It's cheap, light and no longer lacks a crucial feature.
Wish you could spend less on a smartphone without it looking cheap or feeling underpowered? I'm seriously tempted by the new CMF Phone 2 Pro from the sub-brand of London-based techy company Nothing.
While it didn't make it to our list of the best camera phones, the CMF Phone 1 won us over last year with its refined and minimalist design. Just one thing kind of limited its viability as a solid everyday device: no contactless NFT connectivity. The successor announced today adds that missing feature while also offering a power boost and an even more streamlined design.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is Nothing's slimmest and lightest smartphone yet. It measures just 7.8mm, the same as an iPhone 16, and weighs just 185g, a little more than the iPhone (rumour has it Apple's taking things slimmer with an iPhone 17 Air this year.
The body comes in four colours (White, Black, Orange and Light Green) and looks relatively premium for the price. It features an aluminium camera surround, evolved from the first-generation design, and stainless steel screws for that Nothing naked look. It also adds increased water durability with IP54, up from IP52 on the CMF Phone 1.
The Black and Light Green options are crafted with a glass-like back that mimics a frosted glass texture, bordered with a metallic frame. White is worked with a panelled sandstone finish on the back, while Orange, the boldest option by far, has a metallic sheen.
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The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes in four colours(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
Orange is by far the boldest colour option(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
I love the sleek aluminium camera surround(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
Front and back of the new budget smartphone(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
Camera-wise, we have a four-camera system, with a 50 MP main camera capturing 64% more light than the Phone 1. The telephoto uses 6 stacked lenses for digital zoom up to 20x, which is impressive for a phone in this price range. There's also an 8 MP ultra-wide and 16 MP front camera for selfies.
The aim is clearly to make the CMF Phone 2 Pro a strikingly unique, fun everyday smartphone but with enough power to stand up to work use. That comes from the 6th gen MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G processor (8-core CPU). Nothing cites 10% quicker processing and a 5% improvement in graphics when compared to CMF Phone 1.
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As for the display, it's a 6.77" FHD+ flexible AMOLED with Ultra HDR taking peak brightness to 3000 nits, a 50% improvement on its predecessor. It has a 1000 Hz touch sampling rate – a 316% improvement – and a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate.
There are two options in terms of capacity: 128GB (£219 / €249) and 256GB (£249 / €279). The latter is also available in the US via a beta programme.
I don't upgrade my phone often since I don't use it for much other than communications and organisation. A decent camera's always welcome, but I use professional cameras for any real photography so it's hardly an essential.
But while I've always been tempted to go for a cheaper smartphone, I've been put off by cheap-looking builds or missing features. The 256GB CMF Considering that Nothing says the CMF Phone 2 can last two days on a single charge, this may be the phone that changes things.
CMF buds and accessories
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The Nothing CMF ecosystem(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
New CMF Buds(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
CMF Buds 2 Plus(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
The CMF stand(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
CMF Buds(Image credit: Nothing / CMF )
Alongside the CMF Phone 2 Pro, there are three new accessories: a Universal Cover, interchangeable lenses (Fisheye and Macro) and a wallet/stand.
There are also three new headphones. The standard CMF Buds 2 have Dirac OpteoTM tuning, 48dB hybrid ANC and Spatial Audio Effect. The price is £39
CMF Buds 2 Plus is a step up with Hi-Res LDAC, hearing compensation and full EQ customisation for more tailored sound. They sell for £49. CMF Buds 2a is an entry level option (£29) with 42dB ANC and a 12.4 mm bio-fibre driver.
All products are available to preorder today from nothing.tech and retail partners ahead of release on 6 May.
What do you think? Does the CMF Phone 2 Pro have enough to provide everything you need from a smartphone? Let us know in the comments below.
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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
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