CMF PHONE 1: First-Ever Smart Phone Launch by Nothing’s Sub-Brand CMF is Peculiar!
CMF Phone 1 by CMF by Nothing is such a sensation right now as the first-ever phone launched by CMF, the sub-brand of Nothing. The smartphone is famous for its punky build and budget-friendly endeavors, with top-notch features available under the budget. It boasts a unique and customizable build and design suited to the GenZ minds of today, hyping a new era of power and stylishness. Well, CMF has thrown a bombshell on us with its latest smartphone.
Technical Specifications Of CMF Phone 1
Body: 164.0 x 77.0 x 8.2|197 g or 202g|Dual SIM
Display: Amoled|120Hz| HDR10+|6.67 inches|1080 x 2400 pixels
Platform: Android 14|Mediatek Dimensity 7300|Octa-core |Mali-G615 MC2
Memory: Up to 8 GB RAM| RAM and up to 256 GB storage
Battery: 5000 mAh, 33W wired
Camera: Dual Camera: 5 MP wide, 2 MP depth, 16 MP selfie
Presenting the Features of CMF Phone 1 that Catch Our Eye:
Let us dive into the features of this punky smartphone you will ever own:
1. Design and Build
The design has made a bold statement. The smartphones come in 3 different colors, making them look punky yet classy. The removable back case is a 5-screw design that can be removed with the flathead screwdriver provided as an accessory and the last screw of them is in the form of a circular dial with multitasking abilities. It offers other accessories, like a magnetic card wallet for cards and a lanyard cable for stylish handling of your smartphone. And a stand to be attached for your ease is there.
Under the budget, the customization experience, and the themes, it provides a timeless classic yet fun, evoking nostalgia for early 2000s Nokia phones. These iconic devices, like the Nokia 3310 and Nokia 3200, were known for their durability, unique designs, and memorable features. Though it takes time to take out the back cover, it is worth the fun and experience, though the circular dial, also called an accessory point, can be difficult sometimes if you hold your phone for a long time. This punky-looking stylish smartphone weighs around 197 g or 202 g, quite a normal weight compared to others. The screen dimensions are also very decent, i.e. 164 x 77 x 8.2 mm in length, breadth, and width.
2. Display
The CMF has worked a lot for its first-ever smartphone display. The 6.67-inch AMOLED glass is for protection but it is recommended to use tempered glass as a safety backing. The 120 HZ screen refresh rate is decent and fast for scrolling apps and browsers all day under such pricing.
The color themes and schemes are bright and vibrant, making it easier for your eyes with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels at the 20:9 ratio. The typical brightness is also quite good, i.e., up to 700 nits, while the peak brightness can reach up to 2000 nits. The optical fingerprint sensor is there, which is very smooth. It sure has the problem of fluctuating refresh rates between 60 and 120 Hz; well, it is a budget smartphone.
3. Performance
The one decent thing to talk about except for the customization theme is the performance it delivers within such a budget, which is truly a remarkable feat. The software is running on Nothing OS 2.6 based on Android 14, giving you the complete package of Nothing’s software experience under the budget. It runs on the chipset of Mediatek Dimensity 730o with a decent Octa-Core processor under the given price, as the performance is quite smooth with a minimal lag which is occasionally noticeable. The processor runs at a refresh rate of 4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 with a normal GPU of Mali-G615 MC2. And it gives the guarantee of 2-year Android updates.
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4. Camera
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 provides the camera fitting for a phone under budget, which is quite decent compared to others on the market. It offers a 50 MP main camera with a dedicated 2 MP depth of field, with which it can boast about dual cameras for the price. It has a 16 MP front camera for selfies. The videos are recorded with 4K and 30fps with a resolution i.e.of 1080p and 30/60fp The camera also provides LED flash, panorama, and HDR. The color range and scheme of the photos are decent based on the price and there is nothing much to complain about.
5. Battery
The battery provided by Nothing CMF phone 1 is very good with the price. It offers a 5000 mAh cell to give a full 2 days of battery life with light use. Even standby battery life is amazing, as it only drains a few battery percentages if you keep it on standby for a few hours. Social messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger can quickly drain your phone’s battery life. The main downside is that it has a prolonged charging rate, so you have to charge it overnight for long uses despite providing 33 W of charging.
