Nothing's CMF Phone 1, Which Shattered the Low-Cost Phone Market, Proves Manufacturers Have a Lot of Room to Lower Their Prices

The CMF Phone 1 costs $199. Yes, you may not have heard of this brand. Its design may be strange and lack features like wide angle, NFC, or stereo speakers. But believe me when I tell you that this is one of those phones you have to keep in mind. Because when we talk about “mid-range,” we’ve already completely lost the way.

There was a time, not so long ago, when a good mid-range phone cost about $200. Now they’re around $400. This is the phenomenon of “premiumization” of the mid-range.

Finally, something different. Fortunately, Nothing is betting on differentiation. We saw it with its headphones, now it’s time for its smartphones: CMF has come to break the market by smashing prices.

Nothing just launched the CMF Phone 1 on Monday, but at Xataka On, we’ve been testing it for days. Although it’s too early for a detailed analysis, it looks good at first glance.

A MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor for a fair price. It’s worth checking out what the CMF Phone 1 offers. It’s nothing special but fulfills the essentials of a good, nice, and cheap phone. It’s 2024, and while AI is very flashy and designs are getting better and better, many users will just want a functional phone.

Its features include a 120 Hz AMOLED display, 5,000 mAh battery, 50 MP camera, and the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor. To get an idea of what it means to add this chipset, we’re talking about an SoC manufactured in 4 nanometers. For example, Motorola uses this chipset to run its Razr 50. 

In comparison, though, the Razr 50 will reportedly costs $700. That's a big price gap. From a price standpoint, if you just want a fast and effective phone, the CMF Phone 1 is the one to beat.

It’s not just hardware. It’s also clean software. It’s not only the hardware that makes Nothing's CMF Phone 1 stand out. The CMF Phone 1 also features clean software that doesn’t add more pressure on the system. Like the legendary Motorola Moto G, the CMF Phone 1 wants to stand out for its speed. In the price range of $199, there’s nothing like it.

Cheap even for Nothing itself. Tests with the Dimensity 7300 put it close to the 7200, but even within Nothing, the CMF Phone 1 stands out for its affordability. As a reference, the Nothing Phone 2a costs $349.

Every phone has its peculiarities, but the mid-range market has been asking for a model like the CMF Phone 1 for a long time. A budding bestseller that bets on clean software and puts the big phone makers in trouble.

Competition is always welcome, and the CMF Phone 1 has enough features to become one of the recommendations of the summer for those who want a simple and basic smartphone. It’s a pity that this phone doesn’t have NFC. Otherwise, it would easily sweep sales.

The mid-range battle has a new contender ready to break the mold and offer something different.

Image | CMF

Related | Best Mid-Range Smartphones 2024