# CMF by Nothing
**CMF by [Nothing](https://www.edgepedia.org/nothing-company)** (commonly shortened to CMF) is a consumer technology brand founded by the London-based company Nothing, focused on design-led, budget-priced products including smartphones, earbuds, smartwatches, and chargers. The name refers to the design dimensions of Colour, Material, and Finish.[1](https://checkout-eu.nothing.tech/pages/about-cmf) Launched in September 2023 as Nothing's affordable sub-brand, CMF introduced its first smartphone, the modular CMF Phone 1, in July 2024, and in 2025 began transitioning into an independent, India-headquartered company.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmf-by-nothing-unveils-debut-products-301938640.html) • [3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 26 September 2023, as a sub-brand of Nothing, with Buds Pro, Watch Pro, and Power 65W GaN as its first products[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmf-by-nothing-unveils-debut-products-301938640.html) |
| Name | Stands for Colour, Material, Finish, the design dimensions the brand says it emphasizes[1](https://checkout-eu.nothing.tech/pages/about-cmf) |
| First phone | CMF Phone 1, July 2024: 6.67" 120 Hz AMOLED, MediaTek Dimensity 7300, 50 MP main camera, 5,000 mAh battery, 33 W charging[4](https://www.gsmarena.com/nothing_cmf_phone_1-review-2719.php) |
| Signature feature | User-replaceable back cover secured by four screws, plus a screw-on "Accessory Point" for a stand, card case, or lanyard[5](https://www.notebookcheck.net/CMF-Phone-1-review-Modular-smartphone-at-an-affordable-price.916468.0.html) |
| Price positioning | Smartphones priced under $200, the dominant price category in India, where over 42% of phones shipped in Q2 2025 cost $100 to $200[3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/) |
| Corporate status | Announced as an independent subsidiary in September 2025 through a joint venture with Optiemus; with the separation deepening in 2026[3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/) • [6](https://mail.nothing.wiki/cmf) |
## Founding and first products
Nothing announced CMF on 26 September 2023 as a sub-brand "aimed at making great design more accessible," launching with three products: the Buds Pro earbuds, the Watch Pro [smartwatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/smartwatch), and the Power 65W GaN charger. Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis described the goal as offering "elevated design with advanced technology" at an accessible price point.[2](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmf-by-nothing-unveils-debut-products-301938640.html) The debut range reached 15 countries and regions, with plans to expand to more than 26 countries by the end of the year.[7](https://nothing.community/d/2835-cmf-by-nothing-expands-global-availability)
The brand's product line expanded through 2024 to include the CMF Buds, Buds Pro 2, Neckband Pro, Watch Pro 2, and the first CMF Phone.[8](https://static.ticimax.cloud/58097/uploads/editoruploads/cmf-buds-2-serisi-inceleme.pdf) Unlike some manufacturer sub-brands, Nothing's marketing has treated CMF less as a fully independent entity and more as a separate lineup within the broader Nothing ecosystem, sharing the Nothing X app and [Nothing OS](https://www.edgepedia.org/nothing-os) software.[4](https://www.gsmarena.com/nothing_cmf_phone_1-review-2719.php)
## CMF Phone 1
The CMF Phone 1, released in July 2024, is the brand's first smartphone and its defining product. It pairs a 6.67-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display (1,080 x 2,400 pixels, 2,000 nits peak) with a 4 nm [MediaTek Dimensity](https://www.edgepedia.org/mediatek-dimensity) 7300 chipset, a 50 MP f/1.8 main camera, a 16 MP front camera, a 5,000 mAh battery with 33 W wired and 5 W reverse wired charging, and Nothing OS 2.6 on [Android 14](https://www.edgepedia.org/android-14).[4](https://www.gsmarena.com/nothing_cmf_phone_1-review-2719.php) Reviewers generally rated performance, battery endurance, and the display as its strongest qualities.[9](https://www.itechguides.com/cmf-phone-1-review-nothings-affordable-modular-smartphone-in-2026/)
