Hey friends, if you are a budget smartphone lover and were excited about CMF Phone 1, then get ready as CMF Phone 2 Pro is here! Its launch surprised everyone as this phone comes for just Rs. 18,999 (with bank discount) and has so many features that it seems like a flagship phone.
But wait, is it really that perfect? Or is there something hidden in it which is hiding nothing from us? Today we will completely dissect this phone like Sherlock Holmes solves a case. So let’s get started and see if this CMF Phone 2 Pro is worth your money or not!
Practical Design, But Where’s the Fun?
First of all let’s talk about the design. CMF Phone 1 won our hearts with its swappable back panel and funky vibe, but CMF Phone 2 Pro takes a more practical approach. The back cover is no longer swappable, which is a bit of a disappointment. But that doesn’t mean it’s boring! Sharp edges are gone, the dial is now flat and the overall look of the phone is sleek and modern. This phone is 7.8mm slim and weighs just 185g, which is 20g lighter than the CMF Phone 1. It feels super comfortable to hold in hand, and the curved edges give it a premium feel.
The colours are pretty cool too – light green and black have a frosted glass-like finish, orange gives a dual-tone metallic vibe, and white has a sandstone texture. All the buttons match the body colour, which is a small but neat touch. And listen, Nothing has listened to the hearts of Indian users – the box also includes a 33W PD/PPS charger, C2C cable, and a transparent case! Plus, a pre-applied screen protector too.
All this makes it seem like Nothing has specially thought about the Indian market. The embossed CMF Phone 2 Pro design of the box also feels premium.
Modularity: A little less, but still there
The swappable back panel of the CMF Phone 1 isn’t quite as fun, but Nothing has taken away from the modularity. The dial is still there, so you can attach accessories like a lanyard. But this dial is small and doesn’t have grooves, so unscrewing can be a little tricky. There’s also a new universal back cover, which has a magnetic ring and attaches via screws.
With this, you can add a magnetic wallet (which also becomes a stand) or interchangeable camera lenses like macro and fisheye lenses. These lenses are a lot of fun – macro shots are detailed, and the fisheye effect makes photos look quirky. All of this keeps the playful vibe of CMF alive, but perhaps doesn’t deliver the same excitement as the Phone 1.
Display: Bright, Vibrant, and Better
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a step up in terms of display. It sports a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and now supports 10-bit colour. There is also PWM dimming, which is better for the eyes, and Panda glass protection is also provided.
Brightness is also higher than the CMF Phone 1 – it claims to have a 3000 nits peak brightness, which is useful for outdoor use. Colours are vibrant, contrast is sharp, and there is HDR support on YouTube (but not on Netflix, as there is no pre-installed Netflix). Bezels are a bit thick, but more symmetrical than the Phone 1 and show a slight improvement.
And the best part? No bloatware! The clean experience of Nothing OS 3.2 makes this phone extremely fluid and enjoyable. Widgets, quick settings, and private space feature are all there. Plus, Nothing has promised 3 OS updates and 6 years of security updates, which is rare in this price range.
Performance: Smooth, But Not the King
Now talking about performance. The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, which is basically an optimised version of the Dimensity 7300 – 10% faster CPU and 5% better GPU. Storage is UFS 2.2, and thankfully there is no 6GB RAM variant now, only 8GB RAM options (128GB or 256GB storage). It scores slightly better than the CMF Phone 1 in benchmarks, but lags behind competitors like the OPPO K13 or the Moto G85.
But in real-world use? This phone is buttery smooth. No OS optimisation makes this chipset quite efficient. Games like COD Mobile and BGMI run smoothly at 120fps, and there is a little heating after long gaming sessions, but no major issues. There is no lag in everyday tasks like browsing, social media, or multitasking. This phone is not the most powerful under 20K, but due to optimization the experience is top-notch.
Cameras: There are three, but are they all perfect?
Now let’s come to the “Pro” factor of this phone – cameras. CMF Phone 1 had only one usable camera, but Phone 2 Pro has a triple camera setup: 50MP Samsung main sensor, 8MP ultra-wide, and 50MP telephoto (2x optical zoom). On paper, it looks quite impressive, as getting a telephoto lens at this price is a big deal. But there is a catch here too.
Main Camera
Daytime photos are vibrant and detailed, colours are balanced, and contrast is good. Even in low-light, it performs better than the Phone 1, in terms of dynamic range and colours. But when you zoom in, details get a little blurry, probably due to the absence of OIS (optical image stabilisation).
Ultra-Wide
The 8MP ultra-wide lens is decent, especially in this price range. Daytime shots are acceptable, but details and colour accuracy become a little weak in low-light.
Telephoto
The 50MP telephoto lens works well in perfect lighting, and the bokeh effect is also solid in portrait mode. But skin tones can be a bit inconsistent indoors or in low-light, and sharpness is lacking. The lack of OIS is felt here as well.
For videos, the main camera and telephoto lens support 4K 30fps. The main camera’s footage is stable and sharp, EIS works, but the telephoto lens is a bit soft. The selfie camera is 16MP, but it lags slightly behind the Phone 1 (f/2.0) due to the f/2.4 aperture. Selfies are decent, but the Phone 1 is better in shadows and highlights.
Speaker: A Big Compromise
Now this is a big catch – the speaker. CMF Phone 1 also had a single bottom-firing speaker, and the same is the case with Phone 2 Pro. But this speaker is weaker than Phone 1. There is almost no bass, the clarity is average, and the volume boost option also doesn’t make much difference. For gaming or music, headphones or earbuds are better, as this speaker disappoints. It was not wrong to expect dual speakers at this price, and this is a big minus point.
Battery and Charging: No Complaints Here
Battery life is nothing to complain about. The 5,000mAh battery is just like the CMF Phone 1 and easily lasts a full day, even with heavy use. Charging is also decently fast with the 33W charger – 0 to 100% in about 1.5 hours. And yes, the charger is in the box, which is becoming rare in this price range. Battery backup and charging speed are solid.
Essential Key and New Features
Another cool addition is the Essential Key, which is borrowed from the Nothing Phone 3a series. This button is customizable – you can use it to save products on Instagram, set reminders, or note down parking numbers in the camera. This little feature is quite handy in daily life. There’s also an IP54 rating (better than the Phone 1’s IP52), and the dual SIM + microSD slot is retained.
So is this the phone for you?
Let’s get to the final thoughts. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a banger phone all around – with a stylish design, vibrant display, clean software, solid battery life, and versatile cameras, it offers a lot of value for Rs 18,999. The Nothing OS experience and 3+6 years of update promise make it reliable for the long-term.
But on the other hand, the lack of single speaker and OIS in the cameras is a bit disappointing. If Nothing had a better primary camera or stereo speakers instead of a telephoto lens, this phone would have been unbeatable.
Who is this phone for?
- If you want clean software, vibrant display, and unique design
- Want versatile cameras and decent performance on a budget
- Like a phone with long-term software updates and charger in-box
Who is this not for?
- If you want loud stereo speakers
- Want top-notch camera performance or flagship-level power
Ultimately, this phone depends on your priorities. Would you like to try this one? Or any other phone to compare with this, like OPPO K13 or Moto G85? Let us know in the comments and check more details of CMF Phone 2 Pro on Freefast.in
