CMF Phone 1 review - Modular smartphone at an affordable price
Customisation whizz.
The CMF Phone 1 by Nothing positions itself in the budget mid-range segment. In addition to having respectable hardware, the smartphone features a modular design, allowing for more personalisation. In this review, we’ll discuss where the phone excels and what can be improved.Daniel Schmidt, 👁 Daniel Schmidt (translated by Zhiwei Zhuang) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict - Affordable yet customisable
The CMF Phone 1 is an impressive debut smartphone for Nothing’s sub-brand, particularly standing out with its unique design. While replaceable back panels are actually nothing new, the company has added more utility and options with the screw-on cover. The added Accessory Point not only enhances functionality but also grabs attention.
The CMF Phone 1 delivers solid system performance thanks to its snappy MediaTek SoC. Despite not being as bright as promised, the display still achieves excellent brightness levels.
Unfortunately, the device lacks NFC support. Nothing explains this is because the CMF smartphone was initially intended for the Indian market only. This shortcoming will likely be addressed with the release of the CMF Phone 2. We also wish the device had longer update support.
Despite boasting 5G capability, the CMF Phone 1 only supports the ageing Wi-Fi 5 standard. The integrated cameras are remarkably good for such a budget phone, but it doesn't have a second rear camera for taking photos. On the other hand, the CMF Phone 1 has superb battery life.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
In Germany, the CMF Phone 1 is currently available for as low as €179 from retailers like Amazon. For readers in the US, the 256 GB model can be had for US$289 from Amazon. Alternatively, you can check out CMF Phone 1's official product page for availability in your region.
Comparison with possible alternatives
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 75.8%  | CMF Phone 1 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $7.99 Anoowkoa [2 Pack for Nothing... 2. $6.99 Supershieldz (2 Pack) Design... 3. $4.99 Suttkue for CMF phone 1 scre... List Price: 269€ | 197 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI Super AMOLED |
2. 78.3%  | Oppo Reno12 Pro MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: 1. $14.99 Vaxson Privacy Screen Protec... 2. $15.99 AKABEILA [3 Pack Privacy Scr... 3. $11.99 [2 Packs] Screen Protector f... | 184 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" 2412x1080 394 PPI AMOLED |
3. 85.8% v7 (old)  | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 710 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $289.50 Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G ... 2. $345.00 Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G ... 3. $7.99 Natbok 2+2 Pack for Xiaomi R... List Price: 399€ | 187 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI AMOLED |
4. 85.9% v7 (old)  | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Samsung Exynos 1380 ⎘ ARM Mali-G68 MP5 ⎘ 6 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $5.99 Supershieldz (2 Pack) Design... 2. $5.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector C... 3. $2.99 ivoler 2 Pack Screen Protect... List Price: 379€ | 209 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.60" 2340x1080 390 PPI Super AMOLED |
Table of Contents
- Verdict - Affordable yet customisable
- Specifications
- Case & features - Replaceable back cover with Accessory Point
- Connectivity and software - CMF Phone 1 with ac Wi-Fi and 5G
- Cameras - Decent main shooter on the CMF Phone 1
- Display - Bright OLED with 960Hz PWM dimming
- Performance, emissions and battery life
- Notebookcheck overall rating
The CMF Phone 1 is the first smartphone released by Nothing’s budget brand and was originally intended exclusively for the Indian market. However, the concept received so a positive response internationally that Nothing decided to bring the device to other countries as well.
Two variants of the phone are available: 8/128 GB (€239, or US$199) and 8/256 GB (€269, or US$289). The storage can also be expanded using an optional microSD card.
Specifications
Case & features - Replaceable back cover with Accessory Point
The CMF Phone 1 features a modular design with a replaceable back panel, secured by four prominent screws rather than clips. The plate also has what Nothing calls an Accessory Point, a screw thread for attaching optional accessories, such as a lanyard, a foldable stand or a card case (€25, or US$25 each). The back cover comes in four colourways: Black, Blue, Orange and Light Green. Each additional cover costs €35 (US$35) and includes a corresponding tool, new screws, a card tray and an Accessory Point cover in a matching colour. Unfortunately, Nothing has missed the opportunity to also make the battery easily removable, as it is secured with additional adhesives, preventing convenient user access.
The back plate is made of plastic and isn't susceptible to collecting fingerprints. The Blue and Orange options also come with a vegan leather finish. The CMF Phone 1 has great build quality and feels decent in the hand, considering its price point. The gaps on the front are tight and even. The device doesn’t creak much when twisted and feels very sturdy. The physical buttons have a bit of play but are extremely smooth to press.
The phone is equipped with a hybrid slot that can hold either two Nano SIMs or a microSD and a SIM card. However, the slot isn’t the fastest of its kind. Additionally, there is no NFC on board.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| CMF Phone 1 (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Connectivity and software - CMF Phone 1 with ac Wi-Fi and 5G
In an optimal scenario, the CMF Phone 1 can connect to a 5G mobile network. It covers a reasonably wide range of frequencies and shouldn’t have any issues establishing a mobile connection in Europe. Although the device maintained a stable connection to our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router over Wi-Fi 5, the speeds weren’t especially impressive.
Voice quality on the CMF smartphone is decent. In quiet surroundings, transmitted voices sound quite natural, with only some slight echoing over the speakerphone. However, the noise cancellation is quite rudimentary.
