If you have been a budget smartphone user for some time and have decided to step into the mid-range maze, you’re in for quite the bewilderment. As you push your budget to the Rs. 25,000 level and climb that ladder, finding a smartphone that ticks all the boxes will drive you up the wall. Now, with the Nothing Phone 2a having been added to the list, this decision is only going to make things harder for you with the POCO X6 Pro in the mix.
Especially since the Phone 2a’s 8GB+256GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs. 25,999, making it reach for the POCO X6 Pro’s similarly priced base variant. This made me want to pick up the two phones and find out which mid-ranger balances the scales. So, without any further ado, let’s get into the in-detail comparison between Nothing Phone (2a) vs POCO X6 Pro.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Specs At a Glance
| Specs | Nothing Phone 2a | POCO X6 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 161.74 x 76.32 x 8.55 mm | 160.45 x 74.34 x 8.25mm |
| Weight | 190 grams | 186 grams |
| Processor | Dimensity 7200 Pro (4nm) | Dimensity 8300 Ultra (4nm) |
| RAM/Storage | 12GB LPDDR4X/ 256GB UFS 2.2 | 12GB LPDDR5X/ 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED, 1084 x 2412, 394 ppi, up to 1300 nits peak brightness | 6.67-inch FH+ 120Hz AMOLED, 2712 × 1220, 446 ppi, up to 1800 nits peak brightness |
| Rear Camera | 50MP Main + 50MP Ultra-wide | 64MP Main + 8MP Ultra-wide + 2MP Macro |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 16MP |
| Video | Up to 4K at 30FPS | Up to 4K at 30FPS |
| Dual SIM | Yes; Does not support eSIM | Yes; Supports eSIM |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC |
| Port | USB Type C 2.0 | USB Type C 2.0 |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 45W fast charging | 67W fast charging |
| IP Rating | IP54 | IP54 |
| Software | Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.5 3 years of OS updates | Android 14-based HyperOS 3 years of OS updates |
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Box Contents
If you have gone through my Nothing Phone 2a comparisons with the Moto Edge 40 Neo and POCO X6, you already know what’s coming. The Nothing Phone 2a’s box contents are underwhelming, to say the least. You only get to see a Type-C to Type-C cable, a Nothing-themed SIM ejector tool, and some leaflets you’ll never read.
On the other hand, the POCO X6 Pro offers way more inside than plastic and a cardboard box. You get a 67W fast charging adapter in the box alongside the compatible Type-C cable. In addition, you also get a back cover, which impressed me with its quality.
This case also comes with raised bumpers for the POCO X6 Pro’s camera module at the back. There are raised ridges at the front too, to guard the phone’s display against scratches when placed screen-ward. On top of that, the in-hand feel of the case is really good and if I were you, I’d consider myself sorted for some time before even feeling the need to buy a new case.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Design
Before I get into the specifics, let me specify the color options I have with me for this comparison. Since we only had the POCO X6 Pro’s Black variant at the office, I thought it fair to use the Black variant of the Phone 2a. Now that I’ve addressed that, let’s get into the more intricate details.
For starters, the Glyph Interface is the brand’s identity, and we know it already. Hence, the Nothing Phone (2a) supports it too, though in a slimmed-down fashion. You get to see only three strips on the Phone 2a as opposed to 5 on Phone (1) and 11 on Phone (2). Here, one acts as a progress bar for apps, which is great.
The Essential Notifications feature of the Glyph lights is also something to make use of. The Glyph Composer is also a great time waster. All in all, with the Glyph lighting, well, you do get that extra something to be excited about on the Phone 2a. However, the POCO X6 Pro’s design is generic and like any other glass slab in the market, leaving not much to talk about.
There’s no doubt that one of the key selling points of the Nothing Phone 2a is its design. But, the practicality that’s woven into this transparent design is what makes it quite impressive. Although the device comes with a polycarbonate build, it feels solid to the touch.
