Nothing simply launched the CMF Telephone 1. CMF is Nothing’s sub-brand. The CMF Telephone 1 is offered for below $200. This inexpensive Android smartphone caught my eye with its modular look. On this hands-on, I’ll share my preliminary ideas in regards to the CMF Telephone 1.
Purchase
Nothing CMF Telephone 1: All offers
The Nothing CMF Telephone 1 in a nutshell
The Nothing CMF Telephone 1 can be accessible within the USA from July 8, 2024. It’s only offered on Amazon and not on the producer’s official retailer. It can arrive in two configurations, however solely the 8/128 GB, priced at $199, can be accessible within the US. How do I make of those handsets? I suppose they are often thought of to be barely inferior to the Nothing Telephone (2a) (evaluate).
In any case, CMF is a sub-brand of Nothing. It targets primarily rising markets equivalent to India and Southeast Asia. The idea is to promote inexpensive merchandise with a robust emphasis on design. Nothing does not talk a lot about this regarding CMF in different elements of the world, however you’re nonetheless in a position to choose up CMF merchandise. Nothing additionally appears to be taking extra accountability for its sub-brand, which additionally features a smartwatch and wi-fi headphones.
Design and display
Design is the primary promoting level of the CMF Telephone 1. The again options an interchangeable panel and a tiny knob the place you may connect a wide range of equipment.
Professionals:
Distinctive design.
Cool modular or “interchangeable” idea.
Flat display with pretty skinny bezels.
120 Hz and good brightness.
Cons:
IPX2 certification solely
No Gorilla Glass for the display.
Costly equipment and covers contemplating the smartphone’s value.
The CMF Telephone 1 does not appear like different Nothing smartphones. There isn’t any clear again. As a substitute, the again is definitely a panel that may be eliminated through the 4 small seen screws. General, Nothing affords the handset in 4 colours: black, inexperienced, blue, and orange. After all, further panels have to be bought individually. They price $35 a pop, which I believe is a bit steep.
The black and inexperienced colours are made from matte plastic which could be very nice to the contact. The orange and blue variants arrive in fake leather-based. Even when it is a little bit of a departure from Nothing’s traditional design, it nonetheless stays inside vary of the producer’s spirit. The design has a really industrial look, with seen screws, and the metalized digital camera module offering the impression of it having simply come off the manufacturing unit press.
On the backside proper, there’s slightly knob. You possibly can unscrew it and use it as a method to launch the again panel. This knob is called the “Accent Level”, serving as an attachment for equipment.
Nothing sells them individually for $20 a pop. There is a lanyard, a stand to carry the smartphone, and a card holder to compensate for the absence of NFC.
I believe the concept is solely sensible. You possibly can mix-and-match colours or mix two equipment on the identical time (not all of them). Briefly, it provides a brand new dimension to the smartphone as an object. It is not simply an impersonal brick of glass and plastic. It is a customizable brick, with bits that snap on, snap off, and are interchangeable.
It is intelligent, interesting to my collector’s behavior of snapping up all of the equipment and circumstances. Not solely that, it additionally appeals to my “Lego” aspect, with the concept of “constructing” your smartphone.
I am pondering whether or not Nothing might take the idea even additional with a modular design à la Fairphone. Should you can roughly simply take away the again of the smartphone, why not make battery alternative equally straightforward?
Other than that, the smartphone is IPX2 licensed for water resistance. This implies you may’t dunk it and the IPX2 certification applies with and with out the plate on the again.
As for the show, a 6.67-inch AMOLED display affords visible readability with 1800 x 2400 pixel decision. The refresh charge stands at 120 Hz, with typical brightness of 500 to 700 nits, rising to 2,000 nits peak brightness. The display is flat and the bezels are pretty slim, though the chin is slightly too outstanding for my style.
Interface and OS
The CMF Telephone 1 introduces Nothing OS 2.6, a pores and skin based mostly on Android 14. There aren’t any main new options in comparison with Nothing OS 2.5. Nonetheless, Nothing’s pores and skin affords an excellent stability between inventory Android and some features and customization components. As for the replace coverage, it is bang common.
Professionals:
Clear, bloatware-free interface.
Nothing widgets are visually interesting.
Cons:
There’s not a lot to say about Nothing OS 2.6. You possibly can learn my Nothing OS 2.5 evaluate and my information to the very best options of Nothing OS 2.5 to search out out extra.
