Nothing this week announced the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the second smartphone under its budget-focused CMF sub-brand. Priced at just $279, the Phone 2 Pro takes a bold step forward with modular features, a striking design, and hardware that rivals many mid-range flagships. While it’s being sold in the US through a beta program with limited warranty support, the phone brings a lot to the table, especially for the price.
Refined Hardware with a Design-First Approach
The CMF Phone 2 Pro sports a distinctive exterior, complete with exposed stainless steel screws and a modular back panel that doubles as an accessory attachment point. Users can customize their phone with magnetic wallets, interchangeable lenses, lanyards, and even covers that double as stands. At just 7.8mm thin and 185 grams, it’s the slimmest phone Nothing has released to date.
It’s available in three finishes, orange, black, and white, and features an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance.
Display and Performance Upgrades
At the heart of the phone is a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, capable of hitting a peak brightness of 3000 nits. It supports a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, HDR10+, and a 1000 Hz touch sampling rate for smooth and responsive interaction.
Inside, the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro powers the experience, paired with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The phone includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual 5G with peak download speeds of up to 3.0 Gbps.
Battery life is handled by a 5,000mAh cell with 33W fast charging. Nothing claims up to 22 hours of YouTube streaming and over 1,200 charge cycles with 90% battery health retention.
Four Cameras and AI-Powered Photography
On the back is a versatile four-camera setup: a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 16 MP front-facing camera. The system is supported by Nothing’s TrueLens Engine 3, which enhances dynamic range and low-light performance using AI algorithms.
Portrait photography gets a boost from multiple focal lengths and custom image tuning, while the updated camera app introduces quick video access, burst shooting, and new creative modes.
Nothing OS 3 and the “Essential Key”
The CMF Phone 2 Pro ships with Nothing OS 3, which leans into customization and productivity. A new side-mounted “Essential Key” acts as a shortcut for screenshots or voice memos, while the AI-powered “Essential Space” organizes saved content and generates contextual suggestions.
Smart Drawer organizes apps by category, shared widgets promote meaningful connections, and an optional ChatGPT widget enables on-the-go voice interactions.
Limited US Availability, Beta Program Only
The CMF Phone 2 Pro supports key US 4G and 5G bands, but it’s only available through Nothing’s beta program, which requires user feedback and includes a short 14-day warranty. Buyers should treat it as a trial device, though Nothing appears to be testing the waters for a larger US rollout.
Pre-orders are open now, with shipments beginning May 7. More information can be found on the official CMF website.