Also, both phones weigh around 190 grams and are comfortable to carry around. However, the Nothing Phone 2a has some excellent weight distribution, which makes it feel lighter. The boxier design of the POCO X6 Pro, on the other hand, can dig into your skin a bit.
Then, the sides have this matte texture to them on the Phone (2a), which provide you a good grip and prevents the phone from slipping easily out of your hands. That can’t be said about the POCO X6 Pro as the polished plastic frame leaves your grip hanging by a thread.
Moreover, what I really like is that it doesn’t try to mask this by going all the way to mimic the exact feeling of a glass back. When you pick the phone up, you can instantly tell that this is a plastic phone all around. Meanwhile, the POCO X6 Pro had me confused with its extra reflective back panel which I took to be glass in the beginning. In a sea of phones that do this, Nothing Phone 2a’s unapologetic charisma is a breath of fresh air.
In a sea of smartphones with reflective glass backs, Nothing Phone 2a’s unapologetic charisma is a breath of fresh air.
Furthermore, on close inspection, I realized the Nothing Phone 2a either looks like a mini WALL-E or a digital Peppa Pig because of its camera module. So, while not the prettiest, this module brings some impressive advantages.
At the outset, this camera module not only lifts your phone up but also keeps it from wobbling to make on-desk typing an easier feat, if you’re one of those guys. Well, I for sure am, and hence, loved how stable the phone was.
Moreover, you can hold the phone in landscape mode from any direction and your fingers will still not touch the camera module. I’m glad that this annoyance which is prevalent in most phones was not present on the Phone 2a
However, the POCO X6 Pro’s camera module placement is no joke either. The phone stays almost as stable as the Phone 2a on a flat surface. The placement is also such your fingers don’t directly hit the sensors. In addition, it brings another key advantage over the Phone 2a’s camera module.
During one-handed usage, the curvature of the Phone 2a’s camera module bump is such that your index finger naturally moves up to touch the camera sensors. Whereas, the POCO X6 Pro’s more defined edges of the camera module act as a blockage to your fingers.
Then again, the button placement is better on the Nothing Phone 2a, with the volume rockers and the power button being divided between the right and left sides of the frame. I don’t like all my buttons to be stuffed on one side of my phone, which is what the POCO X6 Pro does. With the POCO X6 Pro, all the buttons are placed on the right side of the frame.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Display
Moving to the display next, I instantly liked the Nothing Phone 2a’s symmetrical bezels embracing the display from all sides. The POCO X6 Pro comes with thinner bezels but lacks that symmetry. In my opinion, symmetry is more aesthetically soothing to the eyes but the bezels on the X6 Pro are no dealbreakers.
Digging deeper, the Phone 2a’s 6.7-inch AMOLED display offers you plenty of screen to work with. The display is also buttery smooth, thanks to up to a 120 Hz refresh rate. You can also make use of the adaptive refresh rate setting, which takes the refresh rate down to 30 Hz wherever required, thereby saving you some power.
Nothing also claimed a 1,300 nits peak brightness on this display. However, during my testing, I found out this display hit over 1,700 nits of brightness, which is more than even the brand’s top-of-the-line Phone 2. Don’t know why Nothing decided to understate the peak brightness of the 2a, though.
Anyway, good for us, for the outdoor visibility never took a hit even on the sunniest of days. I didn’t have to squint my eyes or do anything questionable outdoors to view the display better, which is a win in my books.
The POCO X6 Pro’s 6.67-inch AMOLED display is no slouch with its 1,800 nits of peak brightness. But, that additional 100 nits of peak brightness on paper barely brought any difference in real life, as the Phone 2a seemed slightly brighter both indoors and outdoors for some reason.
Moreover, the commendable brightness levels on both displays are accompanied by great viewing angles that don’t wash out the colors in any way. These are top-notch AMOLED panels, and I can vouch for that.
