nothing Phone 2a, showing the Glyph Lights.

Nothing, the smartphone company from CEO Carl Pei, is unveiling a new phone next week: the Nothing Phone 2a Plus. In typical Nothing fashion, we’re getting a steady drip of information on the new phone as Nothing continues to tease it ahead of the release.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Nothing has revealed the chipset that will be making its exclusive worldwide debut with the Nothing Phone 2a Plus: the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro. This new processor can clock speeds up to 3GHz, which makes the Nothing Phone 2a Plus 10% faster than the Nothing Phone 2a.

Read more
Nothing will launch ‘an extraordinary new smartphone’ on July 31
Rear transparent shell of Nothing Phone 2a.

Nothing has announced that it will reveal its next smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, at 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 31. The handset is being described as "extraordinary" by its creators. The phone's tagline is "Plus. More. Extra." What does this mean? We've got a few ideas.

The Nothing Phone 2 launched in July 2023, followed by the Nothing Phone 2a in March of this year. Naming the new phone the "Nothing Phone 2a Plus" instead of "Nothing Phone 2 Plus" indicates that it will be based on the less expensive Nothing Phone 2a model. With this in mind, the phone's tagline probably gives a lot away.

Read more
We can’t wait to see this bright orange mystery phone in real life
A teaser image of the CMF Phone 1

You probably know Nothing, the technology company formed by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, but did you also know it has its own sub-brand called CMF? Well, it’s time to start paying attention to it. After quietly releasing some earbuds, accessories, and a smartwatch, it’s about to step into that most crowded of fields, smartphones, with the CMF Phone 1.

Announced through the company’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, CMF by Nothing states that the phone will “leverage Nothing’s innovation and meticulous attention to design,” and “serve as a wonderful entry point to our entire product ecosystem.” It also says “others overlook this category,” which doesn’t sound quite right given the amount of smartphones there are to choose from, but it may also be reference to supposed “phone killer” devices like the Rabbit R1.

Read more