What Makes Nothing's CMF Phone Pro 2 So Different From Its Phone 1 Version?
When Nothing's value-centric CMF label introduced its first smartphone, it made waves because of its modular design. With the Phone 2 Pro, which was introduced a few weeks ago, CMF by Nothing took a slightly different approach to modularity.
On the Phone 2 Pro, users can take off the metallic screws and install a universal cover, which actually doubles as a universal cover for attaching a number of other accessories. So far, the company has revealed a sleek wallet that snaps magnetically to the rear shell and also doubles as a stand. The universal cover also opens the doors for a variety of creative camera lenses and a fashionable lanyard attachment, as well.
Interestingly, despite its budget-friendly status, this is the thinnest phone Nothing has made to date, offering a waistline of just 7.8 millimeters. Another major improvement is the ingress protection. The first-gen CMF smartphone served an IP52-rated build, while the Phone 2 Pro takes things up a notch higher to IP54-level for dust and water resistance.
On the functional side of things, there's a new Essential Key on the side, which enables a dedicated Essential Space. It's like a memory hub where users can share their screenshots, click pictures, and record voice notes, all of which are intelligently catalogued by an AI.
The big upgrade
On its debut CMF smartphone, Nothing only offered a single rear camera with a 50-megapixel resolution. Though it was not bad for the price, the lack of OIS and a secondary camera chipped away at its imaging versatility. In addition to a 50-megapixel main camera, Phone 2 Pro buyers also get an 8-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera with a 119-degree field of view. Not only can you capture a wider frame with the secondary snapper, but it will also assist with depth estimation to help capture better portrait shots.
The most notable change, however, is the addition of a massive 50-megapixel telephoto zoom camera. This opens the doors for 2x optical zoom and digital cropped shots that simulate 20x digital zoom output for long-range photography. Thanks to a multi-lens setup and an optical zoom snapper coming into the mix, users have different focal lengths to play with and achieve portrait shots with different framing.
Nothing also notes that the CMF Phone 2 Pro's sensors capture 64% more light data, which directly translates to better color reproduction, retention of surface details, and improved low-light capture quality. In my own tests, I have been impressed by the quality of pictures captured by the main and telephoto cameras on the Phone 2 Pro. They produce sharp pictures with ample saturation and good control over highlights, thanks to the algorithmic improvements offered by the third-generation TrueLens Engine.
What else is different?
Nothing armed the CMF Phone 1 with MediaTek's octa-core Dimensity 7300 5G silicon. The new and improved CMF Phone 2 Pro relies on the Dimensity 7300 Pro silicon, which is based on the same TSMC 4nm process. Nothing says the new silicon offers a 10% boost in raw CPU output and a 5% gain in graphics performance. It is noticeably more performant compared to Qualcomm's mid-tier Snapdragon 6 Gen series processors.
Another crucial difference is the display. On the CMF Phone 2 Pro, you get a slightly bigger 6.67-inch display, but this one is a flexible AMOLED-type panel. Additionally, it allows refresh rate adjustment across four stops, ranging from 30Hz to 120Hz, while its predecessor could only pull 60Hz standard and 120Hz fluid mode. The brightness figures have also received a sharp jump. The new CMF smartphone serves a panel that can reach up to 3,000 nits, while the Phone 1 could only muster 2,000 nits.
The rest of the internal hardware stack has a few shared traits across both phones. Both devices come equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery and support 33W fast charging. Thankfully, you get the fast charging power brick, alongside a cable and protective case inside the retail package. The asking price has been set at $279 for the CMF Phone 2 Pro, a slight jump over the $239 sticker price for the CMF Phone 1. In the US, you can buy CMF's gear via Nothing's beta program.