Nothing sub-brand teases entry-level CMF Phone 1 with unexplained knob element

Teaser photo of bright orange dial on the CMF Phone 1
(Image credit: CMF)

In May, we started hearing the first rumors about the Nothing sub-brand CMF producing an Android smartphone. On X, the company officially confirmed that a phone of some kind is coming.

The CMF Phone 1 will be the first smartphone from the Nothing sub-brand, as reported by Android Authority. The was light on details beyond a teaser image and that the device will be "coming soon." 

The post did claim that the CMF Phone 1 "serves as a wonderful entry point to our entire product ecosystem." It claimed that the phone falls into an overlooked category.

It leads us to speculate that CMF is aiming the Phone 1 at the entry-level phone sector.

A previous leak claimed the Phone 1 would feature a 6.67-inch OLED display running on the Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Series processor. It could have a 5,000 mAh battery and 33-watt fast charging. It's confirmed that the Phone 1 will come in orange with the teaser, but it might come in black, green and blue. Finally, it should feature 8 GB of RAM, but no leaks on how much storage it might feature.

Based on the same leaks, the CMF by Nothing Phone 1 will launch in July for $249 and $279. That pricing does undercut the Nothing Phone 2a, which comes in at $349.

The highlighted orange dial in the teaser image is intriguing and CMF didn't provide elucidation on what it might be. That said, the CMF BUDS earbuds carrying case features a somewhat similar dial that is mainly used to attach a lanyard.

If CMF is providing a similar feature on Phone 1, it does align with their goal of making the phone an entry point in the ecosystem with similar design features.

For those unaware, CMF is a sub-brand launched by Nothing in 2023. Less than a year old, CMF has a goal of "making great design more accessible." The company already has some earbuds and a pretty great smartwatch.

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Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. 

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