Nothing is a relatively new brand in the smartphone world — but its sub-brand CMF is even newer. CMF (short for Color, Material, Finish) initially focused on smartphone accessories with distinctive designs and aggressively affordable prices. Then, in 2024, it launched its very first phone — aptly named the CMF Phone 1.
Unlike sub-brands from other manufacturers (think Realme from Oppo, or Redmi from Xiaomi), Nothing doesn’t treat CMF as a fully independent company. Instead, CMF lives as a separate lineup within the broader Nothing ecosystem — sharing design philosophies, software, and even some hardware DNA.
The CMF Phone 1 shares a lot with the Nothing Phone (2a), but with its own unique style, design language, and modular twist. Let’s break down whether it lives up to the hype.
CMF Phone 1 Specs at a Glance
- Body: 164 x 77 x 8.2mm, 197g/202g; plastic shell, glass front; user-replaceable back cover; IP52 splash resistance
- Display: 6.67″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080 x 2400px, 2,000 nits peak, 394ppi
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (4nm) — Octa-core, Mali-G615 MC2 GPU
- Memory: 6/8GB RAM; 128/256GB storage; microSDXC support
- OS: Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.6
- Rear Cameras: 50MP main (Sony IMX882, f/1.8, PDAF) + 2MP depth
- Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.0
- Video: 4K@30fps (rear), 1080p@30fps (front)
- Battery: 5,000mAh; 33W wired charging; 5W reverse wired
- Connectivity: 5G, Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
- Extras: Under-display optical fingerprint reader; “Accessory Point” mount
Design, Build Quality & Handling
The CMF Phone 1 has a genuinely standout design, especially from the back. The rounded corners create an elegant silhouette, while visible stainless steel screws give it an industrial vibe — what CMF calls “engineer’s aesthetics.”
Swappable Back Covers
The headline feature is the user-replaceable back panel, which enhances both customizability and sustainability. While the battery itself isn’t user-replaceable, you can easily swap the back cover if it’s scratched or you simply want a new color.
Four colors are available:
- Black — subtle texture
- Light Green — subtle texture
- Orange — vegan leather finish
- Blue — vegan leather finish (India-exclusive)
The Accessory Point: A Modular Twist
The CMF Phone 1’s most unique feature is the Accessory Point — a small screw mount on the back that lets you attach official accessories like a fold-out stand, card holder, or lanyard. It’s a refreshingly modular touch in a market obsessed with sealed-glass uniformity.
💡 Key Takeaway
If you’re tired of phones that all look the same, the CMF Phone 1 brings real personality back to the budget segment.
Build & Controls
Despite the plastic shell, the phone feels solid in hand — no flex, no hollow spots. The control layout is slightly unconventional: volume rocker on the left, power button on the right. All buttons have crisp tactile feedback.
Other notable details:
- Single bottom-firing speaker
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
- Hybrid SIM tray (second nano-SIM or microSD, not both)
- Snappy under-display optical fingerprint reader
Display
The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel is the biggest “above-its-class” feature here. With a 1080 x 2400 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,000 nits peak brightness, it’s brighter than most phones at this price.
Color reproduction is excellent in both modes:
- Alive mode — DCI-P3 color space (vibrant)
- Standard mode — sRGB (accurate)
One small caveat: the display lacks formal HDR hardware certifications like Dolby Vision. However, it still supports Ultra HDR photos and HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG video decoding — meaning HDR content from YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video will still look great.
The “adaptive” refresh rate switches between 120Hz and 60Hz — no intermediate steps like 90Hz, which is a minor disappointment for battery optimization.
Battery Life & Charging
The 5,000mAh battery delivers stellar battery life, scoring an Active Use Score of 16 hours 13 minutes in standardized testing — outperforming other Dimensity 7300-powered phones like the Oppo Reno 12 and Reno 12 Pro.
Charging Speed
The phone supports 33W wired fast charging — but no charger is included in the box. Using a 65W PD/QC universal charger, the CMF Phone 1 peaks at around 26W and stays around 20W for most of the cycle. A full charge takes about 81 minutes.
There’s also 5W reverse wired charging — useful in a pinch for topping up earbuds.