However, there are a few things that the POCO X6 Pro does better, and that is, it offers more pixels (quality!?) with its display. It includes a 1.5K display (1220 x 2712 pixels), which understandably appears slightly sharper than the 1080p display (1080 x 2412 pixels) of the Phone 2a.
This 1.5K display is also backed by DCI-P3 color coverage, which again, offers a better viewing experience than the Nothing Phone 2a. You get to see richer colors due to this on the POCO X6 Pro, while the Phone 2a display may appear bland by a pixel.
I noticed this when watching The Batman on Netflix, which is dominated by dark scenes throughout its duration. The blacks were more visibly more prominent and defined on the X6 Pro, while the Nothing Phone 2a, was not so much. Even when viewing Dolby Vision videos on YouTube, I was able to notice how balanced the overall colors were on the POCO X6 Pro, while the Nothing Phone 2a, although vivid enough, lost that balance somewhere.
You also get an always-on display on both devices, which is not as common in the budget and always a good perk to have.
But, I will say this, the Nothing Phone 2a’s haptic feedback felt better than the POCO X6 Pro’s, which seemed too faint for my taste. Then there’s the display protection, where we see both the displays sport Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. But, yes, I’d have definitely liked to see the brand retain the POCO X6’s Gorilla Glass Victus protection on the X6 Pro.
Nothing Phone 2a vs Poco X6 Pro: Speaker Output
You get stereo speakers on both phones. However, the Nothing Phone 2a uses its receiver as the second speaker. Whereas, the POCO X6 Pro has a dedicated grille at the top. The other speaker is a bottom-firing one on both handsets.
While the display outputs of both devices are good, it won’t be enough without the presence of stereo speakers. Fortunately, both these devices come with dual speakers and are enough loud. However, my preference lies with the Nothing Phone 2a’s audio output.
While the POCO X6 Pro’s audio output is more bass-heavy, it lacks both the richness and depth of the Nothing Phone 2a’s speakers. The highs, mids, and lows are clearly audible and nothing seems to be overpowering the other, creating a beautiful listening experience. I have sensitive ears and often refrain from using earphones too much. So, I mostly rely on my phone’s speakers to watch YouTube videos.
When doing so with the POCO X6 Pro, the audio output grated on my ears and left me feeling a bit uncomfortable, following which I had to shift to my earbuds. Whereas, with the Nothing Phone 2a, I had no such feeling and could comfortably binge-watch videos without having to lower the volume to inaudible levels or take my earbuds out. I appreciate this aspect of the Phone 2a speakers, and it certainly has my vote in this case.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Software Experience
When I was pitting the Nothing Phone 2a against the MIUI 14-running POCO X6, I went into the comparison thinking the latter stood no chance in the software segment. I mean, I was also pretty surprised to see the Moto Edge 40 Neo with its near stock OS lag behind in the software experience against the Nothing OS 2.5-running Phone 2a. So, understandably, I thought that the X6 Pro didn’t have that big a chance to triumph it either. Oh boy, was I wrong.
The Nothing OS is still the cleanest and most reliable system out there, but if I were to choose any other software in the mid-range category, it would have to be Xiaomi’s HyperOS. The HyperOS-backed POCO X6 Pro, although bloatware-ridden, is fluid, to say the least.
Besides, most of the bloatware that the HyperOS brings to the POCO X6 Pro can be uninstalled. Yes, you’d have to spend some additional time doing that instead of getting straight to using the phone.
On the contrary and advantageously, Nothing OS 2.5 on the Phone 2a brings, what you may call, a true bloatware-free experience. There are preinstalled Google apps like Google Drive and Files by Google, but you need them religiously on Android. Hence, in my opinion, they certainly and remotely don’t come close to qualifying as bloatware.
But, in all honesty, after using the MIUI 14 on the POCO X6, the HyperOS on the more premium X6 Pro was an invigorating change. It also brings features such as Super Wallpapers, which take the software aesthetics to a whole new level.
