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Nothing's affordable sub-brand, CMF, has announced a new phone alongside a trio of earbuds. The CMF Phone 2 Pro, which succeeds last year's CMF Phone 1, is a budget smartphone that takes on the likes of the Moto G series, Samsung Galaxy A lineup, and even the more expensive Google Pixel 9a -- all for under $300.
A bold design that isn't afraid to experiment
The CMF Phone 2 Pro carries Nothing's signature bold look and nomenclature. The biggest upgrade is in the optics department. Like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the new Pro phone adds a telephoto camera to the main and ultrawide-angle lenses. And like its predecessor, it retains the modular design, so you can add various screw-in accessories to have more fun with the design.
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It can be customized in several ways for more personalization, creativity, and functionality. A Universal Cover, for example, lets you add a set of different camera lenses, like fisheye or macro lenses, to the phone's camera. Other accessories include a kickstand attachment and a lanyard.
However, these accessories are limited to other markets and will not be available in the US, CMF tells me. Fortunately, you can still 3D-print additional accessories for the phone, and there's a growing community of designers there.
The new CMF Phone 2 Pro comes in four colors: Orange, Light Green, White, and Black. The first one is bright and has a metallic sheen on the rear. It might look tacky to some, and for them, the Light Green option might suit better. It has a frosted glass-like texture on the back, accompanied by a metallic frame. I love this color because it is the best mix of elegance and boldness.
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At 7.8mm, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is Nothing's slimmest phone to date. It has a comfortable in-hand feel, thanks to its lightweight 185-gram body. It is also rated IP54 for dust and water resistance.
My colleague Kerry Wan has been testing the CMF Phone 2 Pro -- not enough for a review but enough for hands-on impressions -- and has found the new back cover to feel more sturdy and premium. "The light sheen on the green, especially, separates the CMF Phone from competing devices by Samsung and Motorola in the US," says Wan.
Feature-packed budget smartphone
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a 6.77-inch AMOLED display, which sports a 2392 x 1080 pixel resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is rated to deliver 3,000 nits of peak brightness for supported HDR content and 1,300 nits of outdoor brightness for better legibility under the sun.
It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro processor and paired with 8GB of RAM. You get a choice between 128GB or 256GB of storage, with the option to add a microSD card with up to 2TB of storage for additional space. This is one of the rare phones in 2025 to have support for a microSD card.
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The Phone 2 Pro comes equipped with a 50MP main camera with electronic image stabilization (EIS), another 50MP telephoto camera with EIS for 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide-angle camera. The primary camera is claimed to deliver 64% more light than Phone 1 to offer your photos a more "authentic, vibrant, and life-like" look. It can record 4K videos with improved stability over its predecessor. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie shooter.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W wired charging. It is rated to last up to 22 hours on continuous video playback on YouTube. The brand claims its new phone will retain 90% or more battery capacity even after 1,200 charging cycles, which should be around 3.5 years. We'll have to see how it fares in real-world testing.
It runs the same Nothing OS 3.2 (based on Android 15) as the Phone 3a Pro, so you get features like Privacy Space, good-looking widgets, and smooth animations. The new phone is promised to receive three years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches.
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The CMF Phone 2 Pro also includes an Essential Key that allows you to access Essential Space with a quick press. For the unaware, Essential Space lets you add and organize your quick thoughts with the help of AI for voice notes, screenshots, and photos. It is my favorite AI phone feature.
The new CMF Phone 2 Pro is priced at $279 in the US and will be made available through Nothing's developer-focused Beta Program.
Some fun extras
CMF Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus
CMF has also announced three new earbuds that sit below its existing Buds Pro 2. The company has launched CMF Buds 2a, Buds 2, and Buds 2 Plus for $49, $59 and $69, respectively.
They primarily vary by sound quality because of the different driver sizes, but a few things stand out. For instance, the CMF Buds 2 and Buds 2 Plus offer better battery backup than the CMF Buds Pro 2 and improved voice clarity on calls, thanks to Clear Voice Technology 3.0.
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The Buds 2 Plus have the best battery life of any pair of CMF earbuds, with a promised battery backup of 14 hours (ANC off) and up to 61.5 hours with the case versus 11 hours (earbuds) and 43 hours (with case) on the CMF Buds Pro 2. All of them are sold in a variety of colorful options with a matte finish on the case.
English (US) ·