Following the launch of its highly anticipated Phone (2a), Landon-based tech firm Nothing has found its way back to the headlines with the arrival of the new CMF Phone (1) – the first smartphone launched under Nothing’s CMF sub-brand. This much anticipated launch finally sees the company venturing into the highly competitive entry-range segment traditionally dominated by the likes of Xiaomi and OPPO to name a few.
Courtesy of Nothing Singapore, I had the opportunity to test out the new S$369 CMF Phone (1) for over two weeks and it left me with nothing but only good things to talk about it.
CMF Phone (1): Design
Nothing is no stranger to non-conventional smartphone design and the new CMF Phone (1) is certainly no exception in this regard. It stands out with a modular design that opens up a world of customization possibilities which not only allows you to swap its back cover easily, but also gives you the ability to affix other accessories to it.
The back cover itself can be removed easily by simply unscrewing the four flathead screws around the back of the phone using the tiny screwdriver that’s included out of the box. For my case, I had the Black colour model which features a plastic back panel with uniform matte finish that’s pretty much immune to any fingerprints and smudges.
@playfuldroid Hands on with the new Nothing CMF Phone (1)! Really love its unique design ? #CMFPhone1 #NothingCMFPhone1 #CMF #Nothing #Smartphone ? GANGSTERS – Emmett Zetto & Talentless
The nice thing about having a removable back cover is that I can easily change the back cover to suit my mood. For instance, I can swap the Black coloured back cover to a bright Yellow cover (with a premium-touting vegan leather back) on days when I’m feeling joyous. The only catch is that these additional covers have to be purchase separately at S$29.
As mentioned earlier, the CMF Phone (1) also allows you to add extra accessories to the device through a small circular wheel on the bottom right known as the Accessory Point. Thanks to that, you can easily add accessories such as a lanyard, card holder or even a kickstand. No doubt, Nothing has successfully made tech fun again with these exciting features.
Over at the front, the CMF Phone (1) impresses with a 6.67” AMOLED display that looks sharp and vibrant regardless whether you’re using the phone in an indoor or outdoor environment. What really makes the phone stands out however, is the fast 120Hz refresh rate that we don’t typically see among smartphones of this price range.
Also, let’s not forget that the CMF Phone (1) is IP52-rated for dust and water resistance as well. This means you can have a peace of mind when the phone was unintentionally exposed to minor splash of water or light drizzle.
CMF Phone (1): Performance
Sitting at the heart of the phone is an octa-core Mediatek Dimensity 7300 chipset fabricated using an advanced 4nm process. In day-to-day usage, this chipset certainly backs you with more than sufficient horsepower to handle day-to-day tasks such as text messaging, social media consumption and even mobile gaming (under default game settings).
This will be supplemented by an ample 8GB RAM which essentially makes multi-tasking felt like a breeze as it’s able to support dozens of background apps simultaneously. Elsewhere, the phone also offers a generous 256GB onboard storage which allows user to store plenty of media contents on the device without having to resort to external storage solution.
To keep it’s light on, the CMF Phone (1) is backed by a respectable 5,000mAh battery that last for around 1.5 days under moderate usage. This include one to two hours of gaming during my daily commuting with the screen’s refresh rate set to default.
In the event that the battery runs out, the phone also supports up to 33W wired charging with a compatible charging adaptor. Although there’s no wireless charging onboard, but the phone does support 5W reverse charging which allows it to double up as a “portable charger” to recharge other devices wirelessly.
CMF Phone (1): Cameras
Moving on to the imaging side of things, the CMF Phone (1) features a surprisingly capable dual-cam setup comprising of a 50 megapixels (f/1.8 aperture) main camera as well as a 2 megapixels (f/2.4 aperture) depth sensing unit that helps with portrait photography.
Regardless whether you’re shooting in a bright or dimly-lit environment, the main camera is able to capture amazing photos with excellent dynamic range and details. While this may sounds a bit exaggerating, you won’t be surprised that the photos captured by this affordable handset are actually comparable to those taken by smartphones that are twice it’s price.
Like any other handsets in this price range, the CMF Phone (1) lacks a dedicated telephoto camera for zoomed shots. Despite that, the phone is still able to capture high quality photos at 2x or 3x zoom – making it ideal for those who love taking macro or portrait photos.
As for selfies, its good to know that the phone is also equipped with a serviceable 16 megapixels front-facing camera that’s able to capture good looking selfies with decent amount of details and dynamic range. More importantly, the selfies look natural enough rather than some overly “beautified” bunch.
Verdict
At S$369, the new CMF Phone (1) is perhaps the most impressive budget smartphone you can possibly get in the market. Apart from its all-rounded specs, the CMF Phone (1) also stands out with a fun and innovative design that brings a breath of fresh air to the smartphone market.
For those who’re interested, the CMF Phone (1) is available for purchase in Singapore through online platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, as well as Challenger stores.
