Nothing CMF Phone 1 review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The CMF Phone 1 is Nothing's budget spin-off: a 6.67-inch 120 Hz OLED, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 and a 5,000 mAh battery in a 197 g body with a light IP52 rating. Its everyday score of 49/100 and gaming score of 15/100 position it firmly as a value pick rather than a performer, but the modular back — swappable covers and accessory mounts held on by a single screw — is genuinely uncommon at any price. Configurations start at 6/128 GB at $199 new.

Display and design

The 6.67-inch OLED runs at 120 Hz with a rated brightness of 500 nits — serviceable indoors, less confident in direct sun, and our screen score of 56/100 reflects that. The design story is the aluminum frame plus the interchangeable rear panels and accessory ecosystem; the trade-off is a modest IP52 dust-and-splash rating. At 197 g it carries like a midrange phone, not a featherweight.

Performance

The Dimensity 7300 is efficient midrange silicon: fine for messaging, streaming and camera duty, with a gaming score of 15/100 that rules out anything demanding beyond casual titles. Nothing commits to three years of OS updates, and one major version remains on that runway. Nothing ships a clean, fast Android skin with no preinstalled clutter.

Camera

A single 50 MP main sensor does all the work — there is no ultrawide or telephoto, no optical stabilization, and video tops out at 4K30. The camera score of 18/100 is honest about the ceiling: daylight shots are shareable, low light is where the compromises begin. This is a camera for documentation, not photography.

Battery and charging

The 5,000 mAh cell pairs with 33 W wired charging — a full morning top-up takes well under an hour. The battery score of 40/100 is typical for the capacity class, and the undemanding chipset means a comfortable full day of mixed use. Secondhand supply is thin, and the few listings that appear are priced close to new — used units hold their value unusually well for a budget phone.

Verdict

At $199 new the CMF Phone 1 trades horsepower for character: a 120 Hz OLED, clean software and a modular design you can actually tinker with. Buyers who want a camera or a gaming chip should step up to the Nothing Phone (2a); buyers who want the most interesting $200 phone in the catalog have found it.