4 glorious options Nothing added to the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional

Nowadays, there is not a ton of dynamism within the

entry-level smartphone scene
. Not like the

mid-ranger market
, which has seen a boon in each price-to-performance ratio and in exterior design prowess, the common funds cellphone typically feels devoid of any and all character, allure, and persona.

Fortunately, London, UK-based smartphone maker

Nothing
swooped in to fill this void when it launched its distinctive and budget-friendly

CMF Phone 1
final 12 months. Now, the corporate

is back at it again with a sophomore effort
: the all-new CMF Cellphone 2 Professional.

The ‘Professional’ moniker is a curious selection, seeing how Nothing is not providing a non-Professional CMF Cellphone 2 this 12 months. In any case, the corporate has taken a swing and has finally scored with its new entry-level CMF — the gadget genuinely looks like a breath of contemporary air in at this time’s malaise-ridden funds handset market.

There are a number of the explanation why I really feel the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional hits the nail on the top as an entry-level gadget. The product is ready to punch nicely above its weight — the direct results of considerate and conspicuous design decisions made by Nothing.

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1

Its design is nicely refined

The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional seems to be and feels dearer than it really is

To be frank, I discover nearly all of entry-level smartphones bodily unappealing. Superficial? Maybe, however I am a sucker for well-refined industrial design. Most funds fashions resemble dumbed-down variations of their mid-range and flagship sister merchandise, that includes bland designs, asymmetrical proportions, and low cost, chintzy construct supplies.

This is not the case with the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional: Nothing might need outfitted the handset with plastic, however it’s a high-quality variant that feels premium within the hand. The rear panel efficiently emulates a frosted glass texture, tolerances are tight, and buttons are clicky and exact.

Much like it did with
its mid-range

Phone 3a and 3a Pro
gadgets from earlier this 12 months, Nothing has opted to make a press release piece out of the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional’s rear digicam housing. It will not be to everybody’s style, to make certain, however I discover it to be a singular and pleasing design language so far as digicam cellphone protrusions are involved.

Associated

Nothing’s new CMF Phone 2 Pro and Buds 2 lineup is both aesthetic and affordable

Below its CMF sub-brand, Nothing has launched a brand new reasonably priced CMF Cellphone 2 Professional, in addition to three new CMF Buds 2 merchandise.

2

Its design is modular

Modular smartphones are at all times a pleasure to decorate

Except for the distinctive digicam setup, the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional’s rear exterior is dominated by 4 M2 screws, along with a toolless round screw close to the underside right-hand nook of the unit. These screws maintain a nifty trick up their sleeve: they unlock a complete ecosystem of smartphone modularity. The toolless screw might be eliminated and changed with a lanyard loop accent, whereas the M2 screws might be eliminated with a purpose to slap on a devoted magnetic case.

As soon as the magnetic case is secured in place with the screws, the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional is immediately suitable with a pockets/kickstand combo accent, in addition to snap-on macro and fisheye lense modules. The magnetic case contains a ring of magnets in the identical vein as

MagSafe
or

Qi2
, which suggests you possibly can snap the cellphone onto any and all current magnetic mounting gadgets.

Sadly, the devoted CMF Cellphone 2 Professional equipment are bought individually from the gadget itself, and (save for the lanyard loop), all of them require the set up of the magnetic case with a purpose to perform. The cellphone additionally does not embrace wi-fi charging, which is a disgrace — I might even accept a 5W trickle cost to complement the magnetic capabilities of Nothing’s screw-on case.

Even nonetheless, modularity is and at all times will likely be a enjoyable smartphone design component, and its inclusion in a funds handset is a welcome shock. The

Motorola Moto Z
and the

LG G5
walked so the CMD Cellphone 2 Professional might run.

Associated

I need this new budget phone from Nothing to revive the modular dream

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3

Its show is excellent

Symmetrical bezels make all of the distinction

Show high quality is one space I take significantly relating to a smartphone — I spend an terrible lot of my day watching cell screens, and so I need to get pleasure from essentially the most snug and pleasing panel I can presumably get my palms on. Being an entry-level gadget, the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional did not knock my socks off with LTPO tech, QHD decision,

or fancy waterfall display glass
, however it excels on the necessities.

The cellphone’s 6.77-inch AMOLED panel is a bit giant for my liking, however its 1080 x 2392 pixel decision equates to a pointy 388 pixels per inch (ppi) density. Higher nonetheless, the display refreshes at a buttery-smooth 120Hz, it helps the HDR10+ commonplace, and it could actually hit a peak brightness of 3000 nits.

Far and away, my favourite facet of the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional’s display is the symmetrical bezel that surrounds it. They are not the slimmest bezels on the planet, however they’re equally sized throughout all 4 show corners. This small design consideration provides a layer of refinement to the aesthetic that elevates the complete bundle in my eyes.

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4

It runs Nothing OS

The most effective third-party Android skins on the market

Many budget-tier Android gadgets are tormented by heavy software program skins that bathroom down the (comparatively) underpowered silicon operating below their hoods. This is not the case with the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional — being a Nothing sub-brand, CMF telephones benefit from the privilege of operating the lovingly crafted Nothing OS.

Nothing OS
gives a clear and bloat-free software program expertise, with a cohesive dot matrix design language and {smooth} animations. The pores and skin sticks carefully to ‘stick’ AOSP Android, however sprinkles in refined quality-of-life tweaks. I’ve grown to actually recognize a few of these additions, resembling the power to pin apps to the highest of the app drawer for fast entry, or to resize shortcut tiles inside the fast settings panel.

Commendably, Nothing hasn’t artificially restricted the function set of Nothing OS on the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional with a purpose to prop up its dearer Cellphone 3a and 3a Professional kin. The

AI-centric Essential Space
, which archives and contextualizes screenshots and voice notes, is current and accounted for (as is the {hardware} Important Key, which I am much less eager on). The utility of Important House is hit-or-miss from my perspective, however I recognize that it is part of the bundle nonetheless.

Maybe better of all, whereas the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional ships with Nothing OS 3.2 atop of Android 15, Nothing guarantees 3 years of main function updates along with six years of safety patches — a formidable replace coverage by entry-level requirements.

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Nothing.

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