Meanwhile, the Nothing OS is not as inclined to offer you over-the-top software aesthetics. Instead, you get to see 24 exclusive and useful widgets on the Nothing OS 2.5.3, which the Phone 2a is running on. Some of these include the compass, camera, and recorder widgets, all of which I have developed a liking for. However, do take into consideration that Nothing Phone 2a also comes with AI generative wallpapers, a cherry on top.
Do note that the HyperOS on the POCO X6 Pro is also a lot more lightweight at just 8.57 GB. This is less than half of Nothing OS’ 18 GB size. So, you get more internal storage to make use of on the POCO X6 Pro, which is great.
I like the animations on the Nothing OS better though, with HyperOS keeping it more lowkey and tighter. This makes the fingerprint animation on the POCO X6 Pro more fluid, not letting you waste too much time on your lock screen. Whereas, the Nothing Phone 2a’s fingerprint animation has a bit more going, making it a bit slower.
Talking about software updates, the Nothing Phone 2a has quite the leverage over other phones that I compared it with. Running on Android 14 right out of the box, the Phone 2a will get to see Android 17, thanks to Nothing’s promise of 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches. That was not the case with the toned-down POCO X6, which came with Android 13 out of the box. So, it will only get to see up to Android 16.
However, with the POCO X6 Pro, you won’t have to worry about any of that. The device comes with Android 14 right out of the box, backed by 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches, just like the Phone 2a.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Performance
While both the phones have been very neck and neck in this comparison till now, performance-wise, the POCO X6 Pro pulls an unbeatable pole vault. While the Nothing Phone 2a is powered by a more budget-centric custom Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, the POCO X6 Pro packs quite the flagship mid-range punch with its Dimensity 8300 Ultra.
In case you’re wondering, this processor on the POCO X6 Pro is very close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in terms of raw performance.
But wait, there’s more. The POCO X6 Pro also comes with UFS 4.0 and LPDDR5X RAM, which is punching above its weight at its price point. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 2a comes with an age-old UFS 2.2. You also get to see a slower LPDDR4X-based RAM.
So, there’s no doubt that the POCO X6 Pro is superior in the performance department. But, does this reflect when using the phones for daily casual tasks? And, if the POCO X6 Pro is better, how much better are we talking about than the Nothing Phone 2a? These questions plagued my mind too and I decided to dig deeper and find answers.
Day-to-Day Usage
While I could easily tell you that both the devices are pretty good for daily usage, by carrying out some surface-level tests, the reality only shows up when you use them as your primary device. And, I did that. After using both phones as my daily driver for around 2-3 days each, I can tell you that the POCO X6 Pro is more snappy.
As I have mentioned before, the Nothing OS is great and all. But, the OS alone can’t make a budget phone feel like a mid-ranger flagship. But, due to the impressive hardware on the POCO X6 Pro, it does. I’ll give you a couple of examples.
So, I’m someone who likes to let apps sit in the background and clear them at one go when I think it’s time. In a day, I can have as many as 20 apps open in the background. From my Swiggy and Zomato to my Uber and Rapido, this number can go higher at times as well. With all those apps in the background, when I got back to the Phone 2a after some time, I could see some minor lags in the UI. During this time, even the notification panel didn’t feel like it was hitting the 120Hz threshold.
I had no such problem with the POCO X6 Pro. The device never made me frown with such stutters. Whether I was using the split screen or minimizing apps here and there, the phone never broke a sweat. Having established that, it’s time for a bit more serious testing.
Benchmarks
So, I ran the usual AnTuTu and Geekbench tests on the two phones. Then, I threw in the Wild Life series of tests, ranging from Stress tests to Extreme Stress tests. I was surprised to see the POCO X6 Pro get “maxed out” in the regular Wild Life test, thereby suggesting that it’s too powerful for it.
