CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: The bar for cheap phones just got higher

Nothing’s been on a roll the past few years with its budget phone releases, including the the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro models it launched earlier this year. While they’re both solid best cheap phone contenders, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is shaping up to be yet another ultra-affordable Android phone. And this one is even cheaper.

A follow-up to last year's CMF Phone 1, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an improvement in nearly every aspect. Not only does it have design upgrades, like a more durable IP54 rating, but it gains a triple camera system — complete with a dedicated telephone camera with 2x optical zoom.

Everyone knows how much I prefer budget phones to more expensive flagships, so I’ll explain in my CMF Phone 2 Pro review if this cheap device can set the bar even higher for bargain handsets.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Specifications

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Price and availability

Similar to its last phone release, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is available in the U.S. through a beta program, with only a $279 model offering 8GB RAM and 256GB. That's not too shabby given the $239 cost of the CMF Phone 1. In other markets, like the U.K., Nothing offers an 8GB RAM with 128GB storage option for £219.

The U.S. model comes in three colors: white, black, and orange. My review unit’s in white, but it features a sandstone finish that gives a shimmery effect at the right angles.

While the price certainly is a big draw factor, the worst part about the CMF Phone 2 Pro is actually trying to get one. Hopefully it won’t take long for the phone to land on Amazon or at other retailers.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Design

Now that it’s referred to as a "pro" model, the CMF Phone 2 Pro inevitably has a more premium finish than the previous version. Although the overall design language and style hasn't changed all that much, I do like how the new version has a more solid build quality.

Just as before, there are screws all around the back and a cap in the corner gives the CMF Phone a unique look among other handsets. What really amplifies its build quality is the metal trim bezel that wraps around the entire phone and the shimmering effect of the sandstone finish of the back. It also helps that the phone is pretty thin at 0.31 inches.

With the screw cap, I like how I’m able to install previous accessories for the CMF Phone 1, such as the lanyard attachment. I really like this ability to modify the phone's design, mainly because it gives me a bit of control to make it distinctive and not just conform to what the phone maker wants. Other small details, like the thicker lens covers that wrap around each camera, show off how the CMF Phone's design evolves to be a bit more premium.

And finally, it’s nice knowing that it’s better equipped with improved water resistance thanks to its IP54 rating. Considering its price, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is still a remarkable looking phone for under $280.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Display

Even though it’s hard to see side-by-side against the CMF Phone 1, Nothing manages to cram a larger 6.77-inch AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate into the CMF Phone 2 Pro — all without adding more length and depth to its size.

Again, I’m blown away by how sharp and iridescent the CMF Phone 2 screen looks while watching videos. Not only do the colors pop, but the screen doesn’t distort like other budget phones at odd angles.

Nothing claims that the display is rated for up to 3,000-nit peak brightness. That’s an ambitious mark, especially when the brightest screen that the Tom’s Guide labs has recorded was the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s mark of 2,469 nits. The CMF Phone 2 Pro peaks at 1,179 nits, which barely pushes past the 1,129 nits achieved by the CMF Phone 1.

Despite this, I can’t complain too much because the CMF Phone 2 display remains visible in most situations outdoors, though it’s still tough to make out under direct sunlight.

Overall, I wish the screen were brighter, but the rich color tones it produces combined with its smooth dynamic 120Hz makes it a visual feast that I’m not often exposed to with budget phones.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Cameras

I can’t believe there are still phones out there that have only a single rear camera, like the iPhone 16e. Most budget phones come with at least two, but one with three cameras is hard to find.

That’s why I’m really stoked about the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s setup: a triple camera system that consists of a 50MP main lens, 8MP ultrawide shooter, and a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. There’s also a 16MP selfie cam around the front, which appears to be unchanged from the CMF Phone 1.

Nothing claims that the main sensor can draw in 64% more light than the one on the CMF Phone 1, so you’ll see how it compares in the side-by-side snapshots I’ve captured with both phones. For a budget phone, there’s a healthy set of controls and settings to choose from — including an expert mode that lets me dial in manual controls such as its shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more.

First of all, the main camera of the CMF Phone 2 Pro has a wider field of view that lets me capture more of the Citibikes in the photos above. While this is fine and dandy, I don’t see many differences between the two cameras as they capture the same amount of details all throughout the scene.

Despite the lack of a dedicated macro mode, the CMF Phone 2 Pro still lets me get close to subjects with its main camera. There’s a lot of detail with the sunflower with the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s snapshot, but the CMF Phone 1 does just as good of a job at capturing all the fine details — including the prickly parts of the center and its petals.

When I look at the produce shelves filled with all the different kinds of peppers, I do like how the CMF Phone 2 Pro casts a more accurate tone. That’s because it doesn’t wash out the red and green peppers compared to the CMF Phone 1.

The 16MP selfie camera of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is better equipped at handling high-contrast scenes, which is where the CMF Phone 1 really struggles in with the photos above.

Highlights in particular are blown out to the point that the details around my shirt are too irreversibly gone to make out, whereas the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers a better tone to the exposure.

Optical zoom is better than none at all, right? I think so, but there’s a certain threshold where its advantage is more prevalent. At 2x zoom, it’s hard to see how much better it is, but there’s no arguing how the shot at 10x zoom above looks much sharper with the CMF Phone 2 Pro. In comparison to the CMF Phone 1 shot with its main camera, it’s not as sharp or defined.

I’m not convinced that the main camera draws in 64% more light than what Nothing claims, evident in the night time snapshots I captured above using their respective night modes.

