CMF Phone 1 launched: This Nothing phone is (sort of) modular

Nothing has exhaustively teased the arrival of the first phone under its CMF sub-brand. Thankfully, the company has finally launched the CMF Phone 1, and it could be one of the better cheap phones out there.

The CMF Phone 1 stands out from other handsets by virtue of its design. The Glyph lighting seen on mainline Nothing phones has been abolished in favor of a plain rear cover, complete with screws. These screws hint at one notable feature, namely the removable rear cover.

Nothing will indeed let you replace the rear cover with other covers, featuring different materials and colors. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like removing this cover grants you access to the battery, as is the case with other phones packing a removable cover.

Take a look at the bottom-right corner of the device, though, and you’ll see what Nothing is calling an “Accessory Point.” This connector enables a range of other accessories (surprise), including a card case, a lanyard, and a kickstand.

This approach isn’t nearly as ambitious as modular phones like the Fairphone series, which let you swap out components (e.g. camera, battery). Nevertheless, Nothing’s solution still enables more customization than typical phones.

Otherwise, the CMF Phone 1 is a lower mid-range handset. Expect a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED screen (2,000 nits peak brightness), 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery.

Nothing did, however, make a few compromises to reach a lower price. That includes 33W wired charging in lieu of faster speeds, no wireless charging, and a 50MP rear camera with an undisclosed depth sensor instead of a proper secondary camera. The device also has a paltry update policy, offering two major OS updates and three years of security patches.

Other features worth knowing include a 16MP selfie camera, an IP52 rating, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and microSD support.

Keen on getting this device? Nothing says the 8GB/128GB CMF Phone 1 will be available in the US via a beta program for $199. Otherwise, the device will be available at a starting price of £209 and €239 in the UK and Europe. Indian users can expect to pay Rs 17,999 for the 8GB/128GB model, although the country is also getting a 6GB/128GB variant for Rs 15,999.

Nothing is also selling several accessories for the CMF Phone 1. These extras include a case in one of several colors (Black, Blue, Light Green, Orange), a kickstand, a lanyard, and a card case. The cases in various colors will set you back $35, while the rest of the extras will retail for $25 a pop.

The company also unveiled the CMF Watch Pro 2. The new watch has interchangeable bands but also allows you to swap out the bezel for an alternative design.

Nothing’s watch offers a circular 1.32-inch AMOLED screen, an aluminum body, a crown for controlling the device, and an IP68 rating.

Don’t expect Wear OS here, but the device still packs plenty of features. These include over 100 watch faces, a variety of smartphone controls (e.g. Bluetooth calls, notifications, music controls), integrated GPS, and 11 days of typical use or nine days of heavy usage.

The CMF Watch Pro 2 also has a variety of health-related features. Expect heart rate and SpO2 tracking, sleep/stress/menstrual tracking, support for 120 sports, and auto-recognition of five sports.

Expect to pay $69 for the CMF Watch Pro 2. European and UK consumers will need to splash out £69 and €69, respectively.

Finally, Nothing’s revealed the CMF Buds Pro 2 earbuds. The charging case stands out by virtue of a smart dial, with a twist controlling volume and playback. You can also press the dial to control noise cancelation, smart assistants, and more.

The Buds Pro 2 also brings Bluetooth 5.3, LDAC codec support, spatial audio, hybrid active noise cancelation (up to 50 decibels), and six mics in total.

As for battery life, Nothing promises six hours of juice with ANC disabled and 4.8 hours with ANC on. The charging case delivers 25 hours of playtime with ANC off and 18.6 hours with ANC on. Nothing also claims that you can get up to three hours of playback with a 10-minute charge.

The CMF Buds Pro 2 will cost $59 / £59 / €59 in the US, UK, and Europe, respectively.