CMF Phone 2 Pro: Redefining Budget, Or Just Redesigned?

Following the unexpected splash made by the CMF Phone 1 under their budget-focused sub-brand, Nothing is back with a follow-up: the CMF Phone 2 Pro. The predecessor garnered significant attention, even earning accolades like “Budget Phone of the Year” from some reviewers, largely due to its surprising quality for its ~$200-$250 price point and its unique modularity concept. Now, the CMF Phone 2 Pro arrives with a slightly higher price tag (starting around £219 / €249 ) but claims to offer substantial upgrades. The question is: does it live up to the hype, and can it punch above its weight in a crowded market?

A Shift in Design Philosophy

Perhaps the most notable departure from the CMF Phone 1 is a fundamental change in design philosophy. While the first generation embraced bold modularity with a user-replaceable back panel and screw-in accessories, the Phone 2 Pro prioritizes a more conventional, streamlined form factor. Reviewers note that the previous modular design contributed to thickness and that the constant screwing/unscrewing for accessories wasn’t universally convenient.

The result is a significantly slimmer (7.88mm) and lighter (185g) device compared to its predecessor, offering a more comfortable and wieldy in-hand feel. It even manages to be slimmer and lighter than Nothing’s own Phone 3A. The sharp edges around the screws have been refined, and the distinctive circular dial element is now smaller and more integrated into the phone’s curvier frame. Build materials include Panda Glass on the front and a plastic back, with reviewers noting different finishes depending on the color (Orange and White feature a dual-tone finish, while Black and Light Green have a frosted, glass-like texture, though some felt the latter didn’t quite replicate a premium feel). The exposed screw design remains a distinctive aesthetic choice, adding an industrial character. The phone also sees an improved IP54 rating, offering better protection against splashing water compared to the Phone 1’s IP52.

While the fully swappable back panels are gone, CMF hasn’t abandoned accessories entirely. A new “universal cover” is available separately, which screws onto the back panel. This cover incorporates a magnetic ring, providing “Macsafe-like functionality” for attaching new magnetic accessories like a wallet/stand and interchangeable lenses. While this offers a more convenient magnetic attachment method compared to the old screw-in approach, reviewers noted that installing the cover involves unscrewing and rescrewing the phone’s back, and that the cover adds thickness. The quality of the universal cover itself was described as feeling somewhat less premium by one reviewer, and the slim nature of the bottom screw, while contributing to thinness, raised concerns about fragility during the unscrewing process. Compatibility with some older screw-in accessories (like the thick lanyard) remains.

Display Excellence Meets Mono Audio

One area where the CMF Phone 2 Pro consistently earns high praise is its display. It sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, capable of scaling down for efficiency. Reviewers were highly impressed by its quality for the price point, highlighting vibrant colors (though color tuning in standard modes wasn’t always considered perfectly neutral compared to some pricier phones), excellent contrast, symmetrical and notably slim bezels compared to the Phone 1, and a high-end viewing experience for videos. The display gets significantly brighter than its predecessor, with tested auto-brightness peaks around 1270-1400 nits, making it much easier to use outdoors. HDR video playback is supported on platforms like YouTube (though not Netflix if the app isn’t pre-installed). It also includes 2160Hz PWM dimming to mitigate OLED flicker.

A welcome addition from the Phone 1 is the inclusion of an Always-On Display. The in-display optical fingerprint scanner is reported to be fast and responsive, performing as expected for this technology.

The audio experience, however, remains a clear area of compromise. The phone features a single, bottom-firing mono speaker. While there’s an “ultra volume” feature to boost loudness by 50%, reviewers noted that the audio quality at maximum volume can sound “tiny and crackly” or simply “average” in terms of bass and clarity, with one comparison suggesting it’s actually worse than the speaker on the CMF Phone 1. The absence of stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack are standard concessions for a budget device aiming for slimness.

Solid Performance and Clean Software

Under the hood, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset paired with 8GB of RAM (the base model now starting at 8GB/128GB, with a 256GB option available). While the “Pro” version of the chip offers only modest performance gains (around 10% CPU, 5% GPU) over the Dimensity 7300 found in the Phone 1, the overall user experience is described as pleasingly smooth and responsive. For everyday tasks like Browse, social media, and multitasking, some reviewers felt its performance felt comparable to much more expensive flagship devices, highlighting excellent optimization. Gaming is capable for the price, with demanding titles playable on medium settings and support for high refresh rates in games like BGMI. The phone reportedly manages thermals well, staying relatively cool even under stress.

The software experience is a significant draw. Running Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15, the CMF Phone 2 Pro benefits from a clean, minimal interface with no pre-installed bloatware, a refreshing change compared to many budget competitors. Nothing promises a respectable 3 years of OS updates and an extended 6 years of security patches.

New software features include customizable lock screen widgets and a Private Space in the app drawer for sensitive content. The unique “Essential Key” from Nothing’s higher-end phones is also present. This customizable button allows for quick actions like taking screenshots with attached notes or voice commands (which get transcribed). Double-tapping the key opens “Essential Space,” an area designed to be a single place to save and organize information captured this way (e.g., saving photos of things to remember with notes). While reviewers found the concept intriguing and potentially very useful for capturing and recalling scattered information, they noted that Essential Space currently feels “beta-ish” or a “work in progress,” sometimes unreliable and lacking features like search or robust organization. The physical button itself was generally liked for its distinct feel, reducing accidental presses compared to the power button.

