The Nothing CMF Phone 1 really changes the game for smartphone design with its cool transparent back that shows off the insides of the device. Following Nothing’s idea of stepping away from usual designs, the CMF Phone 1 really highlights style and being unique. Since Nothing started in 2022, the brand has grown significantly, challenging standard tech styles with simple but striking designs and smart color selections.
This legacy is maintained by the CMF Phone 1, which offers users numerous options for customization, such as changing the back panels and adding accessories, to make it feel special, runs on the neat, Android-based Nothing OS, which focuses on keeping things simple and user-friendly. It might not be the most powerful smartphone out there, but it’s a fun option for anyone looking for a device that’s different from the usual ones.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Design
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 is a unique smartphone with a more mechanical appearance. The design of the CMF Phone 1 really shows some thought and detail. It focuses on being easy to use while also showing off your personality.
Made mostly out of plastic, this phone is light and stylish, weighing just 6.94 ounces. The materials keep it comfy to hold, but Nothing didn’t forget to add little details that give it some character.
One of the coolest things about the CMF Phone 1 is how modular it is. With four screws visible on the back, this phone shows off its structure instead of hiding it, giving it a bit of an industrial vibe. Users can customize it by changing the look anyway they like because of the removable and rotatable dial.
Even with its modular design, the CMF Phone 1 comes with an IP52 rating, making sure it’s ready for daily task with some dust and water protection.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Display
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 has a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen that gives a pretty good visual experience for most stuff including browsing and streaming video. It can get super bright, up to 1,129 nits, so anyone can see it well even in really bright sunlight, making it easy to use outside. It also supports the HDR10+, which really helps with color variations and details, especially when viewing HDR content on websites like YouTube.
The screen might be a bit warmer in tone, which makes the colors look a little less saturated compared to other fancy AMOLED screens, but the clarity and sharpness are still pretty great for this price range. The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate really amps up usability, giving the smooth animations and interactions when switching between apps or scrolling through social media.
Nothing has thrown in an HDR display mode that adjusts brightness levels automatically to make HDR content look better. This feature gives readers a richer viewing experience by highlighting striking contrasts in the supporting media. In the end, the CMF Phone 1’s display might not compete with flagship models when it comes to vibrancy, but it does a solid job for everyday stuff, balancing brightness, detail, and smoothness to fit what most users need.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Camera
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 has a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to its camera skills, trying to balance budget limits with decent performance. It’s got a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, which helps to take fairly sharp pictures in good light, catching fine details, especially when zoomed in on something. But bright regions can become overexposed in high light, which messes with the dynamic range, and the images often lack enough contrast.
When it’s darker, it keeps the colors right, but it doesn’t capture much detail and adds noise, which makes taking pictures at night pretty tough. On the other hand, portrait mode does a decent job with edges, but it usually gives a warmer vibe. When using artificial light, the camera tries too hard to fix shadows, making faces look kinda soft.
Selfies from the 16MP front camera are usually fine in bright light, but they also have trouble in mixed or low light situations. When the camera senses different light sources, it may completely erase the background in an attempt to correct the shadows.
The video quality also works similar to the photographs; it performs well in brightly areas but struggles in contrasting scenes. It supports HDR at 1080p and 30fps and can record in 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps.
Honestly, the camera on this phone is pretty good for simple pictures when there’s lots of light, but struggles with zooming and outdoor shots. It’s budget-friendly but not ideal for high-quality images.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Battery
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 has a big 5,000mAh battery that really shines when it comes to how long it lasts. In tough testing, it hit a super impressive time of 15 hours and 19 minutes in benchmark tests, with an average of around 15 hours and 2 minutes during regular use. In real life, if people use it at a moderate level, the CMF Phone 1 can likely get them through the day and sometimes even into the next, usually finishing the day with 15% battery remaining. When it comes to efficiency, this phone is on par with other high-end models, like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and iPhone 15 Pro.
On the charging side of things, the CMF Phone 1 can do 33W fast charging, letting it hit around 55% in just 15 minutes with the right 33W CMF charger. Usually, it doesn’t come with a charger in the box, but the charging speeds are pretty great, and within half an hour, users can see the battery jump to about 62%.
In real life, if people use it at a moderate level, the CMF Phone 1 can likely get them through the day and sometimes even into the next, usually finishing the day with 15% battery remaining. When it comes to efficiency, this phone is on par with other high-end models, like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and iPhone 15 Pro.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Performance
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 provides the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chip and can have up to 8GB of RAM, making it a good performer for under $240. Its Geekbench 6 scores, which are 1,028 for single-core and 2,971 for multi-core, aren’t the highest but still beat out rivals like the Moto G (2024) and OnePlus Nord N30.
By doubling RAM during periods of high use, Nothing’s RAM Booster technology simplifies daily tasks like web browsing and program switching. On the other side it struggles with graphically demanding games, hitting only 18.84 frames per second in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, which might cause lag in tough situations. Still, the CMF Phone 1 manages heat well enough to keep users comfortable for a long period.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Software
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 runs on NothingOS 2.6, which is based on Android 14, giving a smooth, bloatware-free experience, pretty much like the advanced ones.
One of the most notable aspects of NothingOS is its innovative home screen organization. The features include app drawers that can be customize with various icons to make it more user-friendly and quick setup widgets that simplify management. The dashboard has a pleasing visual rise because to the dot-matrix layout.
Nothing CMF Phone 1 Customization
The CMF Phone 1 is a genuinely customized gadget according to its many customization options. There are numerous ways to personalize the CMF Phone 1 so that it truly feels like unique. Users can choose from a variety of back panels in a wide range of colors and textures, including natural leather. There’s a bunch of accessories like stands, lanyard cords, and bags that lets to customize the phone. Also, the accessories include a handy small screwdriver that is a great touch.
While some accessories, like the pouch, might not be as essential like others, especially the stand, are quite helpful. Using a lanyard or not is entirely up to you, but the metal connector and lanyard cable feel tough.
One thing to note is that the attachments are now only available in orange, and once they customize it, the plastic surrounding the screw holders on the back cover is at risk of getting cracked.
Even with these little issues, the CMF Phone 1’s design and the customization choices really make it a special gadget for people who love standing out and having something unique.
Verdict
Even focusing simple and flexibility, the CMF Phone 1 lacks the advanced artificial intelligence found in more costly phones. Since Google Gemini is another AI assistant, ChatGPT can only be used with Nothing’s wireless headphones. Overall, NothingOS offers an individual and easy to use package without going over budget.