Nothing’s new Phone 2a Plus (review) may likely get your attention if design and performance matter to you. In fact, in our recent performance comparison against the Realme 13 Pro (review), the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 SoC powering the new Nothing smartphone proved to be a reliable performer.
In this article, we’ll specifically focus on the battery performance of these two smartphones. The Phone 2a Plus carries a standard 5,000mAh battery, a common feature in many devices within the sub-Rs 30,000 segment. In contrast, the Realme 13 Pro houses a slightly larger 5,200mAh battery, yet it manages to maintain a sleeker profile than the Phone 2a Plus. But does Realme’s bigger battery deliver better results? Let’s find out.
PCMark test
PCMark’s battery test offers decent insights into smartphones’ ideal battery performance in the optimum conditions. We conducted the test by enabling flight mode on both smartphones. We also ensured that the Nothing Phone 2a Plus and Realme 13 Pro were fully charged and had similar audio/brightness levels at the start of the round.
| Smartphones | Nothing Phone 2a Plus | Realme 13 Pro |
| PCMark battery test | 14 hours 34 minutes | 10 hours 48 minutes |
Notably, the Phone 2a Plus ran the PCMark battery test for over 14 hours, while the Realme 13 Pro only lasted nearly 10 hours. This was despite the Phone 2a Plus’s relatively smaller battery.
Winner: Nothing Phone 2a Plus
YouTube video
The next test involved playing a 30-minute-long YouTube video on both smartphones. We ensure similar audio and brightness levels as well as video resolution for a fair contest.
| Smartphones | Nothing Phone 2a Plus | Realme 13 Pro |
| YouTube video test | 4 percent | 4 percent |
The Phone 2a Plus and Realme 13 Pro Plus consumed 4 percent battery at the end of the round. However, in absolute terms, the actual battery usage was 200mAh and 208mAh, respectively.
Winner: Nothing Phone 2a Plus
Gaming test
For our gaming test, we played three popular titles, including Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty (COD), and Real Racing 3, for 30 minutes each on both smartphones. We are considering the average battery drop result for the gaming test.
| Smartphones | Nothing Phone 2a Plus | Realme 13 Pro |
| Avg battery drop after gaming | 6.3 percent | 7 percent |
At the end of the round, the Phone 2a Plus and Realme 13 Pro experienced average battery drops of 6.3 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Even in absolute terms, the Phone 2a Plus exhibited more efficient battery management (315mAh) than the Phone 2a Plus (364mAh).
Winner: Nothing Phone 2a Plus
Charging
While the Realme 13 Pro boasts a bigger battery, the Phone 2a Plus supports faster 50W charging speeds. However, the latter skips the charger in the box. We used a Motorola PD charger to charge the Phone 2a Plus.
| Smartphones | Nothing Phone 2a Plus | Realme 13 Pro |
| Charging time (20-100 percent) | 51 minutes | 52 minutes |
It took 52 minutes to charge Realme 13 Pro, while the Nothing Phone 2a Plus took 51 minutes to charge from 20 to 100 percent.
Winner: Nothing Phone 2a Plus
Verdict
Overall, the Phone 2a Plus performed more efficiently than the Realme 13 Pro despite carrying a relatively smaller battery.
Do note that Nothing skips the charger and provides a Type-C to Type-C charger in the box. It means your old charger, likely with a Type-A port, won’t be compatible. Realme provides the charger with the said output in the box.
You can also check out our video comparison of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus against the OnePlus Nord 4 and OPPO F27 Pro+.
