CMF Cellphone 2 Professional evaluation: A unusual, enjoyable, and nice worth smartphone

Get it in brilliant orange and also you’ll make a severe assertion with the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional. It’s pretty much like the CMF Cellphone 1 with its uncovered screw heads and plastic rear panel, however the two-tone impact offers it a cultured look and does an important impression of far dearer processes used on glass. It has been put by a number of toughness checks to verify it’ll face up to some punishment, and it has an IP54 mud and water resistance score.

It’s mild at 185 grams and grippy, and the intelligent manner the orange sides mix into the black display make it seem thinner than the 7.8mm thickness really is. CMF is a sub model of Nothing, and the model’s design aptitude shines by within the physique and the software program, as does its love of not sticking with established shapes and layouts. Simply take a look at the digicam module, the place the telephoto lens and flash unit sit subsequent to the 2 important lenses, however not in an particularly uniform manner. It’s not as jarring because the Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional’s digicam module, however odd nonetheless.

Nothing makes equipment for the rear panel and the digicam, turning it right into a modular cellphone of types. Don’t count on to restore the cellphone such as you would with an HMD Skyline, or improve elements sooner or later, however there’s a case with a magnet for equipment like a card holder and kickstand, plus a tricky lanyard. For the digicam, you may get a clip-on macro and fish-eye lens accent. You may make the cellphone your personal in a manner that’s extra distinctive than simply placing it inside a case.

The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional is a cool cellphone. It’s cooler than telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13R as a result of it doesn’t take itself too significantly, and you may have enjoyable with the modular side, one thing fully inconceivable with different far dearer telephones. The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional is probably not product of steel and glass, however it makes up for that with its individuality. I adore it for that.

CMF Cellphone 2 Professional: digicam

The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional’s digicam ought to make some manufacturers cling their heads in disgrace. This $280 cellphone has a 50-megapixel important digicam with an f/1.88 aperture and digital picture stabilization (EIS), a 50MP telephoto digicam with EIS for a 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP wide-angle digicam. On the entrance is a 16MP selfie digicam. That’s fairly good, and the telephoto digicam simply makes up for the 8MP wide-angle digicam which is irritatingly customary on low-cost telephones.

It’s a tempting specification, however photographs taken with the assorted cameras are a combined bag. The 2x optical zoom typically has hassle focusing, the wide-angle digicam is predictably poor high quality, and there’s little or no consistency in colours and distinction over the three. Nonetheless, when the 2x zoom and important digicam get it proper, the photographs are vibrant and ultimate for shortly sharing on social media.

The place you’ll actually discover the distinction between this and a dearer digicam is taking pictures in low mild. Even at nightfall the photographs lack sharpness, and in near darkish the photographs are unusable. It’s not a criticism as a result of I didn’t count on it to be stellar, however if you happen to take lots of photographs at night time or in lowlight, it most likely received’t fit your wants. Nothing not too long ago added a Gallery app to NothingOS, however it’s barebones. It reveals photographs taken with the cellphone and you may search by them utilizing textual content, however that’s all. As a result of there’s no enhancing characteristic, there’s little motive to make use of it over Google Images.

CMF Cellphone 2 Professional: software program, display, and efficiency

The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional’s display reveals the wonderful NothingOS software program, however can be the least spectacular a part of the cellphone’s {hardware}. The 6.7-inch AMOLED has a 120Hz refresh charge, 800 nits typical brightness and three,000 nits peak brightness, plus options like HDR10+, so on paper it’s respectable. In actuality it’s not. The Panda Glass will get actually smudgy and is tough to get clear, and the display’s viewing angles aren’t as huge as I’d like, making viewing the cellphone usually disagreeable.

Just like the cellphone’s physique the NothingOS software program is extremely customizable and is identical as you’ll discover on the Nothing Cellphone 3a and Cellphone 3a Professional, proper all the way down to the AI-powered Important Area characteristic. Activated by a bodily button on the aspect, it’s a reminiscence support which collects screenshots and voice notes, summarizing and organizing them for you. It’s simple to make use of and I can see it being helpful, however I continually press the bodily button by chance as a result of its placement under the facility button. Nothing guarantees three main working system updates and 6 years of safety updates.

The MediaTek Dimension 7300 Professional processor is ok for common use and most video games. I haven’t seen any efficiency points, however it’s clearly not as quick to react as the highest chips. It performs Asphalt Legends: Unite easily and didn’t get scorching throughout 30 minute play classes, and I’ve no downside utilizing social apps, Reddit, or Microsoft’s work apps. Calls sound nice too, and except for a few odd occasions the place Wi-Fi has did not reconnect after returning to my home, the cellphone has carried out with out fault.

CMF Cellphone 2 Professional: battery and charging

The 5,000mAh battery is admittedly long-lasting and I’ve repeatedly had 5 to 6 hours use out of a single cost, with out an excessive amount of gaming. A 30-minute YouTube video at 1080p takes simply 2%, displaying its effectivity throughout easy duties. Run a 20-minute stress check in gaming benchmarking app 3DMark and it attracts 10% from the battery, and the low body charge reveals it received’t take pleasure in working the highest cellular video games obtainable at this time. There’s no warmth construct up in any respect.

It’s recharged utilizing a USB-C cable at a most of 33W, however there’s no charger included within the field. I used an Anker Prime charger and it took almost 90 minutes to completely recharge, however after half-hour it did achieve 45% battery cost making it helpful if you happen to’re brief on time. I didn’t see the total 33W charging pace on my charger although. Charging the Galaxy A56 and Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional takes much less time, however each telephones return about the identical quantity of use time from a single cost. It highlights how little you’re lacking out on by getting the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional over them.

CMF Cellphone 2 Professional: value and availability

The CMF Cellphone 2 Professional is available for purchase within the U.S., however solely by Nothing’s beta program and never in shops, the place it prices $279. Within the U.Okay. it’s obtainable instantly by Nothing’s web site for 219 British kilos for the 8GB/128GB model, or 249 kilos for the 8GB/256GB model. Solely the 8GB/256GB model is on the market within the U.S..

I’ve used the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional for no less than 10 days and it has coped with regular, on a regular basis duties with out challenge. The software program is quick and enjoyable, the battery returns two days of use on a single cost, and the modular equipment preserve it attention-grabbing. The display falls behind the competitors and the inconsistent digicam means it received’t be one for the eager photographer, however when you think about the cellphone’s place available in the market, these are anticipated cost-saving compromises.

It’s clearly not a Galaxy S25 Extremely or OnePlus 13 different, however it’s much more enjoyable than the Galaxy A56, and the software program, supplies, and design make it extra fascinating and pleasant to make use of than a Moto G or a Moto G Stylus. It ought to pressure you to ask some laborious questions on your cellphone use, and if it doesn’t actually warrant a flagship cellphone, the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional belongs in your record of sensibly priced alternate options subsequent to winners just like the Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional and the Google Pixel 9a. It’s a much better cellphone than the value suggests, and a really helpful purchase.