Nothing first made a splash with its earbuds before jumping into the smartphone market. It appears the company will follow the same strategy for its new CMF sub-brand. Last year, the latter launched budget earbuds, a power brick, and a smartwatch in India. And now, it seems poised to launch its first smartphone, the CMF Phone 1. Given the sub-brand’s focus on budget devices, the Phone 1 won’t compete with flagship Android phones. Instead, it will likely take on budget options from Samsung and other Android manufacturers.
Best budget Android phones in 2024
These days, you don’t have to pay through the nose to get a decent phone
So, how will the CMF Phone 1 stand out from other budget smartphones? Will it also feature Glyph lights like its Nothing siblings? And how much will it cost? Read below to learn about the CMF Phone 1, its leaked specs, possible release date, and more.
CMF Phone 1: Design and specs
A cheaper Phone 2a?
Renders or real-life images of the CMF Phone 1 are yet to leak online, so there’s no clarity on how the phone will look. But if CMF’s previous products are anything to by, don’t expect the Phone 1 to look similar to the Nothing Phone 2 or 2a. It might retain the same design but give up on the Glyph lights and make a few other trade-offs.
Interestingly, the CMF Phone 1 could feature replaceable plastic back covers, enabling a new level of personalization. While some phones have previously offered this functionality, they did not click with consumers. However, Carl Pei-led Nothing and CMF might make it work if they can give the concept a new twist.
Leaker @realMlgmXyysd also hints at a unique “Nothing Lock,” which will be located in the phone’s lower right corner on the back for connecting add-ons and other accessories. Given the cost constraints, Nothing’s budget brand is unlikely to add Moto Mods-like functionality to its budget phone. So, we will have to wait for a more concrete leak to see what the Nothing Lock and its add-ons are all about.
Given that orange is CMF’s staple color, the Phone 1 should launch in this shade. However, a leak says this color could be India-exclusive, with black, green, and blue being the other color options that will launch in all markets where the Phone 1 goes on sale.
As for specs, a leak suggests the CMF Phone 1 could pack similar internals to the Phone 2a. Codenamed A015, the phone will apparently use a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 (MT6886) chipset. CMF will purportedly pair this with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The phone might even ship with a microSD card slot, enabling storage expansion for cheap in the future.
An early leak from 91Mobiles suggested the CMF Phone 1 could sport a 6.5-inch display with a single rear camera. But a more reliable source shot this rumor down. Instead, it looks likely the phone will sport a 6.67-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Other rumored specs of the CMF Phone 1 include a 5,000mAh battery with 33W wired fast charging, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual nano-SIM slots. The phone will seemingly miss NFC, so tap-to-pay payments won’t work. That’s a pretty big miss in 2024, and it seems like an odd decision for CMF to not include NFC.
CMF Phone 1: Cameras
Don’t expect much
Nothing phones are not known for their camera performance, and given that the CMF Phone 1 will be a budget device, it is unlikely to be an exception. Leaks suggest the Phone 1 could sport a 50MP primary rear camera, but details about the secondary sensor remain under wraps.
The latter is unlikely to be an ultrawide or telephoto due to cost constraints. Instead, expect a 2MP or 5MP depth or macro shooter to accompany the primary camera. A single LED flash will accompany the vertically-placed rear cameras.
Since CMF will apparently base the Phone 1 on the Nothing Phone 2a, it should sport the same 50MP sensor as the latter. In our review, we found the Nothing Phone 2a‘s camera performance below par, and the CMF Phone 1 should perform similarly or slightly worse.
At the front, the CMF Phone 1 could house a 16MP selfie shooter with a fixed focus. There’s no word on the phone’s video recording capabilities, but it should be able to shoot 4K videos, at least from the primary rear camera.
CMF Phone 1: Software
Nothing OS might come to Nothing’s budget brand
The CMF Phone 1 should launch running Android 14, with Nothing OS on top of it. Nothing is unlikely to develop a new skin for its CMF sub-brand, and bringing the Nothing OS experience to its budget brand makes much more sense.
A leak indicates the CMF Phone 1 will launch running Nothing OS 2.6, based on Android 14, with virtual A/B and dynamic partition support. The latter means the phone should support seamless updates, enabling quick installation of new OS builds in the background.
As for the software update policy, Nothing promises three years of Android updates and four years of security patches for the Phone 2a. Since the CMF Phone 1 will be a budget-focused device based on the Phone 2a, Nothing might provide it with the same software update support. Or it could only promise two OS updates and three years of security patches.
CMF Phone 1: Price and release date
Coming this July?
Rumors surrounding the CMF Phone 1 have only recently started surfacing, but given the quality of leaks, its launch should not be far away. One leaker claims a July 2024 release timeframe, with the phone apparently costing $249, a fair bit higher than the initially rumored $140.
If the leak is accurate, CMF’s Phone 1 would cost around Rs 20,000 in India. This puts it in a crowded market segment where Samsung, OnePlus, and other companies already sell many budget-friendly phones. The phone might also launch in selected European markets.
Since Nothing has never brought any of its CMF-branded devices to the US before, Phone 1 likely won’t be available there either. We hope it may be something the brand tries to bring to the US, but it currently looks unlikely.
The budget category could soon get a new entrant
But can it beat the competition?
The budget category is among the most competitive segments in the smartphone field. More importantly, it is not as profitable as before, leading many companies to exit the segment altogether or focus on their more premium options.
Given Nothing’s knack for making value-for-money products, the CMF Phone 1 can do well if priced right. It will also help increase brand awareness among consumers, pushing them to buy other CMF or Nothing-branded products. But all this will depend on pricing and the device’s overall performance.
A limited release won’t do CMF any good, either. Plus, it also has to face stiff competition from Samsung, Xiaomi, and other Chinese manufacturers in the budget segment, which won’t be easy. But if the CMF Phone 1 turns out to be a solid package, it could help push Nothing into the big league. The company just needs to make sure it does not cannibalize the sales of its own offering: the Nothing Phone 2a.
Nothing Phone 2a
The Nothing Phone 2a brings the unique features of the Phone 2 to a more affordable price point. You get the same Glyph lights, albeit with only three LEDs. Inside, it has a powerful MediaTek chipset, a beefy 5,000mAh battery, and dual 50MP cameras.
