CMF by Nothing made its debut in the smartphone segment with its first smartphone in the lineup, the CMF Phone 1. The latest smartphone from the Nothing sub-brand brings some interesting features and specifications to attract customers. The handset is available for Rs 15,999 for the 6GB + 128GB model, while the top-end 8GB RAM + 128GB option comes with a price tag of Rs 17,999. The company has added its flavour by offering something unique to the customers. This time, the rear panels on the CMF Phone 1 are swappable.

The handset also boasts modest features, including a Dimensity 7300 SoC, a Super AMOLED display, a decent set of cameras, and more. However, is it enough to make it really stand out from the crowd and make it the best budget smartphone in India? Let’s take a closer look at this in-depth review.

CMF Phone 1 Design: Same Same but Different

• Dimensions: 164x 77x 8mm
• Weight: 197g
• Colours: Black, Orange, Blue, Light Green

The CMF Phone 1 brings some interesting features to the table. However, you get the same standard look and feel on the first look. But things appear to be more “industrial” when you flip it. There are screws at each corner of the device and an ‘Accessory Point’ at the bottom that are part of the design athletics.

The CMF Phone 1 brings swappable rear panels as a part of the modular design.

Now, this is where things get interesting. The company gives you an option to swap the rear panels. The whole process is relatively easy, but make sure to remove the SIM tray first before changing the rear panel. That said, the swappable panels come with a price tag of Rs 1,499 each. The Black and Light Green has a matte finish, while the Orange and Blue offers a vegan leather finish.

The Accessory Point on the CMF Phone 1 also allows you to add the Lanyard or a kickstand easily, and both of them are priced at Rs 799. Then there is a case that can hold up to 3 cards and allows contactless payment through the case. The whole experience is good enough, though there is always a fear of missing screws.

That said, once you are over with the whole DIY session, you will enjoy using the phone. The CMF Phone 1 does not feel cheap from any angle, though it is all plastic.

CMF Phone 1 Display: Smooth and Vibrant

• Display: 6.67-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz screen refresh rate
• Other Features: 960Hz PWM Dimming, HDR10+, 2000nits peak brightness

CMF Phone 1 offers a versatile display in this price segment. The smartphone comes loaded with an adaptive 120Hz screen refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, which makes the whole scrolling experience a buttery smooth one. The smartphone can only run either 120Hz or 60Hz, and there are no in-between modes like the popular 90Hz.

The smartphone features a vibrant display at this price point.

Coming to the performance, it definitely will not let you down. The screen offers vibrant and crisp colours that make it a good phone for content consumption.

The handset offers two colour modes: Alive and Standard. The former is better, in my opinion, as it delivers better colour output while gaming or watching videos.

The phone also comes with up to 2,000nits of peak brightness, which makes it good enough to watch an Instagram reel outdoors without much squinting. There is also an always-on display mode, which is disguised in a Glance display setting. It is pretty basic and only shows time, date, and weather information.

CMF Phone 1 Software: Clean User Interface

• Software: Nothing OS 2.6
• Version: Android 14
• Latest security patch: July 1, 2024

CMF Phone 1 offers a clean user interface. The Nothing has provided a distinct look and feel with the Nothing OS; the same is true with this version. The user interface offers no bloatware, and you get the customised monochrome elements that make it stand out from the crowd.

You can also customise the UI to your own taste, which is also quite easy. Moreover, with AI wallpaper, you can generate your own wallpapers, a feature that should also be available on other phones. You also get an experimental feature that allows you to easily pair Apple AirPods with the device.

CMF Phone 1 Performance: Perfect for Daily Usage

• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7300
• Memory: Up to 8GB (LPDDR4X)
• Storage: 128GB (UFS 2.2)

The CMF Phone 1 is one of the few phones that uses the latest MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset. You get the Oppo Reno 12 and Reno 12 Pro that uses a customised version of this chipset, known as Dimensity 7300-Energy. The latest processor from MediaTek is not a direct successor to the Dimensity 7200 but an upgraded version of the Dimensity 7050.