Reliable Battery, Surprising Inclusion

Battery life is robust, thanks to a 5000mAh capacity battery (the same as the Phone 1) combined with a more efficient display and software. Users can expect potentially 7.5-8 hours of screen-on time with heavy use and comfortably a full day or even two days for lighter users. Charging is supported at 33W wired, which is not the fastest in the segment but decent. Wireless charging is absent, a typical concession at this price.

However, one particularly surprising and welcome point noted by reviewers, particularly in the Indian context, is the inclusion of a 33W charger and a transparent case directly in the box. This goes against recent trends from many manufacturers, including Nothing themselves with their main line, and was highlighted as a significant value add. It was noted by one source that this inclusion might be a market-specific experiment for India.

Cameras: Hardware Potential Needs Software Polish

The camera system sees a major upgrade, moving from a single functional lens on the Phone 1 to a triple rear camera array on the Phone 2 Pro, justifying the “Pro” moniker for some. The setup includes a 50MP main sensor (reportedly the same large sensor found in the Nothing Phone 3A, and potentially one of the largest in the sub-₹20,000 segment), a 50MP 2x optical telephoto lens (also shared with the Phone 3A), and an 8MP ultrawide sensor. A 16MP selfie camera is on the front.

On paper, this is an impressive hardware package for the price, offering versatility rarely seen in this segment (many budget phones lack either an ultrawide or a functional telephoto). Reviewers found the camera app to be snappy. The main camera takes decent photos for the price, showing good dynamic range and improved low-light performance compared to the Phone 1 (though requiring a steady hand due to the lack of OIS). The 2x telephoto is considered usable and particularly handy for portraits. The 8MP ultrawide is functional, performing as expected for its resolution at this price point. Accessory lenses (Macro and Fisheye), usable with the universal cover, add further creative options, with the Macro lens, when paired with the main sensor, offering capable close-up shots.

However, despite the promising hardware, reviewers consistently noted that the camera performance in practice is held back by software tuning. Issues highlighted include occasional oversharpening, inconsistent color and skin tone tuning (especially compared to the Phone 3A, which was found to have better, more consistent processing), and details falling off when zooming in on images. Portraits were found to have inconsistent sharpness and cutout quality at times. Video recording (up to 4K 30fps on the rear, Full HD on the selfie) was also noted as less stable and detailed compared to the Nothing Phone 3A, again partly attributed to the lack of OIS and processing differences potentially influenced by the chipset’s ISP. Reviewers felt that the camera system, while offering great hardware potential, lacks the real-world “finess” and consistency of more polished implementations and would benefit significantly from software updates.

The Value Proposition: Good, Not Necessarily Great?

Ultimately, the CMF Phone 2 Pro presents a compelling value proposition, packing features and hardware typically found in more expensive segments into a phone priced around £219 / ₹18,999. It delivers a genuinely impressive display, smooth everyday performance powered by well-optimized software, solid battery life, a clean OS experience with good update support, and a versatile (on paper) triple camera setup, all while being notably slim and including a charger and case in some markets.

Reviewers generally agreed it’s a “good phone” for its price, offering excellent value and representing a significant upgrade over the CMF Phone 1 by addressing previous omissions like NFC (though notably absent in the Indian variant according to one source) and Always-On Display, and substantially boosting camera hardware.

However, some felt that in the pursuit of slimness and hitting a low price point, certain compromises were made beyond the obvious (mono speaker, no wireless charging, no OIS). Specific criticisms included the perceived fragility of the slim screw, the somewhat cumbersome universal cover system, and critically, camera performance that doesn’t quite live up to the hardware potential due to tuning issues. When directly compared to the Nothing Phone 3A, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers similar core experiences like the display and software for less money, the 3A was noted for its more premium build quality, better IP rating, stereo speakers, superior gaming performance, and a more reliable, better-tuned camera system (thanks in part to OIS and potentially chipset processing).

Some reviewers questioned whether the inclusion of a 2x telephoto lens at this price, coupled with tuning issues, was the optimal use of resources, suggesting perhaps a stronger primary camera or the addition of stereo speakers might have been more impactful upgrades.

Conclusion: A Strong Contender with Room to Grow

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a complex device – a budget phone that feels premium in many areas while revealing its price point through specific compromises. It’s a testament to Nothing’s ability to deliver optimized experiences and distinctive designs even at lower price points.

For the budget-conscious consumer prioritizing a fantastic display, smooth general performance, clean software with strong support, and a camera system that offers hardware versatility previously unseen in this category, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an incredibly strong contender and easy to recommend. Its inclusion of a charger and case (in some regions) is a significant bonus.

However, those seeking a truly premium build, top-tier camera performance out-of-the-box, the best possible gaming power, stereo speakers, or features like OIS and wireless charging will need to look towards more expensive options, including Nothing’s own Phone 3A. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a bold evolution, offering remarkable value and potential, but its success ultimately hinges on whether CMF/Nothing can refine its camera tuning and perhaps address minor build/accessory quirks through future software updates and hardware revisions. It’s a good phone, offering flashes of greatness, that pushes the boundaries of what’s expected at this price.