Design, workmanship and delivery
The CMF Phone 2 Pro remains true to its roots, but noticeably improves on the details. Even the predecessor, with its visible screws and striking back, was anything but ordinary. The new model takes up this concept, but appears more mature, more stable, and even more premium.
In contrast to CMF Phone 1 The back is now permanently installed and can no longer be completely replaced. Instead, Nothing is offering a new accessory system based on the so-called Universal Cover. This optional additional cover is secured with four screws and serves as a magnetic adapter plate for additional modules. Installation is quick, provides additional protection against scratches, and fits perfectly.
If you don't want to use the official accessories, you can also print the Universal Cover yourself. Nothing provides a open 3D template available to develop your own back covers or extensions. This is a great playground for makers, hobbyists, or simply creative users.
Once the cover is mounted, additional accessories can be docked:
- Wallet and stand: A combined card case with a fold-out stand that attaches magnetically.
- Lanyard: The carrying strap is attached directly to the back. Alternatively, you can use the ring for your own pendants, charms, or loops.
- Interchangeable Lenses: Two clip-on lenses, a fisheye and a macro lens, which expand the camera's capabilities.
The color selection is bolder than its predecessor. In addition to black and white, there's a striking orange and a bright green that shimmers bluish depending on the light. Each color variant has its own texture, ranging from matte to glossy to sandstone-like.
The device itself weighs 185 grams, is pleasantly slim (7,8 millimeters), and sits comfortably in the hand thanks to its even weight distribution. The IP certification has been slightly improved from IP52 to IP54. This makes the phone resistant to dust and splashes. According to the manufacturer, it can even survive 20 minutes in 25 cm of water. Whether you want to risk that is another matter.
There are no surprises in the box. A USB-C to USB-C cable, a SIM tool, some paperwork, and a transparent case are included. A charger is missing, which is now standard practice for almost all manufacturers.
Display
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a 6,77-inch AMOLED panel, which is one of the better ones in this price range. Compared to the Phone 1, the display has not only grown slightly but is also significantly brighter and more colorful.
The maximum brightness reaches up to 3.000 nits in boost mode. Outdoors in bright sunlight, the content remains easily readable, even if you don't see much of the 3.000 nits in everyday life. In manual mode, the measured brightness was around 700 nits; in automatic mode, it increased to over 1.200 nits.
The panel supports 10-bit color depth, HDR10+, and covers the DCI-P3 color space. In the settings, you can switch between a vivid and a natural color profile. The display appears pleasantly high in contrast without being overly colorful. Content on YouTube or Netflix benefits from HDR support and looks surprisingly good for this price range.
The refresh rate is 120 Hertz, ensuring smooth scrolling and swiping animations. Depending on the content, the system switches between 60, 90, and 120 Hertz to save power. While there's no truly variable refresh rate like on more expensive devices, the adaptive refresh management works well in everyday use. If you prefer, you can also set the refresh rate to a fixed 60 Hertz.
The response time is a 480 Hz touch sampling rate, which makes input lag almost impossible when typing quickly. However, this is hardly noticeable when gaming, as many games remain limited to 60 fps. The display is completely flat and is protected by Panda Glass, which proved to be scratch-resistant in testing. An additional protective film is applied ex works.
The punch-hole camera in the top center, while not inconspicuous, is hardly a hindrance in everyday use. The bezels around the display are visible, but even and perfectly acceptable for the price range. An always-on feature is now included, but only shows the time and notifications, with no further customization options.
Performance and connectivity
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro, a modern 4nm chip with four performance cores (2,5 GHz) and four efficiency cores (2,0 GHz). Compared to the Dimensity 7300 in the Phone 1, the Pro version offers a slight improvement, which results in a few more points in benchmarks like Geekbench and 3DMark. In everyday use, however, the difference is barely noticeable, as the system is already very well optimized and runs smoothly.
The chip is accompanied by a Mali-G615 GPU, 8 GB of RAM, and, depending on the market, 128 or 256 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. Those who need extra space for photos, videos, or games can expand the storage by up to 2 TB via a microSD card. However, the phone uses a hybrid SIM tray. This means it can support either two SIM cards or one SIM card and a storage card. There is no eSIM.
connectivity
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is also well-equipped when it comes to connectivity. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and reliable GPS reception ensure stable connections. In terms of mobile communications, the device supports 5G (NSA/SA) and covers all relevant bands in Europe. Voices sound clear, and everything remains easily understandable even in ambient noise. Making calls via LTE or Wi-Fi is possible, provided the provider allows it.