**Modularity.** The phone's distinguishing feature is a replaceable back panel secured by four prominent screws rather than clips, available in Black, Blue, Orange, and Light Green colourways. A screw thread called the Accessory Point accepts optional accessories such as a foldable stand, a card case holding up to three cards, or a lanyard, each priced at €25 or US$25; additional back covers cost €35 (US$35) and include the needed tool, screws, and matching parts.[5](https://www.notebookcheck.net/CMF-Phone-1-review-Modular-smartphone-at-an-affordable-price.916468.0.html) The removable back inspired a cottage industry of 3D-printed replacement covers on marketplaces such as Etsy.[10](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/nothing-phones/i-broke-my-cmf-phone-2-pro-so-you-dont-have-to)
The design carried trade-offs. The phone lacks NFC, so contactless payments are unavailable, and its IP52 rating means it resists only water drops up to a 15-degree angle.[5](https://www.notebookcheck.net/CMF-Phone-1-review-Modular-smartphone-at-an-affordable-price.916468.0.html) • [10](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/nothing-phones/i-broke-my-cmf-phone-2-pro-so-you-dont-have-to) The battery is glued in place, so the modular back does not make the phone user-repairable.[5](https://www.notebookcheck.net/CMF-Phone-1-review-Modular-smartphone-at-an-affordable-price.916468.0.html) In the United States, weak carrier support and the absence of accessory sales limited its usefulness; one reviewer found the phone worked only on Wi-Fi on Verizon.[11](https://www.androidauthority.com/nothing-cmf-phone-1-review-3502896/) Nothing promised the Phone 1 two major Android updates and three years of security updates, and [Android 16](https://www.edgepedia.org/android-16) (Nothing OS 4.0) was its final major OS update.[12](https://nothing.community/d/61834/77)
## CMF Phone 2 Pro and later phones
The [CMF Phone 2 Pro](https://www.edgepedia.org/cmf-phone-2-pro) launched in April 2025 (first available 21 April 2025) with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chipset, a 6.77-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display, a four-camera system including a 50 MP telephoto zoom lens, a 5,000 mAh battery with 33 W fast charging, and a longer support policy of three years of Android updates plus six years of security patches.[13](https://www.hkcsl.com/u/cms/pccw/img/handset/Product-Information-Sheet-CMF-by-Nothing-CMF-Phone-2-pro-8-256GB.pdf) • [14](https://manuals.plus/asin/B0F5PPH7DF.pdf) The removable back was replaced by a "Universal cover" attached with five screws, which enables MagSafe-style magnetic accessories and clip-on camera lenses; Nothing confirmed the Phone 2 Pro's back is not designed to be removable the way the Phone 1's was, a change that raised the ingress protection rating from IP52 to IP54.[10](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/nothing-phones/i-broke-my-cmf-phone-2-pro-so-you-dont-have-to) In Tom's Guide lab testing, the Phone 2 Pro scored Geekbench 6 averages of about 1,016 single-core and 2,961 multi-core, essentially level with the Phone 1, and lasted 15 hours 24 minutes on the outlet's battery benchmark.[15](https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/cmf-phone-2-pro-review)
In June 2026, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis announced that no CMF Phone 3 Pro would launch that year, saying that with memory prices as they were, the company could not build "a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF." Rising RAM costs, driven by AI data-center demand, have made cheap phones harder to build; other CMF product categories and unbranded Nothing phones remain planned.[16](https://www.techradar.com/phones/nothing-phones/the-ram-crisis-just-killed-nothings-next-budget-phone-cmf-phone-3-pro-scrapped-as-co-founder-says-we-cant-build-a-phone-that-feels-like-a-genuine-step-forward)
## Separation from Nothing
On 24 and 25 September 2025, Nothing announced it would make CMF an independent subsidiary headquartered in India for manufacturing and R&D, through a joint venture with the Indian electronics manufacturer Optiemus. The companies said they would invest more than US$100 million over three years and create more than 1,800 jobs in India.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/) • [17](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/25092025/7fd7cd24-52bf-43f2-ad0c-f4c8c450db4d.pdf) India was a natural base: CMF's phones sell under $200, the dominant category there, and Nothing was India's fastest-growing smartphone brand in Q2 2025 with 85% year-over-year shipment growth and over 2% market share.[3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/) Nothing CEO Carl Pei framed the goal as building CMF into "India's first truly global smartphone brand."[3](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/)
The separation deepened in 2026.