In all the tests, the POCO X6 Pro performed twice or thrice as well, understandably emerging as the more capable device in raw performance. I also noticed that the phone could run the Solar Bay tests, which were too powerful for the Nothing Phone 2a to run.
The CPU throttling test was where the Nothing phone 2a showed more stability with the CPU having throttled to 91% of its peak performance. On the other hand, the POCO X6 Pro’s graph was slightly unstable at 72%.
Now that I was done with the benchmarks, it was time to throw some gaming into the comparison mix.
Gaming
While the Phone 2a is more a budget device than a proper mid-ranger, it doesn’t perform badly at all. You can easily get some pretty good gaming chops out of it. Then again, the POCO X6 Pro does not game like a mid-ranger but a flagship mid-ranger at that.
So, it maxes out at way higher graphical settings and also brings 120FPS gaming to CoD Mobile, which is great news for its players. Meanwhile, the Nothing Phone 2a is capped at 90FPS.
It was at Genshin Impact though that I saw the most difference. It’s not an easy game to run and while the Nothing Phone 2a ran it well, the POCO X6 Pro hit 60 FPS at high settings. While the Nothing Phone 2a mostly ran at 45 FPS in Medium settings. Big difference there.
The POCO X6 Pro’s gaming capabilities reminded me of the time I compared the OnePlus 12 with the iQOO 12. So, you get the idea. Even the time the POCO X6 Pro took to open a game was what you would mostly expect from such premium flagships. You can also immediately swipe out of a game with no stutters, while the Nothing Phone 2a struggled a bit there.
Also, neither of the two phones ever got uncomfortably hot when gaming, and lingered around the 38 to 41 degrees after an hour of Genshin Impact in room temperature.
Games POCO X6 Pro Nothing Phone 2a Genshin Impact Highest Graphics: 60 FPS Medium-High Graphics: 42-55FPS CoD Mobile Medium/Ultra Settings: 120FPS (Multiplayer), 90FPS (Battle Royale)
Very High/Max Settings: 60 FPS (Multiplayer and Battle Royale)Low/Ultra Settings: 90FPS (Multiplayer), 90FPS (Battle Royale)
High/Max Settings: 60FPS (Multiplayer and Battle Royale)BGMI Smooth + 90 FPS
Ultra HDR + Ultra: 40 FPSSmooth + Extreme Setting: 60FPS
HDR + Ultra: 40FPS
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Cameras
On paper, the Nothing Phone 2a offers a more meaningful camera setup, with each sensor doing its bit with all it’s got. Getting into the details, there is a 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL GN9 primary sensor backed by a 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 ultra-wide-angle sensor. You also get to see OIS on the setup.
On the other hand, POCO X6 Pro offers a triple rear camera setup. However, of the three sensors, the 64 MP OmniVision OV64B with OIS makes the most sense. The underwhelming 8 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and useless 2 MP macro sensor are pretty much everything I dislike about most budget mid-rangers these days.
At the front, the Nothing Phone 2a features a 32 MP Sony IMX 615 selfie shooter, while the POCO X6 Pro has a 16 MP OV16A sensor to offer. With that being said, I took them out for a ride, and here’s what I think.
Let’s talk about the primary sensor first. The Nothing Phone 2a retains the natural colors of the real world, while the POCO X6 Pro washes these very colors out. So, while the Phone 2a takes more vivid and interesting photos, the POCO X6 Pro makes it all look, well, boring. The highlights and shadows are also better managed by the Phone 2a’s sensors.
This is reflected in indoor shots too, where the Nothing Phone 2a takes richer photos while retaining the natural colors. Whereas, the POCO X6 Pro washes out the colors a bit.
Meanwhile, POCO X6 Pro has a tough time doing so and often blends the highlights and shadows, thereby failing to create a clear distinction between them. As you zoom in, you will also see a lot better details and sharpness photos. On the other hand, the POCO X6 Pro’s shots look more lackluster as you zoom in and don’t hit the spot with detailing and sharpness.
