Knowledgeable’s Score
Execs
- Higher cameras, and extra of them
- Brighter, extra correct show
- Small efficiency bump
- NFC cost help
- Nonetheless an absolute discount
Cons
- Solely IP54 rated
- Important Area may cost a little you sooner or later
- Longer software program help elsewhere
Our Verdict
The CMF Cellphone 1 was already my go-to price range cellphone suggestion, and the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional presents far more for less than barely more cash. With huge digital camera system upgrades, a nicer show, and a barely sooner chip inside, this price range magnificence is difficult to beat.
Value When Reviewed
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Greatest Pricing At this time
The CMF Cellphone 1 was my favorite price range cellphone of final 12 months, and truthfully, in all probability my favorite price range cellphone ever. It’s an extremely trendy cellphone with a enjoyable modular design, which are usually issues reserved for dear flagship units – and never a cellphone that prices simply over £200 or simply beneath $200 within the US.
Now, lower than a 12 months later, its successor has landed. The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional has every little thing that made the unique successful, but it surely now comes with a greater essential digital camera, two new auxiliary lenses, a speedier chip, added NFC and many extra apart from.
The “Professional” moniker hints {that a} non-Professional mannequin may very well be on the horizon, however there’s no official phrase on that to date. Fortunately, although, the brand new mannequin doesn’t include a lot of a value hike. It has an MSRP of £219, simply £10 greater than the unique CMF Cellphone.
The CMF Cellphone 1 was already extremely simple to advocate, and all indicators level to this mannequin being even higher, however the one solution to know for certain is to check it out. After dwelling with it for nearly per week, right here’s every little thing I discovered.
Nothing has caught to the identical core idea and easily made every little thing higher
Design & Construct
- Various textures on rear panels
- 185g, Panda Glass
- Modular swappable equipment and rear casing
The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional has an identical design to its predecessor. You continue to get the identical Accent Level screw within the bottom-right nook, together with the identical uncovered screws in comparable areas throughout the again panel.
That is no unhealthy factor, from a design standpoint, the CMF Cellphone 1 was already one in every of my favourites. I’m happy to see that Nothing is leaning in the identical rugged utilitarian route for this mannequin.
not solely do you get extra color choices to select from, however you get some extra selection in the way in which that every again feels
Luke Baker
The obvious change is with the cameras. The 2 bigger lenses get their very own round aluminium-effect rings, whereas the ultrawide and flash unit sit on a separate elongated island. It’s not a drastic change, but it surely’s instantly noticeable, and it’s a transparent indicator that the CMF workforce has put some work into the optics.
One other massive change is with the end of the rear panels. Nothing describes the Black and Mild Inexperienced choices as having a frosted glass-like end with a metallic body. In the meantime, the Orange model has a metallic sheen, and the White choice has a “panelled sandstone end.”
So, not solely do you get extra color choices to select from, however you get some extra selection in the way in which that every again feels. After all, should you’re having bother deciding, there’s nothing to fret about, as you possibly can swap casing to your coronary heart’s content material. All you want is a screwdriver and some minutes of fiddling.
Luke Baker
I’ve the Mild Inexperienced mannequin in for testing, and it feels a contact extra premium than the matte black CMF Cellphone 1 that I examined beforehand. It’s nonetheless made out of plastic, but it surely’s a lot tougher to inform. Whereas I fairly favored the fingerprint-resistant matte end of the older mannequin, it felt prefer it might get scuffed up simply, and this new end looks as if it should fare higher in the long run.
it feels a contact extra premium than the matte black CMF Cellphone 1 that I examined beforehand
The Accent Level cap has been slimmed down on this mannequin, and it doesn’t stick out as a lot because it did on the unique CMF Cellphone. It makes the general look a bit extra cohesive, but it surely additionally makes it tougher to take away. This may very well be a great or a foul factor. I by no means had bother with the cap loosening by itself, but it surely’s simple to think about that occuring – the slimmer model looks as if it’ll keep put a lot better.
Except for the dimension change, the Accent Level itself is unchanged. I used to be ready to make use of the identical lanyard accent with each fashions with out situation. As for the opposite equipment, sadly, I wasn’t in a position to attempt them myself, however the lineup appears to be very comparable. There’s a pockets, a kickstand, and the aforementioned lanyard. Nonetheless, the positioning of the screws and the form of the cameras imply that CMF Cellphone 1 rear panels received’t work with the newer cellphone.
