Initial Verdict: Nothing sub-brand CMF did make good moves on the unique, customizable design of the Phone 1, but they did not go all the way of making the phone user-repairable–paving the way for a unique phone that has a replaceable battery.

Pros:

• Unique back panel design
• Clean, bloatware-free UI
• Good initial selection of accessories

Cons:

• No OIS on the main camera
• Bezels are on the thicker side

 

After launching last year as Nothing’s affordable sub-brand, CMF expanded its portfolio into phones with the Phone 1. As Nothing’s most affordable phone (by technicality), the CMF Phone 1 has a unique twist on how mid-range phones are defined.

 

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Design

Nothing has made a reputation with its Glyph interface on most of its phones. However, Nothing takes up a different approach with the CMF Phone 1 with four screws and a large knob at the rear. This gives the CMF Phone 1 a more industrial look and allows the user to customize the back panel with different color combinations–and even add accessories like a lanyard as well.

Some may call this approach gimmicky, but it’s fresh–though we wished Nothing went all in by equipping the CMF Phone 1 with a removable battery. This could have been a great opportunity for Nothing to introduce a device that users can repair themselves–something that the Fairphone takes pride in. We don’t mind if the CMF Phone 1’s build is mostly plastic–its industrial looks is enough to make this phone less boring.

Just like its more expensive siblings, you have the volume controls on the left side and the power button on the right side, while the USB-C port, SIM tray, and loudspeaker are at the bottom.

 

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Display and Speakers

As standard with the majority of Nothing’s phone offerings, you get a 6.67-inch 120hz flat AMOLED display on the CMF Phone 1. People may be dismayed at those thick bezels, but it does add to the CMF Phone 1’s industrial charm and does not make it less premium.

The CMF Phone 1’s display has all the markings of a premium panel with features like a 240hz touch sampling rate, 2000nits peak brightness, support for HDR10+ content, and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Save for the thick bezels, there’s very little to complain about the CMF Phone 1’s display.

While you only get a single speaker on the CMF Phone 1, its soundstage is generally good for a mid-range phone.

 

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Cameras

While there are two cameras at the back, only the 50-megapixel main camera is useful–unfortunately, you get a 2-megapixel depth sensor that we wished Nothing just omitted to make the CMF Phone 1 more affordable–or just replace it with an ultra-wide camera. You also don’t get OIS on the CMF Phone 1, which is a missed opportunity given its asking price.

The CMF Phone 1 uses a Sony sensor, and while shots look good in daylight, it starts to struggle when there’s less light available. Nothing has a good track record when. it comes to software updates, so we expect the CMF Phone 1’s camera to improve later on.

 

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Internals and Battery

The CMF Phone 1 only comes in one configuration: A Dimensity 7300 processor that’s paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage–the latter being expandable via MicroSD. The RAM/Storage combination is a bit on the small side for a 2024 mid-range phone, but you have to factor in the CMF Phone 1’s very clean UI: Just like Nothing’s previous phones, you get a clean UI out of the box that’s devoid of any unnecessary bloatware–along with Nothing’s unique touches.

As for the Dimensity 7300, this new processor is roughly at par with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, so you’re getting decent performance for day-to-day tasks and even with a little gaming in between. When it comes to battery life, the CMF Phone 1’s 5000mAh battery lasted us 16 hours and 14 minutes in PCMark’s battery benchmark, which means you can confidently use it throughout the day with some juice left after a long day.

The CMF Phone 1 supports 33w charging, though you will need to supply your own charging brick since it is not included in the box.

 

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Wrap-up and Conclusions

While it falls short when it comes to camera performance, the CMF Phone 1 stands out of the crowd with its customizable back panel that allows you to change colors and add accessories, allowing you to use it longer–especially with the smooth software updates Nothing provides to its phones.

CMF Phone 1 Philippines: Price

The CMF Phone 1 is priced at Php 17,490 and is available for purchase at Digital Walker’s online web store.