These are the Nothing Phone (2a) prototypes that didn't make the cut

The highly anticipated Nothing Phone (2a) is expected to hit the mid-range market very soon. After making quite the splash at MWC 2024 and treating a faithful fan to a special unboxing of the device, there are only a few details left to reveal before the official launch.

Carl Pei and Nothing have pretty much perfected the art of building anticipation for upcoming products and following through with just the right marketing. The Nothing Phone (2a) has been no exception, making it one of those devices that just can't help but be leaked for us smartphone enthusiasts to oogle at and speculate about. But how does a smartphone get to the final design that we eventually get to enjoy?

In a recent interview with Wallpaper*, Nothing's founder Carl Pei discussed the design and manufacturing process of the phone. He revealed that there were many prototypes of the phone that didn't make the cut. These prototypes included phones with different materials and designs, such as phones with curved screens and phones with under-display cameras.

One of the rejected prototypes happens to be the one that leaked earlier this month as the "final design," which it later turned out not to be. That prototype joins several others in a slew of backplates and cases that are now part of the "could've been" collection. These have now been revealed and shown in the gallery below: