Great technology at a low price. This is what the CMF by Nothing brand, a spin-off of the London-based tech company, stands for. The manufacturer has already impressively demonstrated that this premise works with the Watch Pro 2 and the Buds Pro 2, which impressed in our test. With the CMF Phone 1, the company is now bringing a breath of fresh air to the budget class of smartphones, delivering an extremely large phone for a price of around 200 euros and with some fresh ideas in tow, as our test reveals.
Technical data
| The product | Phone 1 |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
| CPU |
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| Operating system | Android 14; NothingOS 2.6 |
| Display |
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| Camera |
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| Memory | 8 GB RAM; 128 / 256 GB flash memory; expandable via micoSD card |
| Network | SIM card slot (2x Nano-SIM); 5G |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Dimensions and weight | 164 mm x 77 mm x 8 mm (H x W x D); Weight: 197g |
| Battery capacity | 5,000 mAh; 33 W charging (cable) |
| Colors | Black, orange, light green |
| Special features | IP52 certification; Replaceable back cover; Accessories on back cover |
| Prices (RRP) | € 219.00 * |
CMF Phone 1 test: Make your design the way you like it
- Unique design
- Replaceable back
- Good workmanship
A fresh, youthful look that can be quickly changed in just a few simple steps. What already worked for the wearable CMF Watch Pro 2 also applies to the CMF Phone 1, because the back of the smartphone can be replaced in no time at all.
The Phone 1 is available in a classic black color scheme as well as in a fresh orange or mint green (Light Green) look. Optional cases in orange, blue or light green are also available for around 35 euros, allowing you to change the look (and feel) of the device.
The cases are not covers, but simply replace the entire back of the smartphone. While our test device comes in the color black with a slightly roughened surface, the case in the color blue, which the manufacturer provided us with for the test, feels noticeably more grippy and “warmer” thanks to the vegan leather.
Replacing the case is very simple: the case comes with a screwdriver, a SIM card slot and a round accessory button in a matching color. Simply remove the four screws, take out the SIM card slot and you can pull off the back.
However, this round button on the back has even more functions, as the CMF Phone 1 can be used with other optional accessories. These include a lanyard, a card holder wallet or a stand.
As far as the general design of the CMF Phone 1 is concerned, the smartphone looks absolutely appealing in my eyes and has a minimalist, slightly industrial look. The silver contrasting control elements are a pleasant accent.
The fact that the Phone 1 is predominantly made of plastic is perfectly acceptable, also considering the price. The workmanship is of a good standard, but the black casing in particular is quite susceptible to scratches.
It’s a shame that it only offers IP52 certification, i.e. splash protection. Unfortunately, the device is not truly waterproof. The cheaper Phone 1 also lacks the glyph interface with illuminated LEDs that we know from the Nothing Phone 2a Plus (our test), for example.
Great AMOLED display, good features
- Bright AMOLED display
- high resolution
- 120 Hertz.
The display of the CMF Phone 1 is quite impressive in the price range up to 250 euros. The manufacturer has given the device a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1,080 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 hertz – perfect for games.
The brightness values are also quite rare in this price range. In a typical display, the screen is up to 700 nits bright, with HDR content it even peaks at a whopping 2,000 nits. Thanks to the thin display edges, the flat screen takes up almost the entire front of the device. The Phone 1 displays colors and contrasts very well, making media consumption really fun.
However, the glass used is somewhat more susceptible to fingerprints and dirt than is the case with smartphones in higher price ranges. On the other hand, CMF by Nothing has equipped the Phone 1 with an optical fingerprint sensor that works very precisely and quickly.
Features and software
- MediaTek chip with 8 Gbyte RAM
- Memory expandable via microSD card
- No NFC; average speakers
The features are also very impressive. Under the hood is the MediaTek Dimnsity 7300 chipset, which combines eight processing cores with clock frequencies of up to 2.5 GHz and works very efficiently thanks to 4 nm production.
It is supported by 8 GB of RAM, whereby the smartphone can borrow up to a further 8 GB from the system memory. By default, a memory expansion of 2 GB is set here, which can be increased to 4 GB or 8 GB, although this requires a restart. The memory is either 128 GB or 256 GB and can be expanded by up to 2 terabytes via microSD card if required.
Alternatively, two SIM cards can be used with the Phone 1. Both slots support 5G. There is also fast Wi-Fi 6 with impressive range and Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting to wireless devices.
Unfortunately, there is no NFC – a corresponding chip is not installed here, which is not unusual in this price range. There is also only one mono speaker at the bottom, which is nice and loud, but tends to distort at high volumes. The mids in particular are also somewhat lacking in detail, which makes for a somewhat muddy sound with spoken content.
