CMF Phone One Review- A Fantabolus Package!

CMF Phone One

Today, we're looking at the CMF Phone One, not to be confused with the original Nothing Phone One, as this is from Nothing's sub-brand. There's a lot of hype, intrigue, and controversy around this phone, so let's break it all down for you.

Design

CMF Phone One's design is unique

I love the exposed screw design; it puts the industry in industrial design. The camera module is also a highlight for me, though others might disagree. Design is subjective—some may love it, and others may not. Initially, people thought the element at the bottom was a volume knob, but it's actually a screw for attaching external accessories. You can add items like a lanyard loop, a card case, and a phone stand.

• Lanyard: It's of excellent quality, designed like a bag strap. However, in places like India, wearing your phone like this might make it a target for theft.
• Card Case: The quality is poor, and I wouldn't recommend buying it.
• Phone Stand: This is useful, especially on long flights, but it creates a bulge in your pocket.

One interesting feature is the removable back panel, allowing you to change its color. Available colors include black, orange, light green, and an India special blue. However, the phone is only sold in black, so you need to buy the black phone and then purchase additional panels separately. It’s a smart business move by Nothing.

Despite some drawbacks, I prefer this design over the Glyph lights. Unfortunately, it won't be on the Phone 3 due to its plastic back and IP 52 rating. While the phone feels dense and heavier than others like the IU Z9 or the Realme Narzo 7 Pro, I still think the design stands out and may even win a Red Dot Award.

Display

CMF Phone One's display is tempting

The CMF Phone One features a standard 6.67-inch LTPS Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits peak brightness, 700 nits in HBM mode. We couldn't test it outdoors due to gloomy weather, but 700 nits should be adequate. Indoors, it has the brightest display among the three phones we tested, although it lacks Netflix HDR support.

Performance

The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 inside the CMF Phone One is slightly underpowered compared to the Dimensity 7200 in the IU Z9. However, it uses a newer 4nm fabrication process, which is better than the Dimensity 7050 in the Narzo 70 Pro. In benchmark tests, IU scored highest, followed by CMF and then Realme.

In real-world performance, CMF Phone One offered the highest average FPS in games like Genshin Impact. It runs smoother and faster in daily use compared to its competitors. Network capabilities include support for 95G bands, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3, but there's no NFC, which is disappointing.

Battery Life

The battery life on the CMF Phone One is excellent, offering 7-8 hours of screen-on time. It supports 33W charging, which is not as fast as competitors like Realme and IU, which offer 67W and 44W, respectively. The battery life is comparable to the others.

Camera

CMF Phone One's camera does a good job

The camera setup is basic with a 50MP rear camera and a 16MP front camera. The 2MP depth sensor helps with portraits, but the quality is average. Non-portrait shots on the Narzo offer more details, but the CMF performs well in HDR with balanced shadows and highlights. In low-light conditions, IU's algorithm performs better.

Realme is the only phone with an ultra-wide-angle camera, and its selfie camera performs well in daylight. However, CMF's rear camera excels in video recording, offering high-quality 4K 30FPS video with stabilization.

Software

Nothing OS 2.6, based on Android 14, provides the best software experience under INR 20,000, with two plus three years of updates promised. The system is bloatware-free with a unique design language, featuring dot matrix apps and fonts. Despite not having an always-on display, it offers features like generative AI wallpaper theming and excellent animations.

Conclusion

The CMF Phone One stands out with its industrial design and exceptional software experience, despite its limitations like the lack of OIS, mono speaker, average camera performance, and the need to buy accessories separately. Priced at INR 15,999 for the 6GB variant and INR 17,999 for the 8GB variant, it's a solid choice for those seeking good design and a clean software experience under INR 20,000.