## Reception
The CMF Phone 1 drew broadly positive reviews for its price-to-value ratio. Android Central called it "the only good $200 phone" the reviewer had used and a candidate for phone of the year on value,[19](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/cmf-phone-1-review) WIRED praised its design language as the phone's first win,[20](https://www.wired.com/review/cmf-phone-1/) and Tom's Guide named it the most customizable cheap phone under $300, listing it at $239 with 15 hours 2 minutes of battery life in its test.[21](https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-cheap-phones-under-300-dollars) Recurring criticisms across reviews covered the plastic build, limited camera flexibility, the missing NFC chip, and, in the US, weak carrier and accessory support.[11](https://www.androidauthority.com/nothing-cmf-phone-1-review-3502896/) • [19](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/cmf-phone-1-review) CMF products have also received a Red Dot Award, and the brand reports millions of units sold worldwide.[17](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/25092025/7fd7cd24-52bf-43f2-ad0c-f4c8c450db4d.pdf)
## References
1. [About CMF – Nothing Europe](https://checkout-eu.nothing.tech/pages/about-cmf)
2. [CMF by Nothing Unveils Debut Products, PR Newswire (26 September 2023)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cmf-by-nothing-unveils-debut-products-301938640.html)
3. [Smartphone maker Nothing to spin off its affordable CMF brand, TechCrunch (24 September 2025)](https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/smartphone-maker-nothing-to-spin-off-its-affordable-cmf-brand/)
4. [CMF Phone 1 by Nothing review, GSMArena](https://www.gsmarena.com/nothing_cmf_phone_1-review-2719.php)
5. [CMF Phone 1 review – Modular smartphone at an affordable price, Notebookcheck](https://www.notebookcheck.net/CMF-Phone-1-review-Modular-smartphone-at-an-affordable-price.916468.0.html)
6. [CMF, Nothing.wiki](https://mail.nothing.wiki/cmf)
7. [CMF by Nothing Expands Global Availability, Nothing Community](https://nothing.community/d/2835-cmf-by-nothing-expands-global-availability)
8. [CMF Buds 2 Series Reviewers Guide (2025)](https://static.ticimax.cloud/58097/uploads/editoruploads/cmf-buds-2-serisi-inceleme.pdf)
9. [CMF Phone 1 Review: Nothing's Affordable Modular Smartphone in 2026, iTechGuides](https://www.itechguides.com/cmf-phone-1-review-nothings-affordable-modular-smartphone-in-2026/)
10. [I broke my CMF Phone 2 Pro so you don't have to, Android Central](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/nothing-phones/i-broke-my-cmf-phone-2-pro-so-you-dont-have-to)
11. [Nothing CMF Phone 1 review: Fun, bold budget phone, Android Authority](https://www.androidauthority.com/nothing-cmf-phone-1-review-3502896/)
12. [CMF Phone 1 NOS 5.0 Update, Nothing Community](https://nothing.community/d/61834/77)
13. [Product Information Sheet, CMF by Nothing Phone 2 Pro, csl](https://www.hkcsl.com/u/cms/pccw/img/handset/Product-Information-Sheet-CMF-by-Nothing-CMF-Phone-2-pro-8-256GB.pdf)
14. [CMF Phone 2 Pro User Manual](https://manuals.plus/asin/B0F5PPH7DF.pdf)
15. [CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: The bar for cheap phones just got higher, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/cmf-phone-2-pro-review)
16. [The RAM crisis just killed Nothing's next budget phone, TechRadar (19 June 2026)](https://www.techradar.com/phones/nothing-phones/the-ram-crisis-just-killed-nothings-next-budget-phone-cmf-phone-3-pro-scrapped-as-co-founder-says-we-cant-build-a-phone-that-feels-like-a-genuine-step-forward)
17. [Nothing/Optiemus joint venture announcement, Business Standard filing (September 2025)](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/data/announcements/bse/25092025/7fd7cd24-52bf-43f2-ad0c-f4c8c450db4d.pdf)
18. [CMF is entering a new chapter, so we updated the wiki, Nothing Community](https://nothing.community/d/63073-cmf-is-entering-a-new-chapter-so-we-updated-the-wiki)
19. [CMF Phone 1 review: The only good $200 phone I've ever used, Android Central](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/cmf-phone-1-review)
20. [Review: CMF Phone 1, WIRED](https://www.wired.com/review/cmf-phone-1/)
21. [Best phones under $300 in 2025, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-cheap-phones-under-300-dollars)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Telephony systems and services › Telephone devices and subscriber equipment › Telephone handsets and instruments › Feature and special-purpose telephones*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license