The CMF Phone 1 ships with Nothing OS 2.6 running on top of Android 14, the same overlay found on the Nothing Phone (2a). The company promises two major updates and three years of security patches, which is still satisfactory at this price point.
Biometric security is handled by an in-display optical fingerprint sensor, which can unlock the CMF Phone 1 rather quickly and reliably. You also have the option of using face unlock via the front camera, but this method is less secure and only works properly under good lighting conditions.
Unlike other smartphones from the company, Nothing hasn’t provided any sustainability information for the CMF Phone 1. The packaging has a laminated design but otherwise doesn’t use any plastic.
Cameras - Decent main shooter on the CMF Phone 1
Despite lacking autofocus, the CMF Phone 1’s front camera can still deliver respectable photos, as long as enough light is present.
The main shooter on the back offers up to 50MP and uses pixel binning. Nevertheless, it can also utilise the full resolution and even capture RAW images. Photos taken in daylight look great, characterised by a pleasing level of sharpness and good dynamics. There is a second rear lens, but it is a depth sensor for creating a bokeh effect. The phone doesn’t feature any ultrawide, optical zoom or macro camera and also lacks image stabilisation.
The main camera can capture videos at 4K/30 fps or 1080p/60 fps. That said, electronic image stabilisation only works at 1080p/30 fps. The front camera only offers Full HD resolution at 30 or 60 fps.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain camera5x zoomLow-light
Display - Bright OLED with 960Hz PWM dimming
When displaying a completely white image with the ambient light sensor enabled, the Super AMOLED screen on the CMF Phone 1 reached an exceptionally high peak brightness of over 1,200 cd/m², though this is significantly lower than the advertised 2,000 cd/m². The panel also maintained this brightness level during the APL18 measurement and HDR video playback. The peak brightness claimed by Nothing is probably only attainable with HDR photos.
The system can adjust the screen's refresh rate to either 60 or 120Hz. Alternatively, users can choose to fix it at 60Hz. Unlike many of its rivals, the CMF Phone 1 employs high-frequency PWM dimming. Although the frequency isn’t quite high enough to fully eliminate potential issues for sensitive individuals, it can at least alleviate these problems.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 1169 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.22
| CMF Phone 1 Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Oppo Reno12 Pro AMOLED, 2412x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -19% | -13% | -17% | |
| Brightness middle | 1169 | 1192 2% | 1205 3% | 904 -23% |
| Brightness | 1183 | 1209 2% | 1177 -1% | 912 -23% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 92 -5% | 90 -7% | 97 0% |
| Black Level * | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 1.8 -20% | 1.51 -1% | 2.1 -40% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.9 | 4 -38% | 4.07 -40% | 2.8 3% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.9 | 2.9 -53% | 2.5 -32% | 2.2 -16% |
| Gamma | 2.22 99% | 2.33 94% | 2.175 101% | 2.1 105% |
| CCT | 6733 97% | 6242 104% | 6407 101% | 6478 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120 Hz Amplitude: 14.67 % Secondary Frequency: 926 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 120 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.03 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.512 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.5175 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 2 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.7095 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.7145 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life
The CMF Phone 1 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 coupled with 8 GB of memory. This processor enables smooth system performance, whilst the integrated ARM Mali-G615 MP2 GPU allows for stutter-free gaming in most cases, though without ray tracing or high frame rates.
During our testing, the phone’s surface temperatures remained unobjectionable throughout; the SoC didn’t throttle even under prolonged load. The mono speaker on the bottom chin delivers a pleasing sound profile that is remarkably good for the price.
With the screen set to 120Hz and 150 cd/m², the 5,000 mAh battery achieved a very impressive 18 hours of use during our Wi-Fi test. The battery can be charged at up to 33 watts.
| CrossMark - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (187 - 2093, n=161, last 2 years) | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (390 - 707, n=2) | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (191 - 4619, n=35, last 2 years) | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (521 - 540, n=3) | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Half Precision TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (192 - 32432, n=35, last 2 years) | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (1051 - 1322, n=3) | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Quantized TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Smartphone (118 - 44657, n=35, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (2697 - 2721, n=3) | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
GFXBench: on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Score | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| CMF Phone 1 | Oppo Reno12 Pro | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 59% | -5% | -50% | 42% | 56% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1024.12 | 1777.39 74% | 946.8 -8% | 529.32 -48% | 1749 ? 71% | 1859 ? 82% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 535.66 | 1700.51 217% | 808.2 51% | 270 -50% | 1163 ? 117% | 1445 ? 170% |
| Random Read 4KB | 294.28 | 228.05 -23% | 239.2 -19% | 244.24 -17% | 286 ? -3% | 278 ? -6% |
| Random Write 4KB | 394.59 | 265.4 -33% | 220.5 -44% | 62.59 -84% | 319 ? -19% | 310 ? -21% |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.8 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.2 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Steel Nomad stress test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
CMF Phone 1 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 26% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 13% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 34% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
| Battery Runtime - WiFi v1.3 | |
| CMF Phone 1 | |
| Oppo Reno12 Pro | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
Notebookcheck overall rating
Besides offering superb value for money, the CMF Phone 1 stands out particularly with its unique customisation options.
CMF Phone 1
- 11/11/2024 v8
Daniel Schmidt
Total Sustainability Score: 
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
