CMF Phone 1 launched: This Nothing phone is (sort of) modular

Nothing has exhaustively anticipated the arrival of the first phone under its CMF sub-brand. Fortunately, the company has finally launched the CMF Phone 1, and it could be one of the best cheap phones out there.

The CMF Phone 1 stands out from other phones with its design. The Glyph lighting seen on the mainline Nothing phones has been removed in favor of a simple back cover, complete with screws. These screws give a hint to a notable feature, namely the removable back cover.

In fact, nothing will allow you to replace the back cover with ones made of different materials and colors. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that removing this cover will allow you to access the battery, as is the case with other phones that have a removable cover.

However, if you look at the bottom right corner of the device, you’ll see what Nothing calls an “accessory point.” This connector allows for the attachment of a variety of other accessories (surprise), including a card case, lanyard, and stand.

This approach is not as ambitious as modular phones like the Fairphone series, which allow you to swap out components (e.g. the camera or battery). However, Nothing’s solution allows for greater customization than traditional phones.

Otherwise, the CMF Phone 1 is a lower-midrange phone. We expect a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display (peak brightness of 2000 nits), 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, and a 5000mAh battery.

However, Nothing made some concessions to reach a lower price point. That includes 33W wired charging instead of faster speeds, no wireless charging, and a 50MP rear camera with an undisclosed depth sensor instead of a proper secondary camera. The device also comes with a negligible price tag. update policywhich offers two major operating system updates and three years of security patches.

Other features worth knowing include a 16MP selfie camera, an IP52 rating, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and micro SD support.

Are you interested in picking up this device? There’s nothing to say that the 8GB/128GB CMF Phone 1 will be available in the US via a beta program for $199. Otherwise, the device will be available at a starting price of £209 and €239 in the UK and Europe. Indian users can expect to pay Rs 17,999 for the 8GB/128GB model, though the country will also get a 6GB/128GB variant for Rs 15,999.

Nothing also sells several accessories for the CMF Phone 1. These extras include a case in one of several colors (black, blue, light green, orange), a stand, a lanyard, and a card holder. The cases in various colors will set you back $35, while the rest of the extras will sell for $25 each.

The company also introduced the CMF Watch Pro 2. The new watch has interchangeable straps but also allows the bezel to be swapped for an alternative design.

Nothing’s watch offers a 1.32-inch circular AMOLED display, an aluminum body, a crown to control the device, and an IP68 rating.

Dont wait Wear OS Here, but the device still packs plenty of features. These include over 100 watch faces, a variety of smartphone controls (e.g. Bluetooth calling, notifications, music controls), built-in GPS, and 11 days of typical use or nine days of intensive use.

The CMF Watch Pro 2 also features a variety of health-related features. You can expect heart rate and blood oxygen saturation tracking, sleep, stress and menstrual tracking, support for 120 sports and automatic recognition of five sports.

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is expected to cost $69. European and UK consumers will need to shell out £69 and €69, respectively.

Finally, Nothing has introduced the CMF Buds Pro 2 earphones. The charging case stands out for its smart dial, which can be turned to control volume and playback. You can also press the dial to control noise cancellation, smart assistants, and more.

The Buds Pro 2 also feature Bluetooth 5.3, LDAC codec support, spatial audio, hybrid active noise cancellation (up to 50 decibels), and six microphones in total.

As for battery life, Nothing promises six hours of playtime with active noise cancellation off and 4.8 hours with active noise cancellation on. The charging case offers 25 hours of playtime with active noise cancellation off and 18.6 hours with active noise cancellation on. Nothing also claims you can get up to three hours of playtime from a 10-minute charge.

The CMF Buds Pro 2 will cost $59 / £59 / €59 in the US, UK, and Europe, respectively.