However, when it comes to portrait shots, the POCO X6 Pro manages the lighting better, and keeps the shadows and highlights from interfering, thereby offering good dynamic range as well. On the contrary, the Nothing Phone 2a shots have a bit of trouble handling the shadows and highlights, as they appear harsher on the subject’s face. Because of this, the dynamic range takes a bit of a hit at times. The skin tones, however, are more natural on the Phone 2a.
At night as well, things play out in the Nothing Phone 2a’s favor. The POCO X6 Pro also takes good shots. But, you can clearly see how the light blows out in comparison to the Nothing Phone 2a’s shots. Moreover, the Nothing Phone 2a again offers more realistic colors at night, while the POCO X6 Pro tries too hard to make the shots look better at night.
However, I have also noticed that the Nothing Phone 2a is pretty inconsistent with its shots. Things that I noticed when I was first crafting the other comparisons and the detailed review for the device are not playing out the same way as when I retested it for this comparison. At night mostly, sometimes, shots can have these disturbing lens flares all around. Other times, light sources can blow out like this:
I’m guessing Nothing will fix these issues with an update?
However, one thing that has gotten better on the Nothing Phone 2a is the color disparity which I noticed during my initial tests. There’s more consistency in colors when shifting from the primary sensor to the ultra-wide sensor. That is always a good thing. The POCO X6 Pro has good color parity across its lenses as well.
As for selfies, I like the Nothing Phone 2a’s shots better. Again, the POCO X6 Pro washes out the colors and blurs out the details. I have also noticed that the Nothing Phone 2a fails to retain the natural skin tone, while the Nothing Phone 2a does. However, both offer good edge detection and I have had no problems there.
Talking about the videos a bit, both phones offer 4K @ 30 FPS video capture through the primary sensor. The Nothing Phone 2a can do so with its ultra-wide-angle sensor as well, giving it some leverage here.
At the front, both devices can shoot up to 1080p @ 60 FPS videos. The focus-hunting issue that I noticed with the POCO X6 cameras is missing with the X6 Pro, although both of them use the same setup. Optimization issues? Nevertheless, the point is that both devices are adequate for vlogging.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Battery Life and Charging
On paper, both the devices include a 5,000mAh battery unit and charge through a USB Type-C port. While this unit is backed by 45W fast charging support on the Nothing Phone 2a, the POCO X6 Pro sees speeds of up to 67W. However, while both the devices come with power efficient chipsets based on TSMC’s 4nm architecture, the Nothing Phone 2a comes ahead in terms of battery backup.
I got around 7 hours and 30 minutes of backup after gaming for hours, watching hours worth of content on both YouTube and Netflix as well as running benchmarks. Meanwhile, the POCO X6 Pro gave me a little over 5 hours during my testing.
In the charging tests though, the POCO X6 Pro understandably emerges victorious, fully charging from 0 to 100% in just 45 minutes. On the contrary, the Nothing Phone 2a took a little over an hour to do the same.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Connectivity
Both devices are stacked in terms of connectivity options. You get to see Wi-Fi 6 and NFC on both devices. But, there’s Bluetooth 5.3 on the Nothing Phone 2a, with the slightly up-to-date Bluetooth 5.4 on the POCO X6 Pro.
However, while the Nothing Phone 2a comes with 13 5G bands, the POCO X6 Pro brings 14 to the table. I ran a quick 5G speed test on both the devices as well and they performed equally well. But, while the POCO X6 Pro ran into a couple of call drops here and there, the Nothing Phone 2a rarely ran had that problem.
Nothing Phone 2a vs POCO X6 Pro: Who Takes the Mid-range Crown?
Let’s compile all the information we’ve gone through. While the Nothing Phone 2a is an excellent mid-range offering, a higher variant can’t bring it on par with a performance-centric mid-ranger’s capabilities. More so, when it comes to a device like the POCO X6 Pro, which performs more like a flagship mid-ranger, delivering more than it’s priced at.
