24 August 2025
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8:10:45
The budget smartphone market is often a compromise between price and performance, but the Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro challenges that narrative. Designed under Nothing’s CMF sub-brand—known for its focus on Color, Material, and Finish—this phone blends distinctive style, practical modularity, and a surprisingly high-end feature set. At under $300, it aims to give budget buyers more than they usually expect.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro embraces minimalism with bold colors like orange, black, white, and light green. It’s just 7.8 mm thick and weighs only 185 g, making it comfortable for one-handed use. The frame is polycarbonate, which keeps the weight down, and the matte texture resists fingerprints.
What sets it apart is the modular back panel system. Using a simple locking mechanism, you can attach accessories such as magnetic cases, a kickstand wallet, a lanyard, or even lens attachments for the camera. These modules make it feel like a customisable gadget rather than a generic slab, and the added flexibility extends its lifespan and usability. When paired with the protective base cover, the phone achieves an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance—rare in its class.
The front is dominated by a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 1080 × 2392 resolution and 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ for improved contrast and color depth, making it a pleasure for video streaming and gaming. Peak brightness is high enough to keep the screen readable in direct sunlight.
The adaptive refresh rate automatically scales from 30 Hz to 120 Hz depending on the content, balancing smooth visuals with battery efficiency. The bezels are slim, giving the device a modern look without feeling fragile.
Inside, the CMF Phone 2 Pro runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset built on a 4 nm process. Paired with 8 GB of RAM, it delivers responsive performance for everyday tasks, social media, web browsing, and even mid-tier gaming. Storage options include 128 GB and 256 GB, with microSD expansion available.
Benchmark comparisons show it competing well against other phones in the $300 bracket, often matching devices that cost more. Thermal performance is stable, meaning the phone stays cool even during extended use.
The rear houses a triple-camera setup:
Photos from the main lens are sharp and detailed in daylight, with accurate colors and decent dynamic range. The telephoto camera adds versatility for portraits and distant shots without relying on digital zoom. The ultrawide is serviceable for landscapes but softer at the edges.
Low-light performance is respectable for a budget device, thanks to Night Mode processing. However, in very dark scenes, noise becomes noticeable. Video recording tops out at 4K at 30 fps, producing smooth footage with natural colors.
On the front, a 16 MP camera handles selfies with pleasing skin tones and offers software-driven portrait effects.
A 5,000 mAh battery powers the phone, comfortably lasting a full day and a half of moderate use. Screen-on time averages around 7–8 hours, even with the 120 Hz refresh rate active.
Charging is handled via 33 W wired fast charging, taking the phone from 0 to 50% in about half an hour and to full in just over an hour. It also supports 5 W reverse wired charging, letting you top up accessories like wireless earbuds.
While 33 W isn’t the fastest in the segment, it strikes a good balance between speed and battery health over time.
The device ships with Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15. The interface stays close to stock Android but adds subtle custom touches like unique iconography, a clean settings layout, and smooth animations.
One standout promise is its software support: three years of major OS updates and six years of security patches. This level of long-term support is almost unheard of in the budget category, making the CMF Phone 2 Pro a strong investment for buyers who want their phone to stay secure and up-to-date.
Bloatware is minimal, with only a handful of pre-installed apps, most of which can be uninstalled.
The modular accessory ecosystem is one of the phone’s headline features. The snap-on modules allow for personalization and practicality—swapping from a rugged case for hiking to a slim wallet case for daily commuting. Camera lens attachments add creative options for photography enthusiasts, while the kickstand wallet combines storage for cards with hands-free viewing convenience.
This flexibility not only makes the phone more fun to use but also extends its functionality without needing separate gadgets.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro starts at around $230–$240 in markets like India and Europe, with a slightly higher price for the 256 GB version. In the U.S., it’s available through a limited release program. At this price, it undercuts many rivals while offering unique modular features, strong performance, and long-term software support.
It’s not perfect—charging speeds and ultrawide camera sharpness leave room for improvement—but these are minor trade-offs for a device that delivers so much for so little. If you’re looking for a phone under $300 that stands out from the sea of sameness, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is well worth your attention.
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