CMF Phone 1 Is A Fun Take On Phones But Does Its Style Have Substance?

CMF is Nothing’s sub-brand but their ideology on design and user experience is identical. The CMF Phone 1 is the latest from the stable of the company which looks to bring a refreshing approach back to smartphones. Modular phones have been around for a long time, and the whole focus on interchangeable back cover is nothing new. But CMF is showing that it can still exist even if the battery on these devices are not removable.

These covers have got the DIY quotient with the screws tapered at the back and you can remove them at home. But beyond this industry look and feel, does the CMF Phone 1 priced at Rs 15,999 have enough mettle to become a reliable device for people. We decided to take the CMF Phone 1 through tests to find out.

Industrial Design And Some More

CMF Phone 1 comes in bright colours that accentuate the brand’s identity. Instead of taking the transparent route like its parent entity, CMF has decided to give you the power to change up the back cover and do it with the help of the screws you see here.

The additional covers come with a screwdriver that allows you to mix it up and there are four colours to choose from. Going beside that you have a dial on the bottom right, which can be screwed to change the panel and also add other accessories like the stand, lanyard and more expected to come later.

The texture of the body is matte-ish which means you avoid the concerns of fingerprints or the mirror effect. Having said that, scratches might become a concern in the long run that will prove its build quality. The phone weighs 197 grams which means it is not the lightest or the thinnest in the range but the overall balance ensures you don’t feel the heft. The capsule-like camera module houses two sensors of different nature. Designs tend to split opinions and the CMF Phone 1 might be the latest to join the ranks.

Some Interesting Choices

CMF opts for an AMOLED 120Hz display which offers rich colours and brightness of up to 2000 nits. Being an affordable phone means the bezels are hard to avoid but the symmetry can be jarring to the eye, especially when you are scrolling through the screen.

The mono speaker feels underwhelming and we would have liked to see the headphone jack on this model. Nothing has done its best to keep the costs down without taking a hit on the quality but these choices clearly show that CMF Phone 1 needed some cuts to deliver a certain price range.

The other detail that didn’t catch our eye was the use of the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset which we assumed is an upgrade on the Dimensity 7200 SoC. However, the benchmark tests have proved that the former is an upgrade on another mid-range Dimensity chipset. It is all good to pack new hardware but it seems CMF had to look at the price of using a more powerful version.

Having said that, the overall experience will not let you down, especially with the slick software UI very much in play. Gaming might not be its strongest suit but the regular tasks are handled with ease.

Nothing OS Does It Again

CMF Phone 1 is launching with the Nothing OS version running on Android 14. The UI is similar to what we have seen with Nothing Phones, and the good news is that the bloatware is missing once again.

The Phone 1 joins a small community of budget devices that don’t litter your screen with ads and notifications unless you disable them. CMF will offer 2 more OS upgrades and three years of security updates as well, which means the average phone usage lifespan will be covered.

Camera Does Well But Needs Work

CMF Phone 1 gets a single 50MP sensor at the back along with a 2MP depth sensor. The company had previously talked about never having useless secondary sensors but it seems the lower price has made it swallow the pride and offer it nevertheless.

The main camera does well with details and colours in daylight situations but low-light images are average. The selfie camera has a warm tone that lights up your face abnormally and the details on your skin are missing. The portrait photos lacked the edge finish but a new update has improved it marginally. Going by the history of Nothing making changes with updates, we are eager to see how the camera on the CMF Phone 1 evolves over time.

Keeps On Going

CMF Phone 1 packs a 5000mAh battery that supports 33W wired charging speed which isn’t the fastest you can get for the price. The battery life is more than adequate for basic users and even if you are a heavy user, the endurance is long enough to keep you going. However, Nothing is asking you to pay the extra Rs 800 to pick up the 33W wall charger, which is a rarity in this segment and some people might start to add up these costs to the price of the phone.

The CMF Phone 1 brings a refreshing twist to budget smartphones that we can see others follow. The hardware on this device is reliable if not the most powered option out there, the cameras can use more updates for improvement and the battery life is good in most cases. But here’s the big aspect about the price of the CMF Phone 1. It costs Rs 15,999 for the base variant, which comes only in black. You pay Rs 800 for the charger, and over Rs 1400 for the additional covers and other accessories. When you add all that up, the Phone 1 has more competition and buyers would probably have to read that.