6. Gaming
The gaming part is just okay for light gaming and low-setting gameplay for heavy gameplay. Despite being provided with 6 GB or 8 GB RAM variants and storage up to 256 GB, the chipset of Mediatek Dimensity 7300 can not handle heavy games at the highest settings as it keeps being laggy but is smooth for the most part with light gaming.
7. Software
The software of Nothing CMF phone 1 boasts the latest Android 14 along with the original Nothing OS 2.6 and the dot matrix UI. It offers game modes that do not seem to optimize with heavy games like Genshin Impact and AI vivid mode for cameras. It promises 2 years of major OS and security updates for 3 years. Many widgets and icons have a monochromatic and classically bold look. It also offers a widget dedicated to your popular AI assistant, Chat GPT.
8. Network
The network and communication part is quite varied in the services it offers. It provides dual-band wifi services like Wi-Fi 802.11 and BLE Bluetooth of range 5.3 and A2DP. It has in-built positioning like GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, and QZSS, lacks a radio feature, and supports a USB Type-C charger. All these features are quite decent and there is nothing much to talk about as we all know the budgeting of this smartphone.
9. Price
The most incredible point seems to be the price that Nothing CMF phone 1 provides. It is very competitive and under budget for its first smartphone. The price point is the most attractive, as you get all these decent features for just $259 for the 128 GB and 8 GB RAM variants. The price goes up and down depending on which variant you buy.
It has also launched in Nepal, and with all the international hype it is getting globally,. The back covers should be purchased separately, as you only get one type on the package. It only comes with a flathead screwdriver. You can buy the other accessories separately. It costs 37,000 NPR for the 8/128 GB variant and 41,500 NPR for the 8/256 GB variant and is currently available in Nepal. As it is called a budget phone internationally, it is not worth the Nepali price. Despite being a budget phone from the outside, what a profit scheme it takes for the accessories to be purchased separately!
Is This New Hype Hit or Diss?
CMF Phone 1 is an international sensation on a competitive budget. The customizable options and nostalgia it offers are top-notch. Its brightness and display settings with Nothing’s dot matrix OS are quite industrial-looking and classy. The accessories offered are unique when compared to others. It is slightly above mid-performance compared to phones of the same price range.
The RAM and storage capacity are also quite decent. It is recommended for daily normal uses for people under a budget. But if you want more than just quirky customization with price, then go for it; otherwise, it is just an OK grade based on performance and chipset. The price point in Nepal is around 40K NPR, which is not a budget-friendly option for our Nepali fellows.
Conclusively, for our international fellows, it is a standard budget phone, providing above-budget in terms of designs and aesthetics if you do not mind backing in performance. I would say it is not worth it for Nepali smartphone enthusiasts, seeing as it is definitely above budget according to the Nepali standard.
FAQs
1. What is a CMF phone?
The CMF Phone 1 is a smartphone developed by Nothing’s sub-brand CMF, which stands for “Color, Material, Finish,” which showcases the motive for design and aesthetics. It is uniquely known for its customizable back covers and accessories.
2. Is the Nothing CMF Phone 1 water-resistant?
Yes, the Nothing CMF Phone 1 has an IP52 rating for water and dust resistance but is not fully waterproof.
3. How long will the Nothing CMF Phone 1 be supported for?
The Nothing CMF Phone 1 will supported with 2 years of Android OS update and 3 years of security updates.
4. What are the available back covers?
It offers a variety of back covers to suit different styles and preferences. It is available in a matte plastic finish (black and light green) and a vegan leather plastic finish (blue and orange).
5. How does it compare to other phones in the price range?
It is quite a competitive option in the price range and it is complete with its modular customizable designs, peak brightness, and expandable storage. It lags in terms of performance.
6. What other accessories are available?
It has 4 main accessories available and should be bought separately It offers replaceable back covers, a cardholder for your cards, a phone stand, and a lanyard cable for stylish handling.
7. Looking for the CMF Phone 1 price in Nepal?
The CMF Phone 1 is a mid-range smartphone with a unique design and exciting customization options. In Nepal, the price starts at NPR 36,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. If you need more storage, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option goes for NPR 41,499.