Speaker Quality
The single bottom-firing speaker scores a “GOOD” loudness rating with clear mids and decent highs. However, the lack of a hybrid stereo setup is noticeable — especially compared to competitors like the Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro and Galaxy A35, which offer true stereo speakers.
Connectivity
The CMF Phone 1 offers solid modern connectivity — but with a couple of notable omissions:
- ✅ 5G (dual SIM)
- ✅ Wi-Fi 6
- ✅ Bluetooth 5.3
- ❌ No NFC — a big miss in 2026, especially for Google/Samsung Pay users
- ❌ No FM radio
- ❌ No 3.5mm jack
- ⚠️ USB-C limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds
Software: Nothing OS 2.6 on Android 14
The CMF Phone 1 runs Nothing OS 2.6 on top of Android 14 — and it’s genuinely one of the cleanest Android skins out there. It offers an AOSP-like experience with heavy visual customization, including:
- Custom dot-matrix-style icons
- Monochrome UI option (great for digital wellbeing)
- Unique widgets and a clean lock screen
- Minimal bloatware
⚠️ Update Policy
Nothing promises 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security patches — which is below what Samsung and Google offer at this price point. According to Android Authority, this is one of the weaker points of CMF’s value proposition.
Performance & Benchmarks
The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset is built on a 4nm process and is geared toward power efficiency over raw performance. For everyday tasks like browsing, social media, and streaming, it’s perfectly snappy. For gaming, it handles most popular titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile at medium settings comfortably.
Compared to the Dimensity 7050, the 7300 offers improved efficiency and CPU performance. Thermal management is excellent — the back stays only lukewarm even under sustained load, and the throttling curve is gentle.
Camera Quality
Main Camera (50MP Sony IMX882)
- Daylight: Solid detail, natural colors, good contrast
- Portraits: The depth sensor enables good subject separation
- Low light: Impressive — plenty of detail, low noise, accurate colors
- Video: 4K@30fps with strong low-light performance
Selfie Camera (16MP)
Decent facial detail and accurate colors, but limited dynamic range. Fine for social media — not for portraits in tricky lighting.
⚠️ No OIS
The lack of Optical Image Stabilization is a notable omission, particularly for low-light handheld shots and video.
Competition
At this price, the CMF Phone 1 faces some stiff competition:
- Samsung Galaxy A35 — Better IP67 water resistance and longer software support.
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro — Bigger camera sensor, faster charging.
- Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro — More powerful chipset, stereo speakers.
- Nothing Phone (2a) — The CMF’s “older sibling” with better cameras and the iconic Glyph interface.
Each rival beats the CMF Phone 1 in some way — but none match its design personality, modularity, and repairability story.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Unique, standout design with real customizability and repairability
- Bright 120Hz OLED with great color accuracy
- Excellent battery life
- Solid chipset performance for the price
- Strong main camera in good and low light
- Clean, fast, distinctive Nothing OS
❌ Cons
- No charger in the box
- Minimal IP52 splash resistance
- Unimpressive single mono speaker
- No NFC (a big deal in 2026)
- No OIS on the main camera
- Only 2 years of Android updates
The Verdict: Is the CMF Phone 1 Worth Buying?
The CMF Phone 1 is unmistakably a design-first phone. It doesn’t excel in any single benchmark category, but delivers a well-rounded performance with great battery life, a bright display, and a genuinely fresh design language.
The minimal IP52 rating, single speaker, no NFC, and missing charger are all real downsides — but in return, you get something rare in the budget segment: personality. Swappable covers, an Accessory Point, and a striking industrial design make this phone stand out in a sea of glassy black slabs.
If you value aesthetics, sustainability, and customization over raw specs and feature checklists, the CMF Phone 1 will be one of the most charming phones you’ve owned in years. If you need NFC, top-tier IP rating, or stereo speakers — look elsewhere.
🎯 Who Should Buy It?
- ✅ Design enthusiasts and Nothing OS fans
- ✅ Users who want long battery life
- ✅ Tinkerers who appreciate modularity and repairability
- ❌ Heavy mobile payment users (no NFC)
- ❌ Mobile gamers who want top-tier sound and performance
- ❌ Photographers who need OIS for low light
Join the Conversation
Would you swap your current budget phone for the CMF Phone 1’s customizable design? Or is the lack of NFC a dealbreaker? 👇 Tell us in the comments!