There are a few new equipment which have been added to the roster, too. Now you can connect both a fisheye or macro lens adapter. I haven’t tried these, so I can’t communicate to the standard, however the two lenses can be bought as a set for £35, and may very well be price investigating if you wish to add selection to your pictures and may’t afford one thing just like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Luke Baker
With these big exposed screws staring at me, I couldn’t resist whipping the back off, and the experience was a little different than I expected. It’s a lot harder to remove the rear casing this time, and I had to grab a spudger to separate it. Once inside, there’s also some adhesive keeping the rear panel in place. I’d assume this is all to do with the higher IP54 rating of the Phone 2 Pro.
What was even more surprising, though, is that the battery is readily accessible as soon as the back is removed – it’s no longer shielded under additional panelling. It’s not hot-swappable, and you’ll still need some expertise to perform the operation, but if you ever need to replace the battery, this will still be a lot easier to repair than your average handset.
The Essential Key that debuted with the Phone (3a) series has arrived here, too
Luke Baker
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has the same button layout as the rest of the Nothing family, with the volume rocker on the left side and the lock button on the right. However, this time around, you get an extra button. The Essential Key that debuted with the Phone (3a) series has arrived here, too, and we’ll talk more about what it does later on.
When it comes to durability, I’ve already mentioned the IP54 rating, which is an improvement over the IP52 rating of its predecessor. But you also get Panda Glass on the screen, which is a more affordable Chinese-made alternative to Gorilla Glass.
Luke Baker
It should do a decent job at protecting the screen from scratches and cracks, but the Phone (3a) has the same glass, and I’ve already managed to make some light scratches on that, so your mileage may vary.
If you like to err on the side of caution, there’s a basic plastic screen protector applied that you can leave in place, and you also get a basic transparent TPU case for added peace of mind.
Screen & Speakers
- 6.77-inch, 1080 x 2392, OLED, 120Hz
- 3000 nits peak brightness
- Single speaker
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, but the difference is tiny. I think it’s mainly due to the slimmer chin bezel, but in any case, just like last year, this is a big, spacious display that’s great for watching content and gaming.
There are two key differences that make this an improvement on the older model. The first is that it now supports 10-bit colour, rather than 8-bit. This makes a big difference, not only in colour accuracy, but it also drastically reduces the appearance of colour banding when there’s a gradient being displayed.
The second change is that the screen is brighter, now boasting a peak brightness of up to 3000 nits, while the older model maxed out at 2000 nits.
almost certainly one of the best screens in this price bracket.
Luke Baker
To be honest, I didn’t have many complaints about the screen on the original, but when viewing them side by side, the improvement is plain to see. It’s a very welcome upgrade, and almost certainly one of the best screens in this price bracket.
The display is fully flat, but there’s now a subtle chamfered trim around the edge. I’m especially pleased to see this, as the CMF Phone 1 had a tiny raised lip around the edge.
It’s a very minor change, but it’s a change for the better, and gesture controls feel much smoother when you swipe from the edge.
Luke Baker
Unfortunately, the audio situation hasn’t really improved. You still only get a single speaker, so there’s no stereo effect. And while the sound is very clear, it lacks low-end response, so it sounds a little more tinny than I’d like. It’s far from the worst speaker around, but don’t get your hopes up.
Perhaps Nothing is angling for you to buy a pair of its earbuds.
Specs & Performance
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB storage
The CMF Phone 2 Pro runs on an upgraded version of the same chip that powered the Phone 1. At its core, it’s the same efficient 4nm chip, but Nothing says you can expect 10% faster processing as well as a 5% improvement in graphics performance.
The phone is available in two different configurations, both have 8GB of RAM, but you can choose either 128- or 256GB of storage. I have the larger capacity model for testing, but in terms of performance, both should deliver the same results.
It’s also worth noting that there’s a microSD card slot, which is a rare find these days. So, in any case, the storage can be expanded up to a whopping 2TB.
the change in gaming performance is slight – it’s better, but not enough to make a tangible difference.
Luke Baker
I’d be lying if I said I could notice a difference between the two processors in real-life usage, but in benchmark scores, it’s more apparent. Indeed, as Nothing claims, the processing power has clearly been bumped up a notch, but the change in gaming performance is slight – it’s better, but not enough to make a tangible difference.
Just as I found with the previous model, day-to-day performance was perfectly adequate. The phone never feels slow, even while multitasking, and it’s only when performing a system-wide search that you can feel the difference between this and a higher-end chip. It just takes a moment longer to populate the results.