So, if you are looking to game a lot on your phone and do some light video editing, the POCO X6 Pro with its Dimensity 8300 Ultra won’t let you down. Its gaming performance is just unbeatable at this price point, with most of the competitor phones offering budget chipsets at best.
POCO X6 Pro’s gaming performance is unbeatable at this price point.
Meanwhile, if you don’t want to do as much gaming and just want to get some top-notch software for seamless usage, the Nothing Phone 2a is the way to go. I mean, you don’t have to waste any time uninstalling bloatware and cleaning up your system as the Nothing OS-running Phone 2a is as clean as they come.
It surely has one up over the HyperOS which, although fluid on the POCO X6 Pro, carries with it the obvious bloatware problem. Then again, if software aesthetics are what you want from your device, the HyperOS will undeniably seem more appealing.
But there’s an additional twist to this. As I mentioned before, just a seamless OS is not enough to give you a smooth experience. It needs to be backed by equally strong hardware. And while Nothing OS is good, it is more than double the size of the HyperOS. In other words, it’s a heavy OS, and the Nothing Phone 2a’s hardware, although capable enough, can be limiting at times. This will make you see those micro-stutters when there are a whole lot of apps running in the background.
Meanwhile, the POCO X6 Pro can confidently deal with all that you throw at it, from some hardcore gaming to an endless lineup of apps sitting in the background. You will barely see any stutters, with the device punching above its pricing weight most of the time.
On top of that, the POCO X6 Pro brings the complete package with the unit, thereby eliminating the need to look for additional accessories, that Nothing Phone 2a users will obviously have to. So, from a good quality case to a fast charger, you’ll get it all in the POCO X6 Pro’s box and none of it with the Phone 2a.
Then, the comparison plot thickens and the POCO X6 Pro seems more like the better choice. While the POCO X6 Pro black variant that I used for this comparison comes with a glass-imitating plastic build, the yellow variant of the device flaunts a vegan leather back. It all comes down to whether you think the Nothing Phone 2a’s Glyph Interface is something you’ll end up using a lot. It may not seem practical to a lot of people.
That automatically makes it super value-for-money, allowing you to use it even without a case and without worrying about scratches. The in-hand feel is also way more premium. Whereas, during my time with the Nothing Phone 2a, some visible minor scratches showed up due to the plastic back panel.
You also can’t ignore the display you get on the POCO X6 Pro, tuned by DCI-P3 tech and backed by a 1.5K resolution. Not only that, the storage and RAM specification saga unfolds, and we get to see the commendable UFS 4.0 and LPDDR5X speeds on the POCO X6 Pro, making it all the more worth it as compared to the outdated UFS 2.2 and LPDDR4X on the Phone 2a.
So, ultimately, it is the camera department where the Nothing Phone 2a outshines its competitors, only by a margin. It refrains from using useless sensors to only exaggerate the camera setup. The sensors you get are instead solid and get the job done like a pro. You can take some amazing shots through the Phone 2a’s camera if you’re good with it, and I respect that. Here, the POCO X6 Pro’s camera setup is average at best.
Bottomline is that for the most part, the POCO X6 Pro brings more than you can quite possibly ask for at this price point. Moreover, if you are paying that extra money for more storage and RAM, it’d only make sense to go for the POCO X6 Pro’s speedier storage and RAM speeds.
Most importantly, for Rs. 2,000 more, the POCO X6 Pro doubles the storage at 512GB and offers 12GB of RAM. Whereas the Nothing Phone 2a offers just more RAM while still being maxed out at 256GB of internal storage.
However, if getting the best camera phone in the budget is what you want instead, store all of those shots, and even give you an impressive battery backup while doing so, I’d get it if you went with the Nothing Phone 2a instead. For most of the users, however, the POCO X6 Pro just makes a lot more sense at Rs. 25,999.
