Rumored Nothing Phone 2a could be announced as early as this week

What you need to know

• A lot has been leaked about the Nothing Phone 2a, the rumored budget smartphone from Nothing.
• The Nothing Phone 2a has reportedly appeared in an Indian regulatory database, which could signal a nearing release.
• Nothing updated its X bio today to say "something is coming this week."

All signs point to Nothing as gearing up for a potential release of the rumored Nothing Phone 2a. In recent weeks, there have been a few leaks about the alleged upcoming smartphone, including a leak of the device's full specifications. Now, it appears that the Nothing Phone 2a could be coming a lot sooner than we thought. 

Following the specs leak last week, the case for a nearing Phone 2a launch became much more solid with a report from tipster Abhishek Yadav on X (formerly Twitter) today. Yadav shared a screenshot of a new Nothing phone that appeared in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a regulatory database in India. Often, rumored smartphones appear in governmental databases as launches approach to ensure compliance with local laws.

But what makes this unnamed Nothing smartphone likely to be the rumored Phone 2a is the model number. The phone listed in the BIS database has a model number of A142. Last week's leak claimed that the Phone 2a's model number was AIN142. While the numbers don't match exactly, they're close enough that this new Nothing phone is likely the Phone 2a.

The most compelling evidence to support this theory is Nothing's current release schedule. If the phone listed in the BIS database isn't Phone 2a, which Phone is it? The Nothing Phone (2) over the summer, so Phone 3 is a long way out. That's why it seems all but guaranteed that the new smartphone appearing in the BIS database is the rumored Phone 2a.

If that wasn't enough to convince you that the Nothing Phone 2a is on the horizon, Nothing might have tipped the scales with a cryptic update to its X bio. The company's bio now reads, "something is coming this week." Now, we wouldn't put it past Nothing to play into the social media hype and announce something other than Phone 2a this week. But combined with all the other details, it seems likely that Phone 2a is on its way. 

Phone 2a is expected to be a low-cost smartphone from Nothing. That's slightly ironic since the entire Nothing brand was initially launched as an affordable option to pricey flagships. Alas, the latest Phone 2 retailed for $599, and the rumored Phone 2a should undercut that number. To be sure, we'll have to wait for an official launch.