I did run some of the benchmarks, and you can check them out in the table below, along with the competition.

The performance of the CMF Phone 1 is smooth in day-to-day life. Whether switching between different applications or watching movies, you will not face any lag or stutters. The phone is also capable of some heavy multitasking.

CMF Phone 1 features MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC, which delivers good results.

The CMF Phone 1 delivered a smooth gaming experience while playing Call of Duty: Mobile at default graphics (Very High graphics quality, High frame rate).

Moreover, it didn’t stutter when I maxed out the settings to Very High graphics and Max frame rates. The thermal management was good as well. During almost one hour of gaming sessions, the phone becomes slightly warm, which is good.

The handset also comes loaded with an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is fast, and I faced no problem during the review period. However, the single speaker is a letdown. The speaker is loud enough but lacks details, so it does not make much of an enjoyable experience while watching videos.

CMF Phone 1 Cameras: Needs Optimisation

• Rear: 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 sensor with f/1.8 aperture + 2-megapixel portrait sensor
• Front: 16-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture

The CMF Phone 1 offers a modest camera setup, if not great. The phone provides a popular Sony IMX882 sensor as the primary lens on the rear panel, coupled with a 2-megapixel portrait sensor, which aids in taking natural bokeh photos.

The photos in broad daylight came out to be natural. The contrast looks good, though the dynamic range could have been better. That said, the sharpness is not up to the mark as we have seen in other phones in a similar price bracket.

CMF Phone 1 daylight camera samples. (Tap image to expand)

Moreover, when you switch to 2x zoom, the photos appear to be a bit soft and blurry when you zoom it. That said, the phone manages to capture human subjects well, and you get a natural skin tone from the primary camera.

Coming to low-light cameras, the CMF Phone 1 delivers decent results. The noise levels are low, the colours look natural, and the light source is not blown out.

CMF Phone 1 low-light camera samples. (Tap image to expand)

The portrait mode also works fine during the testing. However, there are some instances when the edge detection could have been better. The portraits in low light also came out to be decent, with ample details and low noise levels.

CMF Phone 1 selfie camera samples for both daylight and low light. (Tap image to expand)

Regarding selfie performance, the CMF Phone 1 offers decent results. The skin tone is close to the source and looks natural. However, once again, the dynamic range is limited in the selfie department. The portrait mode on the selfie works well, and you get decent output.

CMF Phone 1 Battery: Fast Charging Could be Better

• Battery Capacity: 5,000mAh
• Wired Charging: 33W
• Charger: 33W (Not Included)

During the battery loop test, the CMF Phone 1 lasted 25 hours and 20 minutes on a single charge. However, the charging speed was a bit slow compared to the competition.

The smartphone supports 33W fast charging, which is slightly slow compared to the competition.

During the testing period, the phone was able to charge. The handset gets charged 28 per cent in 15 minutes, around 50 percent in 30 minutes, and completes the charge in just one hour and 15 minutes with the help of a 33W charger provided by the company.

In real-life use, the phone survived a whole day with some battery remaining. Our daily usage included reading official emails, listening to music on Amazon Music, scrolling Insta Reels for a few minutes, playing CODM, and taking pictures.

CMF Phone 1 Verdict

To conclude, the CMF Phone 1 offers an excellent value-for-money proposition for the users. It is good to see the swappable rear panels that will help change the look of the device. Hopefully, we can get more accessories from the company or third party to support this. The display looks good, and the performance is comparable to other phones in this price segment. The camera seems decent, if not great, at this price point.

That said, the CMF Phone 1 will go against Moto G85, Redmi Note 13, Infinix Note 40, OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, and more. So, if you are looking for a smartphone that delivers dependable performance and offers some customisation in the design, then you can consider CMF Phone 1.