Luke Baker
Gaming is great on less graphically intensive titles, but if you push the limits with something like Genshin Impact, you’ll need to use the lowest preset to get a stable 30fps. Still, it’s impressive that a phone this affordable can play such a demanding game in the first place, and it doesn’t get too hot in the process.
Another big change with the CMF Phone 2 Pro is that it now supports NFC, so you can make contactless payments with Google Wallet. I’m really pleased to see this, as it was one of the biggest drawbacks to the original model.
CMF Phone 2 Pro benchmarks
Cameras
- 50 Mp f/1.88 main camera
- 50 Mp f/1.85 2x telephoto
- 8 Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide
- 16 Mp, f/2.45 selfie camera
The camera system is arguably the biggest upgrade on the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Last year, we only got one usable lens on the rear, joined by a depth sensor that seemed to mostly exist for aesthetic reasons.
Now, though, there are three proper cameras: a 50Mp main, an 8Mp ultrawide and a 50Mp 2x telephoto.
Luke Baker
It’s not just extra cameras that have been added here, the main camera has been significantly upgraded, too. It now has a 1/1.56-inch sensor, one of the largest sensors you’ll find in this price category. That means it’s much more capable in low-light conditions and can create some authentic bokeh when you get up close.
As usual, the main sensor does the heavy lifting, and if you want the best-looking shots, it’s the safest bet. It’s also the best for macro photography. That said, the telephoto lens is almost as impressive.
Personally, I would have loved to see a slightly longer reach, but 2x is just enough to give a different vibe to your shots. It’s the default lens when you switch into Portrait mode, and it looks great for that, with much less distortion than the wide main sensor.
You also get options to digitally zoom further in Portrait mode, with 4x and 6x buttons in the UI. It’s an unexpected addition, and a useful one, but you’ll see a slight loss in quality if you zoom further.
When it comes to longer digital zooms, I found that pushing it up to around 6x yielded usable results, but any further would turn images into a pixellated mush. So, it’s not the best for super telephoto shots, but given the price, these results are nothing to sneeze at.
I really like the way close-ups look on the telephoto, the longer focal length creates some compression with smooth bokeh in the background. Unfortunately, the camera app is a little aggressive with switching to Macro mode (which uses the main lens). I found I needed to switch into Expert mode to force the phone to use the telephoto for close-ups, but the results looked great when I did.
The ultrawide camera is by far the weakest of the trio. The images lack detail with a muddied, over-processed look to them, and it only gets worse at night. Sure, it’s better than not having one, but for photos that you really care about, you should switch to the main camera and take a few steps back if you can.
The selfie camera is very decent, too. It’s not going to blow your mind with its quality, but it’s certainly good enough for a casual snap. I feel like Nothing has been working on its portrait effects lately, and they’re much more reliable and convincing than they were on previous models.
For video shooting, you can capture at up to 4K/30fps on both the main and telephoto cameras. The ultrawide is limited to 1080p/30fps, while the selfie camera can shoot 1080p at up to 60fps.
Don’t expect flagship-level stabilisation, but the CMF Phone 2 Pro does a decent enough job, especially at 1080p. For social media posts, it gets the job done nicely.
Battery Life & Charging
- 5000mAh battery
- 33W wired charging
- No charge in the box
The battery and charging specs are unchanged from the previous model, which means you get an ample 5000mAh cell and 33W wired charging. However, according to Nothing, the CMF Phone 2 Pro should last for about an hour longer than its predecessor.
Presumably, this is all thanks to software-based efficiency gains. In our standard PCMark Battery Life test, the CMF Phone 2 Pro actually did a lot better than that, it kept going for about 2 hours longer than the previous model.
if I was careful, I could make it last two days between charges
In reality, though, the battery performance felt about the same with my normal use. Most days, I’d go to bed with 40% or more charge remaining, and if I was careful, I could make it last two days between charges.
In any case, the battery will last long enough to get even the heaviest users to the end of the day.
Luke Baker
As before, there’s no charger in the box (unless you live in India), but you do get a rather fetching Nothing-branded USB-C cable. If you like your gear to match, you could always pick up the CMF 65W GaN charger for £39, but that’s quite a pricey add-on for a £219 phone.
I used my Ugreen Nexode Desktop charger for testing, and I found the phone was able to charge up to almost 60% in half an hour. It’s not the fastest we’ve seen, but it’s certainly quick enough as not to feel like a hassle.
Software & Apps
- Nothing OS 3.2, based on Android 15
- Essential Space
- 3 years of Android updates, 6 years of security patches
The CMF Phone 2 Pro runs Nothing OS 3.2, Nothing’s latest customised version of Android 15. It’s the same software that you’ll find on the rest of the Nothing lineup, and from an aesthetic standpoint, it’s by far my favourite Android skin.