The CMF Telephone 1 will obtain 2 main Android updates and three years of safety updates. Even for a mid-range smartphone, that is fairly common. Mainly, it is the naked minimal a producer ought to present.
The main plus level of Nothing OS is the absence of bloatware and the interface implements all Android features whereas providing a number of customization choices from Nothing.
Efficiency and SoC
The Nothing CMF Telephone 1 includes a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC beneath the hood. The smartphone can be outfitted with 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of storage, relying on the model. The preliminary benchmark outcomes proved to be moderately disconcerting.
Professionals:
Much less highly effective than the Nothing Telephone (2a).
Cons:
Good temperature management and stability.
In concept, the CMF Telephone 1’s Dimensity 7300 ought to outperform the Nothing Telephone’s Dimensity 7200 Professional (2a). Each chips have been manufactured utilizing the 4 nm course of. Nonetheless, the Dimensity 7300, or extra exactly its essential core, has a decrease clock pace than the Dimensity 7200.
By way of efficiency, I’ve run my first benchmarks on the CMF Telephone 1, which confirmed it to be considerably much less highly effective than the Nothing Telephone (2a).
By itself, this is smart. The Nothing Telephone (2a) was nearly $100 costlier at launch. Nothing certainly needs to keep up a distinction between its essential vary and its CMF sub-range.
In any case, the CMF Telephone 1 proved simply as efficient because the Telephone (2a) by way of temperature management and stability. All that continues to be is to see the way it performs in sensible use as soon as my full evaluate is full.
Picture and video high quality
A single digital camera lens is all you get with the CMF Telephone 1. The smartphone includes a 50 MP sensor on the again. The second lens behind is solely a depth sensor for portrait mode. The selfie digital camera sports activities a 16 MP decision.
Professionals:
Awaiting the complete evaluate.
Cons:
Awaiting the complete evaluate.
I did not have time to take sufficient pictures with the CMF Telephone 1 for this evaluate. Nonetheless, armed with a single 50 MP lens on the again, capturing prospects stay fairly restricted.
There isn’t a flexibility borne by the ultra-wide angle lens and having a purely digital zoom as much as 10x magnification will hamper your efforts to get inventive. The 16 MP selfie digital camera appears fairly customary, too. Nothing has gone to nice lengths with its depth sensor for portrait mode and 2x zoom.
Personally, I can perceive the transfer to go for the necessities, particularly on this value vary. Nonetheless, extra versatile digital camera smartphones will be discovered for lower than $300.
As for video, the CMF Telephone 1 can file as much as 4K at 30 FPS with its essential lens.
Battery and recharging
The Nothing CMF Telephone 1 includes a 5,000 mAh battery. It accepts wired recharging as much as 33 watts. Wi-fi charging is just not included neither is there a charger within the field.
Professionals:
Giant battery capability.
Customary 33-watt charging.
Cons:
A 5,000 mAh battery is fairly customary in an Android smartphone costing lower than $300. 33-watt charging can be fairly widespread for a producer with no proprietary quick charging protocol.
I have not carried out any battery life checks with the CMF Telephone 1 but as I will let you know extra in my full evaluate. For reference, the Nothing Telephone (2a), with a really comparable SoC and battery, lasted over 17 hours in our PC Mark benchmark. It stays to be seen whether or not the CMF Telephone 1 will match this wonderful rating.
Technical specs
Conclusion: My first opinion
Would I counsel you to pre-order the CMF Telephone 1 at $199?
The fanboy in me, completely seduced by the atypical design, needs to say sure. Nonetheless, the tech “journalist” who did not have time to hold out a full evaluate earlier than the press embargo was lifted tells you to attend for the evaluate by the tip of the week.
In any case, Nothing is aware of tips on how to get folks speaking. I’ve hardly ever been so smitten by reviewing a sub-$300 smartphone. It is clear Nothing is taking increasingly accountability for its CMF vary as effectively.
Affiliate supply
CMF stands for “Color, Materials, End”. The concept behind the CMF Telephone 1 is to make use of its hyper-worked design to face out from the ocean of Redmi and Galaxy A smartphones that every one look alike. Maybe the concept can be to make folks overlook its technical shortcomings with a little bit of window dressing.
I will let you understand in a number of days.
What do you consider the Nothing CMF Telephone 1 after this hands-on? Do you propose to pre-order the smartphone?
Nothing CMF Telephone 1
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