There are certain parts of the tree and surrounding branches that look a smidge brighter in the CMF Phone 2 shot, but they’re not overwhelmingly brighter to convince me it’s a big improvement.

CMF Phone 2 Pro - 4K 30fps sample - YouTube

Watch On

CMF Phone 1 - 4K 30fps sample - YouTube

Watch On

When it comes to video recording, the CMF Phone 2's package isn’t a tremendous boost when it tops out at 4K 30fps — just like the previous CMF Phone 1. However, I can tell from the video I recorded near Times Square above that there are a couple of improvements.

First of all, the CMF Phone 2 Pro footage looks a tiny bit sharper to the eye. The bigger improvement relates to its stabilization, which manages to mitigate the unintentional shake as I proceed to walk.

Overall, there’s not an overwhelming improvement to the camera performance from one year to the next — which is a little bit of a letdown because this is the one area where I expect wider disparities. The best thing about this new setup is the introduction of a dedicated telephoto camera with optical zoom, along with a much improved stabilization for video recording.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Performance

Usually newer phones see at least some improvements around their processing performance, but synthetic benchmark tests show that’s not really the case for the CMF Phone 2 Pro. It’s powered by a Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chipset, a follow up to the Dimensity 7300 in the CMF Phone 1.

Geekbench 6 single and multi-core scores are flat, reaching on average around 1,016 and 2,961 respectively. These scores are roughly the same as what I’ve tested with the CMF Phone 1, so I’m a bit at a loss because Nothing claims a 10% CPU performance boost.

In 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited test to see how its GPU performance handles, the CMF Phone 2 reaches an average frame rate of 18.62 fps. This actually turns out to be less than what the CMF Phone 1 delivered.

Despite the lackluster benchmark scores, I can at least verify that the phone runs responsively with most everyday tasks. From browsing sites on Chrome to scrolling through my different social media apps, the CMF Phone 2 Pro handles them with finesse, including how animations have a fluid look throughout the interface.

I even tried a couple of the games I play religiously, like Age of Origins, which maintains decent frame rates when there’s moderate action. However, it does stutter every now and then when there’s a lot of explosive effects happening with some of the battle sequences.

I know that benchmark tests aren't the definitive measure of a phone's real-world performance, but I was hoping to see the minimum improvements that the phone maker claims. That didn't happen, and it's a bit perplexing.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Battery life

As the CMF Phone 2 keeps the same overall size as its predecessor, there's no change to the size of the 5,000 mAh battery powering the device. So battery improvements boils down to the power efficiency of the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chip.

In the Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test, the CMF Phone 2 pulls in an average time of 15 hours and 24 minutes in dynamic mode, where the refresh rate changes to deliver the most optimal results.

This puts it slightly ahead of the CMF Phone 1, but our lab testing shows it’s able to go for much longer at 16 hours when you set the refresh rate to standard mode. For a budget phone, nearly 15.5 hours is impressive endurance beating out other, more expensive models like the Pixel 9a.

While the CMF Phone 2 lacks wireless charging— an expected omission for a phone at this price— Nothing at least gives it 33W wired charging. After 15 minutes, the CMF Phone 2 gets up to 28%, while 30 minutes yields a 55% charge. Strangely, that's not as fast as the CMF Phone 1, but it’s not a deal breaker in my opinion.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Software and AI

Just like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, you’ll find the CMF Phone 2 running Nothing OS 3.2 on top of Android 15. I’ve always been a fan of Nothing's custom skin, mainly for how it employs Nothing’s bespoke icons and animations — which gives it a dot matrix style look that’s so different from other Android skins. The only thing missing is the customization of the Glyph Interface, which you don’t get here because it doesn’t have the LED light strips around the back that’s needed for it.

Despite this, there’s still plenty of customization for anyone to make the CMF Phone 2 match their preference. Similar to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, you get access to the Smart App Drawer, which I like for its ability to intelligently group apps together, making for yet another unique look to the app drawer.

There’s also the Essential Key on the side of the phone, one of the CMF Phone 2's key AI features. Pressing it captures a screenshot of whatever I’m looking at, which then is archived into the Essential Space. There, it can use AI magic to pull details from my screenshots and present it to me in a meaningful way.

My only complaint about this feature is that it requires a lot on my part to "save" these screenshots for it to work effectively, instead of doing it all proactively without my intervention.

Compared to other Android phones I’ve tested, I like how Nothing OS 3.2 doesn’t try to overwhelm me with too many features. It’s clearly lacking AI features that make the best Android phones even more useful, but I can’t complain too much here because the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a fraction of the cost of those phones.

While I’ve seen better support elsewhere, like the Pixel 9a's seven years of support, Nothing offers three years of Android updates and six years of security patch, which is fine for a phone of this caliber.

CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Verdict

Only $40 separates last year’s CMF Phone 1 and the new CMF Phone 2 Pro, which is peanuts when I think about the price difference between an iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. There’s a lot to like about the CMF Phone 2 Pro, like its more premium design, longer battery life, brilliant looking screen, and the addition of a telephoto camera.

However, I have higher expectations around any phone that’s deemed a ‘pro’ model because it should present itself as a much improved version. There are aspects about the CMF Phone 2 Pro that I find underwhelming, namely its lackluster processing performance scores and how there’s no big improvement to its camera performance. But at the same time, I can’t neglect how this phone costs $279 — and good phones don’t often come this cheap.

All things considered, I think CMF Phone 2 Pro is still a fantastic value for anyone on a tight budget and wants a phone that punches above its weight. And that’s despite its 'pro' designation not quite living up to the performance hype.

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