A clear improvement over its predecessor is the inclusion of NFC. This finally allows the CMF Phone 2 Pro to be used for contactless payments with Google Wallet.
For audio playback, CMF relies on a mono speaker. It's loud enough for YouTube, podcasts, and voice messages, but sounds rather flat and offers little depth. Those who want to enjoy music or videos with full sound are better off using Bluetooth headphones. There's no traditional jack socket.
The smartphone is unlocked via an optical fingerprint sensor in the display. This responds quickly and reliably, even in low light or with slightly damp fingers. Alternatively, the smartphone can be unlocked via facial recognition, but this only relies on the front camera and is therefore less secure.
Software
The CMF Phone 2 Pro runs Nothing OS 3.2. The interface is already based on Android 15 and features a few customizations that are typically minimalist and functional for Nothing. The system appears uncluttered, has almost no pre-installed apps, and runs smoothly and reliably in everyday use.
New is the so-called "Essential Space," where screenshots, voice memos, and notes can be stored. It is activated via the additional key ("Essential Key") below the power button, which Nothing already introduced with the Phone 3a series.
The placement is somewhat awkward, as it's easy to initially confuse it with the power button. Unfortunately, deactivating or reassigning the button doesn't work.
When it comes to software updates, CMF is more generous than many other manufacturers in this price range. The Phone 2 Pro receives three years of Android updates and a full six years of security updates. Additionally, Nothing regularly releases feature and bug fixes, ensuring the smartphone is well-supported for the long term.
camera
Nothing has given the CMF Phone 2 Pro a completely new camera system. Instead of just one main camera like the Phone 1, it now uses a full-fledged triple setup.
- Main camera: 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL S5KGN9, f/1.9 aperture, 24mm focal length, 1/1.57" sensor size, Dual Pixel PDAF
- Telephoto camera: 50 MP OmniVision OV50D, f/1.9 aperture, 50mm focal length, 1/2.88" sensor size, PDAF
- Ultra wide-angle camera: 8 MP GalaxyCore GC08A8, f/2.2 aperture, 15mm focal length, 1/4.0" sensor size
- Front camera: 16 MP GalaxyCore GC16B3, f/2.0 aperture, 22mm focal length, 1/3" sensor size
main camera
The main camera uses a 50 MP sensor with a bright f/1.9 aperture and a 1/1,57-inch sensor size. It's supported by the "TrueLens Engine 3," which is designed to provide better contrast, more natural colors, and more precise detail reproduction through software-based image processing.
In practice, the main camera produces very balanced photos. The color reproduction is neutral, the dynamic range is decent, and even in difficult lighting conditions, with HDR enabled, plenty of detail can be extracted from both shadows and highlights.
Telephoto camera
As a second lens, Nothing uses another 50 MP module with XNUMXx optical zoom. This is a rarity in this price range, as many competitors rely solely on digital zoom or use the second camera only for depth information.
The telephoto lens in the CMF Phone 2 Pro, on the other hand, is functional and delivers sharp images with clear subject separation in good lighting conditions. In low light, the quality deteriorates but remains usable.
Ultra wide angle camera
The third camera is an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 119-degree angle of view. It's suitable for landscape shots or group photos, but its quality can't quite keep up with the other two lenses. Some sharpness is lost at the edges, and lens flare occasionally appears in strong backlight.
Front camera
The front camera remains a 16 MP with an f/2.0 aperture. Selfies in daylight are rich in detail and with natural color reproduction. The camera is also well-suited for video calls, for example, via WhatsApp or Google Meet. Image noise increases in low light, but this is acceptable in this price range.
Video
In terms of video, the main camera allows recording in 4K at 30 frames per second. In 1080p, 60 fps is also possible. The electronic image stabilization (EIS) on the main camera works solidly, but appears somewhat blurred.
The ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras do not support EIS, which is noticeable in moving shots. Audio is recorded clearly, even in windy or noisy environments. In addition to classic modes like slow motion, time-lapse, and night mode, an action mode and AI-assisted document scanning are also available.
Battery
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a 5000 mAh battery, which proves to be a reliable companion in everyday life. With normal use—web browsing, social media, YouTube, camera, and occasional gaming—one charge easily lasts a full day. Those who are a bit more economical can easily get over two days.
Charging is done with up to 33 watts via USB-C. In our test, a full charge took about 75 minutes. After about 30 minutes, the battery reaches almost 60 percent. That's enough to get you through the day on a whim.
Wireless charging is not supported, but the device does offer reverse charging with up to 5 watts, which allows you to charge Bluetooth headphones or a fitness tracker on the go.