Of course, such a heavily stylised OS won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you appreciate Nothing’s hardware, I think it’s safe to say you’ll like the way the software looks, too. I love having the ability to make my apps monochromatic for a slick, minimal look.
Arguably, the best thing about this software, though, is that it’s free from bloatware
Luke Baker
Arguably, the best thing about this software, though, is that it’s free from bloatware. That’s something almost impossible to find in this price bracket, where brands usually load up devices with junk to offset the hardware costs. Yet somehow, Nothing has managed to deliver a bloat-free experience yet again.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the one thing I really don’t like about Nothing OS is that I can’t move my apps in bulk. Nothing isn’t the only brand to lack this ability; Google Pixels are surprisingly the same, for example, but it makes keeping your homescreen organised a real chore, and I’ll keep moaning about it until the feature is added.
Nothing may introduce a paid subscription plan in the future
Luke Baker
What’s new this time is the Essential Space (which debuted with the (3a) series), as well as the dedicated hardware button to access it. In essence, this feature allows you to collect screenshots and voice notes as way to quickly remember things. Then, AI will summarise the contents of your screenshots and automatically organise them, generate to-do lists and make them searchable.
It’s a pretty handy feature, and one I could see myself using a lot if I were a full-time Nothing phone user. However, there’s a rather large shortcoming. It’s not cross-platform, and there’s no way to access it from a desktop, so your important notes are constrained to your phone only. It might not matter to some, but for me, that’s a bit of a dealbreaker.
And that’s before we get to the cost. It’s currently completely free to use, but word on the street is that Nothing may introduce a paid subscription plan in the future. Unless the feature set is greatly expanded, I can’t imagine too many people being onboard with the paid plan. If it comes into effect, I sincerely hope the Essential Key becomes remappable.
Luke Baker
The software support terms have been increased, too. Nothing is now promising 3 years of Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security patches, up from 2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security patches. It might not rival the latest flagship devices, but for a budget handset, these terms are very competitive, and I love to see it.
Price & Availability
The CMF Phone 2 Pro goes on sale 6 May, and it’s available via Nothing’s website to pre-order now. You’ll also be able to buy it from Amazon and different chosen retail companions.
It’s launching in most areas, however should you’re within the US, you’ll solely be capable of entry the 256GB mannequin through the Nothing Beta Program.
The bottom mannequin with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will promote for £219 within the UK and €249 in Europe. The 256GB mannequin will go for £249/€279/$279.
Two accent bundles can be accessible solely on the Nothing web site within the UK and Europe. One bundle comes with a canopy, and both a pockets stand or lenses for £45 / €45, and the opposite bundle contains all the above for £65 / €65.
Take a look at our listing of one of the best price range telephones for extra choices.
Must you purchase the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional?
I cherished the CMF Cellphone 1, and it has been the highest Tech Advisor price range cellphone suggestion since launch. With the launch of the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional, Nothing has caught to the identical core idea and easily made every little thing higher.
It prices an additional £10 (at MSRP), however that’s a small value to pay for a a lot better show, a sooner processor and a way more versatile set of cameras. For those who’re on board with the (admittedly divisive) styling – each bodily and for software program – and also you’re in search of a cellphone on this value vary, this can be a splendidly full package deal.
After all, it received’t be the right match for everybody, and the precise cellphone for you all relies on your priorities. For those who’re a gamer and you may stretch the price range barely, the highly effective Poco F6 can presently be had for simply £249, now it’s a 12 months outdated. You may want the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G for class-leading software program help.
In the meantime, if you need one thing with extra understated seems and also you’re not too choosy along with your images, the Motorola G85 is likely to be an ideal match.
For me, although, the enjoyable modular design and quirky seems of the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional win out each time.
Specs
- Nothing OS 3.2, based mostly on Android 15
- Show: 6.77-inch, 1080 x 2392, OLED, 120Hz
- Underneath-display optical fingerprint sensor
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Professional
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB / 256GB storage
- Cameras:
- 50Mp essential sensor
- 8Mp ultrawide
- 50Mp 2x telephoto
- 16Mp selfie digital camera
- As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
- Single speaker
- Twin-SIM
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
- Bluetooth 5.3
- 5000mAh battery
- 33W wired charging
- 164 x 78 x 7.8 mm
- IP54 licensed
- 185g
- Colors: White, Black, Orange, Mild Inexperienced