The operating system is Nothing OS 2.6 based on Android 14, whose clean and minimalist look I simply love. However, if you don’t want this black and white look, you can also use a classic Android design as an alternative.
Unfortunately, the manufacturer only provides 2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security updates. A bit weak. The current security patch is from August 01, 2024.
Performance of the CMF Phone 1
- good system and CPU performance
- weak GPU
- hardly suitable for games
Although the chip of the CMF Phone 1 is newer than that of the Nothing Phone 2a, for example, the manufacturer uses slower CPU cores and a weaker GPU. This means that the smartphone cannot quite keep up with more recent mid-range devices in terms of performance. Nevertheless, the Phone 1 can keep up with the significantly more expensive Nothing Phone 2a Plus in terms of pure CPU performance.
The graphics unit shows weaknesses in games in particular. For occasional gaming with less demanding games, the performance offered is sufficient, but not much more is possible. This is also due to the fact that CMF by Nothing uses a simpler cooling system compared to the Nothing Phone 2a/2a Plus.
Fortunately, you don’t really notice much of this. Even in the stress test, there is hardly any drop in performance, while the device does not heat up too much and can therefore continue to be used without any problems. And yet: If you want to play a lot with your smartphone, you will only be happy here to a limited extent due to the weak GPU.
| Benchmark | Result |
| PCMark Work 3.0 | 11,750 points |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 2,935 points |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 1,031 points |
| Geekbench 6 GPU | 2,506 points |
| Geekbench AI | 915 / 914 / 2,071 points |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme | 849 points; 5.08 FPS |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light | 344 pts; 2.55 FPS |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light stress test | 98.8 percent |
In everyday use and normal tasks, including multitasking, streaming high-resolution videos and much more, however, the somewhat weak SoC is not noticeable: the CMF Phone 1 scores here with a fast response time, smooth operation and impeccable usability in everyday use.
The cameras of the CMF Phone 1
On the back, the CMF Phone 1 has a 50 MP main camera that uses the Sony IMX 882 sensor. This can also be found in significantly more expensive models such as the Poco F6. It offers an aperture of f/1.8, but unfortunately has no optical image stabilization (OIS). If you have shaky hands, you run the risk of images lacking sharpness.
There is also a 2 MP depth sensor for portrait shots and a 16 MP selfie camera on the front. The image quality of the main camera is fine in good lighting conditions.
If you manage to take blur-free shots, they score points with their coherent sharpness and good level of detail. However, the dynamic range is somewhat low, which gives the photos an oversaturated, rather flat look with a lack of contrast between dark and light areas. The situation is similar with the selfie camera, which delivers solid results but lacks unique features.
Portrait shots look quite good. The bokeh exposes the focused subject quite well, but shows some weaknesses in the cropping of hair and fine details.
The image quality falls further behind in difficult lighting conditions or night shots. Image noise is always present, while details are quickly lost. In addition, the lighting and colors do not look very realistic. The main camera records videos in a maximum of 4K UHD resolution at 30 frames per second. Here too, the quality is okay, but you won’t find any real unique selling points.
Battery of the CMF Phone 1
- 5,000 mAh
- excellent runtime
- 33 watt charging speed
The CMF Phone 1 relies on a 5,000 mAh battery, which – in combination with the efficient chip – achieves very good runtimes. In the PCMark 3.0 Battery Benchmark, I achieved a runtime of 17 hours and 31 minutes. An excellent value that is on a par with the Nothing Phone 2a Plus.
Charging takes place at a maximum speed of 33 watts, but wireless charging is unfortunately not possible. However, the Phone 1 is capable of reverse wireless charging with up to 5 watts.
CMF Phone 1 Review: Conclusion
The CMF Phone 1 offers a pretty impressive package for around 220 euros. The design is absolutely unique, but the build quality is really good. And the features are also really impressive. The fact that the memory can be expanded using a microSD card is also a welcome feature.
Then there’s the long-lasting battery, the great display and absolutely coherent performance – if you don’t want to use the device for gaming. However, it lacks features such as NFC, wireless charging or a better camera setup, which you can certainly find in the competition in the price range up to 300 euros.
If that doesn’t bother you, the CMF Phone 1 is an absolutely solid all-rounder that performs above its price range in some areas, but falls a little short in others. However, price-conscious buyers can definitely pick it up after careful consideration.
CMF Phone 1
Workmanship
Hardware
Multimedia
Performance
Battery
Value For Money
85/100
Versatile and high-quality budget smartphone with a great display, strong battery and good performance, but with weaknesses in the cameras. You also have to do without NFC.
