It's no secret I'm a fan of the Nothing brand, I use Nothing Phone 2 and Earbuds 2 daily, but I was even a little taken aback by the design of the new CMF Phone 1 (and to an extent the CMF Watch Pro 2). Chunky, physically customisable and with it's sharp lines and visible screws, the CMF Phone 1 is like something created for Aliens.
It raises the old debate around good design versus over-engineering - but I love the new utilitarian approach to the CMF brand. It takes the direction of the Nothing brand, strips it back and rebuilds it for a new use. The LED glyphs of the mainline Nothing phones have been replaced by a functional design - the rear of the case can be unscrewed and new colours attached, or extra accessories can be attached.
There's a hit of nostalgia to the CMF Phone 1's physical customisation, and the idea is taken through the CMF Phone 1 design in fun and subtle ways - there's a large dial-screw on the rear that can be used to attach new accessories, such as a magnetic card holder and lanyard cable. It's the little stand that really ticks a box for me; I recently tried watching a Euro's England match on my Nothing Phone 2 wedged into a cap - a stand would have been welcome.
The design was summed up by Nothing's CEO Carl Pei, who the design aim focuses on "integrating creativity, practicality, and personalisation through design […] these products further mark our commitment to injecting fun into a boring industry, and I'm very excited to see the market feedback."
Behind the functional design the CMF Phone 1 has equally functional specs - MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (4 nm, octa core), 128GB storage, 8GB RAM, 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED,120Hz display and a 50 MP camera. It's not going to impress the Apple iPhone 15 crowd who love a slim bezel but for up to £239 it boasts incredible specs.
The same practical approach to design is fed into the CMF Watch Pro 2. The replaces the original's square display for a round watch face (I prefer the old look) and like the Phone 1 this new smart watch can be customised - simply unscrew the face bezel and add a new colour ring. Digital customisation is also on offer with the Watch Pro 2, the 1.32-inch AMOLED display features over 100 watch faces to choose from.
I've been using the Watch Pro 2 for the last week in prep for my review, and behind the design there's enough features to impress; it can support 120 sports (and automatically registers five sports) as well as offering Bluetooth calls, control music and remote camera controls. Again, it's affordable at just £69.
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If I were a cynic I'd say Nothing / CMF has followed the Nintendo model for finding ways to fund its lower costs, as accessories for both Phone 1 and Watch Pro 2 cost between £19 and £29. But I can't find fault, these are optional and the entry price for the phone and watch is so low it's hard to complain.
The new CMF range can be pre-ordered from today at the Nothing website (our CMF Phone 1 and Watch Pro 2 reviews are coming soon). As well as the CMF Phone 1 and CMF Watch Pro 2 there is also a new CMF Buds 2 as well as myriad accessories and attachments to make your new phone a little more you. If you want to spend more, read our Apple Watch Prime Day guide for all the latest offers.
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Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
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