Nothing CMF Phone 1

Bold and Customizable Design

The Nothing CMF Phone 1 redefines affordable smartphone aesthetics with a bold, modular design that’s both expressive and practical. It stands out thanks to a minimalist industrial look, exposed screws, and interchangeable rear panels that let users personalize their phones with ease. Available in vibrant finishes like Light Green, Black, Orange, and Blue, the CMF Phone 1 allows for dynamic style swaps—offering a creative touch rarely seen in budget devices.

Unlike conventional phones that rely solely on fixed aesthetics, this device includes an “Accessory Point,” a unique attachment mount built into the back cover. Users can add functional accessories like kickstands or lanyards, enhancing practicality without needing a case. This feature adds versatility and encourages users to customize their daily experience to fit their lifestyle.

The build quality is solid despite the removable back, with a robust polycarbonate frame and a glass front panel for added durability. While it lacks an official IP rating, its construction is tight and resistant to daily dust and splashes. Measuring 164 x 77 x 8.2 mm and weighing under 200 grams, it strikes an ideal balance between screen size and hand comfort.

The device supports a premium feel even with a plastic back, thanks to clean lines, minimal branding, and well-aligned buttons. Rounded corners and soft edges contribute to an ergonomic grip that suits prolonged one-handed usage. Its rear panel texture—either matte or vegan leather, depending on the version—adds tactile depth and aesthetic variety.

Users will also appreciate the refined button feedback and convenient placement of controls, including a side-mounted power button that doubles as a fast-responding fingerprint reader. The overall form is designed for both utility and appeal, presenting a youthful, futuristic vibe that aligns with Nothing’s design philosophy.

In a market saturated with generic glass slabs, the Nothing CMF Phone 1’s visual identity and modular design approach make it a breath of fresh air for creative users who value individuality in their tech.

Impressive AMOLED Display

The CMF Phone 1 features a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that offers a visual experience far superior to typical phones in its price range. With a refresh rate of 120Hz, this screen delivers ultra-smooth scrolling, fluid animations, and responsive feedback during gaming or app switching. The high refresh rate, combined with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, ensures top-tier responsiveness that enhances everyday usability.

Brightness is another standout factor—the screen peaks at up to 2000 nits under direct sunlight, maintaining excellent visibility outdoors. Whether you’re navigating maps on a sunny day or watching HDR content in a bright environment, this screen holds up impressively without washing out details. Its AMOLED nature means you also get deep blacks and vibrant colors, making media consumption a delight.

The display supports HDR10+, so users can enjoy high dynamic range content on platforms like YouTube and streaming services with enhanced contrast and realism. Color calibration out of the box is well-balanced, offering a natural look without the oversaturation often seen on mid-range AMOLEDs. It’s excellent for photo editing, gaming, or binge-watching sessions.

Design-wise, the slim bezels and centered punch-hole camera help maximize usable screen area without distractions. This creates a near edge-to-edge viewing experience that enhances immersion during gaming or movie streaming. It’s also protected by toughened glass, reducing risks from everyday scratches and minor impacts.

The CMF Phone 1’s display adapts intelligently to user behavior. When idle or reading static content, it lowers its refresh rate to save battery. At full pace, it shifts into 120Hz to deliver peak performance. This adaptive approach helps extend battery life while maintaining the benefit of high-speed visuals.

Overall, the Nothing CMF Phone 1’s display exceeds expectations by offering flagship-grade brightness, refresh rate, and clarity in a budget-friendly package—ideal for users who value great visuals on a tight budget.

Smooth Performance with Dimensity Power

At its core, the CMF Phone 1 runs on the 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, an efficient and powerful mid-range chip tailored for speed and multitasking. Paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, the phone handles demanding apps, social media, multitasking, and gaming with ease. Its performance stands out in its segment, beating many similarly priced competitors.

This processor includes an octa-core architecture optimized for battery efficiency and thermal control. Thanks to its 4nm fabrication process, it delivers fast speeds with less heat and battery drain, even during extended sessions. Apps load quickly, and navigation through the custom Android interface remains smooth and jitter-free, even with multiple apps running in the background.

Gaming performance is surprisingly strong for a phone in this range. Popular titles like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG can run at high settings, with frame rates up to 90FPS on supported games. Graphics rendering remains stable, and the device includes Game Mode optimizations to reduce distractions and enhance performance while gaming.

It runs on Nothing OS 2.6, a light and responsive user interface built on Android 14. The OS includes thoughtful design elements, minimal bloatware, and efficient background task management. It also brings subtle personalization features like custom widgets, monochrome icons, and smart battery tools that add a unique feel to the Android experience.

