Nothing focuses on making their products look exciting and different from others, which often look boring or similar. Since starting in 2022, they have created products with cool features like semi-transparent designs on smartphones and colorful accents on earbuds. This unique style continues with their new CMF sub-brand. One example is the CMF Phone 1. The CMF Phone 1 offers lots of design customization options. You can change the back panels and add accessories to make the phone look how you want. But does it work well too? Let’s find out.
CMF Phone 1 Specifications
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 | |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 | |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA | |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2024, July 08 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2024, July 09 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 164 x 77 x 8.2 mm (6.46 x 3.03 x 0.32 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 197 g or 202 g (6.95 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front, plastic back or silicone polymer back (eco leather) | |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| User-replaceable back cover Dust and splash resistant |
| DISPLAY | Type | AMOLED, 120Hz, 500 nits (typ), 2000 nits (peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | |
| Always-on display |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 7300 (4 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | |
| GPU | Mali-G615 MC2 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSDXC |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| MAIN CAMERA | Dual | 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide) |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, BLE | |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | |
| NFC | No | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | USB Type-C |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, compass |
|---|
| BATTERY | Type | 5000 mAh, non-removable |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 33W wired 5W reverse wired |
| MISC | Colors | Black, Orange, Light Green |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹15,999 on flipkart |
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 536089 (v9), 646635 (v10) GeekBench: 2801 (v5), 2920 (v6) 3DMark Wild life: 3142 (offscreen 1440p) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
| Loudspeaker | -28.0 LUFS (Good) | |
| Battery (new) | Active use score 16:13h |
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Design and customisation
The CMF Phone 1 stands out because of its distinctive design. Unlike other Nothing phones, it has an opaque back panel, giving it a more subtle appearance. The phone features exposed screws, a rotating and removable dial, and a dual-camera setup on a raised bump at the top left.
The design isn’t just for show—it offers customization options. You can change the back panel with different colors and textures and add accessories like a pouch, phone stand, and lanyard. The review model I had came with a durable black matte back, but I swapped it for a dark blue vegan leather panel, which included color-coordinated screws and dial. I used black screws and dial with the new panel for a unique look. This customizability makes the CMF Phone 1 special. Accessories come with a small screwdriver to make swapping parts more engaging.
I found the phone stand, which attaches using the dial, to be the most useful accessory. The pouch, however, made the phone bulky and the lid felt flimsy, so it wasn’t very secure. The lanyard cable and its metal connector were well-made, but using a lanyard is a personal choice.
A few things to note: accessories are only available in orange, and the plastic around the screws can get dented if you’re not careful with the screwdriver.
Overall, the CMF Phone 1 feels sturdy despite its plastic exterior. The textured back and matte frame provide a good grip, even with wet hands. However, the phone is a bit heavy, and the thick bezels around the screen take away from its sleek look.
Display
The CMF Phone 1 has a flat 6.67-inch AMOLED display that is connected to the side frame by a thin plastic edge. The screen is large and provides good picture quality, though it isn’t very vibrant due to a slightly warm color tone. Despite this, it’s good enough for everyday tasks, social media, and watching movies. The display is bright and clear even in direct sunlight. With a 120Hz refresh rate, the screen offers a smooth and fluid experience. For better media viewing, it supports HDR10+ to make colors stand out more. There’s also an HDR display mode that boosts brightness for HDR content, which works well with apps like YouTube.
Camera
The CMF Phone 1 features a 50-megapixel main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The rear camera performs well for its price. It captures clear details in daylight, but at night or in low light, it keeps colors accurate but loses some detail, making images look a bit soft.
In portrait mode, edge detection is good for a budget phone. However, under artificial lighting, it brightens up and softens facial details to hide the sensor’s limits. Portraits also have a slightly warmer tone compared to regular photos.
The 16MP front camera takes decent selfies in daylight but struggles in low light, resulting in grainy photos. For videos, the phone records 4K at 30fps and 1080p at up to 60fps. It also supports HDR recording, but only at 1080p and 30fps. The front camera records 1080p video at up to 60fps with HDR. The video quality is similar to the photos, but the microphone tends to pick up a lot of noise.
Performance and software
The CMF Phone 1 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chipset, which is unusual for phones under Rs 20,000. This gives the phone solid performance for its price. It handles web browsing, casual gaming, and social media effortlessly. It also works well for multitasking and running demanding games like Real Racing 3. The phone has up to 8GB of RAM, and with Nothing’s RAM Booster technology, you get an extra 8GB of virtual RAM to help with heavy tasks. The phone stays cool even during intense use.
On the software side, the CMF Phone 1 uses the full version of NothingOS, not a cut-down version. It offers a clean, bloatware-free interface, similar to more expensive Nothing phones. Users can choose between the standard Android interface and NothingOS 2.5. NothingOS features include placing quick settings widgets on the home screen and grouping apps into customizable drawers with unique icons.
Battery
The CMF Phone 1 has a 5,000mAh battery that provides excellent battery life. You can easily use the phone all day and still have enough charge left for the next half day. It supports 33W fast charging but doesn’t come with a charger in the box. I tested it with a separate 33W CMF by Nothing charger, and it charged the phone up to 55% in just 15 minutes.
Price and Availability
The CMF Phone 1 is a unique smartphone that offers a lot of design customization options, letting users create a personalized look. Despite its focus on design, it doesn’t skimp on the essentials. The phone provides good performance, solid battery life, and decent camera features for social media, all at a great price.
Starting at Rs 15,999, the CMF Phone 1 is a great choice for anyone looking for a budget smartphone with a clean user interface and reliable performance. While the display could be better, the phone still stands out as a strong budget option.
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