Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 Offers Customizability and Surprising Specs for $199

Nothing has introduced the CMF Phone 1 as its budget brand’s first handset, and it delivers the kind of style and performance you’d expect from a much more expensive device.

Its centerpiece is a detachable, customizable back you can use to swap in a different color shell or attach accessories. A foldable kickstand props it up for videos, while a lanyard and card case replace some of the most common third-party add-ons. Nothing warns that the inside isn’t meant to be user-serviced, though, so this won’t help you replace the battery or other key components.

The specs are beyond what you’d normally get for a low-cost smartphone, too. The CMF Phone 1 uses a 6.67-inch, 120Hz AMOLED screen with a tall 1080p resolution, a 2,000-nit brightness, and HDR10+ support. The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chip is pitched as faster than what you normally get in the class, and the 5,000mAh battery reportedly offers up to two days of use.

The camera setup also reflects a different approach than you sometimes see in this category. There’s just one rear camera, a 50MP Sony sensor that uses algorithms to boost underexposed images. You’ll also find a depth sensor for portraits and a 16MP front camera, but you won’t see Nothing try to fit in macro, ultrawide or telephoto cameras like some of the competition.

You’ll get the same stylized take on Android as on the Nothing Phone lineup.

The CMF Phone 1 is available now in the US, but only in a $199 beta program model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. You’ll be asked to provide feedback on the device. It’s also shipping in India for ?15,999 in a version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of space, while Europe gets a €269 model (￡239 in the UK) with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage.

The device is launching alongside the $69 CMF Watch Pro 2 and $59 CMF Buds Pro 2, and represents a significant expansion of Nothing’s strategy. It now has phones at three major price points and can reach a considerably larger audience. The Phone 1 could also be crucial in the cost-sensitive Indian market.

Don’t expect much more on the phone front this year, though. The Nothing Phone 3 isn’t slated to arrive until 2025, leaving last year’s model as the best you can get. For now, Nothing is focused on filling gaps rather than competing with upper-midrange and flagship rivals like Apple, Google, and Samsung.