Storage is expandable via a dedicated microSD card slot—a rare feature at this price point—allowing users to scale up their media or app library without deleting old content. Additionally, the phone supports virtual RAM expansion, boosting total memory up to 16GB for enhanced multitasking.

This well-optimized software-hardware synergy gives the CMF Phone 1 a polished user experience, letting it perform like a more expensive mid-range phone. It’s ideal for users who want speed, style, and software fluidity without the flagship price tag.

Reliable 50MP Camera Setup

The CMF Phone 1 comes with a dual rear camera system featuring a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth lens. The primary shooter captures sharp, colorful photos in daylight, with a good dynamic range and minimal processing artifacts. For everyday users, this camera delivers highly usable results straight out of the box, ideal for social media uploads or casual photography.

Portrait mode, powered by the depth sensor, does a solid job of separating subjects from backgrounds, producing a soft bokeh effect that enhances photos without overdoing it. Autofocus is quick and generally reliable, while shutter response is snappy—great for capturing spontaneous moments. Image tuning is natural, with vibrant colors that don’t look overly saturated.

Low-light performance is respectable, especially with the built-in Night Mode, which uses multi-frame processing to reduce noise and improve clarity. While not flagship-tier, it still produces usable shots in dim lighting for casual night photography. Flash is also balanced and doesn’t blow out close-up shots.

Video recording supports up to 4K resolution at 30fps, offering crisp footage with minimal jitter thanks to electronic image stabilization. For everyday creators, vloggers, or social media influencers, the video quality is more than adequate. Features like time-lapse, slow motion, and panorama enhance creative options.

The 16MP front-facing camera is embedded in a small punch-hole cutout and provides clear selfies with accurate skin tones and natural facial detail. It supports Face Unlock and beauty filters, making it ideal for video calls and selfie lovers. It also performs well under mixed lighting conditions.

Despite being an affordable phone, the CMF Phone 1 doesn’t skimp on photographic capabilities. It delivers consistent and impressive results across most scenarios, making it one of the better camera performers in its segment.

Long-Lasting Battery and Fast Charging

Fueling the CMF Phone 1 is a 5000mAh battery that easily powers users through a full day of intense use or two days of lighter tasks. Its 4nm chipset and AMOLED display contribute to excellent power efficiency, minimizing drain during idle time or low-demand apps. Battery life has been one of the phone’s standout features, especially among reviewers.

Thanks to 33W fast charging support, the device can top up from zero to 50% in about 25 minutes and reach full charge in just over an hour. While not the fastest in the industry, it’s quick enough to keep you on the go without long wait times. This fast-charging speed is a big plus for commuters, students, or busy professionals.

Smart charging algorithms manage battery health, avoiding overheating and preserving battery longevity over hundreds of charge cycles. This ensures the device remains reliable for years without rapid battery degradation—an often overlooked feature in budget smartphones.

The CMF Phone 1 supports battery-saving features such as app hibernation, scheduled optimization, and adaptive brightness. These options, embedded within the Nothing OS settings, help reduce background consumption and stretch battery life when needed.

Even under stress—gaming, streaming, GPS navigation—the battery performs well, holding out for hours without dramatic dips. Users can confidently use the phone for daily work, entertainment, and communication without worrying about frequent recharging.

Ultimately, the phone’s battery endurance and efficient power management add significant value, ensuring it can keep up with demanding users throughout the day.

Smart Features and Reliable Connectivity

Connectivity on the CMF Phone 1 includes dual 5G SIM support, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, GPS, and a headphone jack—a rare addition in 2025. This ensures fast, modern connections with legacy compatibility for users who prefer wired audio. While NFC is notably absent, all other essentials are covered for seamless everyday use.

The phone features an in-display fingerprint sensor that’s fast and reliable, alongside face unlock support for added convenience. These biometric systems are integrated seamlessly into the software for quick, secure access.

It offers expandable storage via microSD up to 2TB—something few phones offer today. This is ideal for photographers, musicians, or anyone needing massive space without relying on cloud storage. The inclusion of reverse wired charging is another bonus, letting users share power with other devices when needed.

Software support is strong, with two years of Android updates and three years of security patches promised by Nothing. The clean, ad-free Nothing OS ensures a polished and fast user experience, blending minimalism with useful custom widgets and privacy controls.

Audio is handled through a mono speaker setup that delivers loud but average sound quality. While stereo would be ideal, the headphone jack and Bluetooth 5.3 ensure plenty of high-quality audio options for music lovers and gamers.

The CMF Phone 1’s connectivity and smart features add polish to its user experience. With broad network support, practical tools, and thoughtful software, it stands as a well-rounded and future-friendly device in the budget segment.