My time with the CMF Phone 1 (or ‘Beedrill’, as I think I’ll now always refer to it) has been truly enjoyable. A Phone (2) user, I wasn’t sure what to expect from CMF’s first foray into phones, and probably had some scepticism towards its ability to keep up with the powerhouse of Phone (2). In each scenario, I would test them against one another, and while there were differences, comparisons did not negate the capability or experience of the Phone 1. Though solid from the start, the team produced improvements throughout the experience, resulting in a well-rounded flagship that far exceeded my expectations.
As a tester with less technical know-how, my key areas of interest as your ‘average user’ have been design features and pure functionality, and through that lens, the Phone 1 has exceeded my expectations. Here are some of my favourite features and initial impressions after the past few months:
Hardware
Through the case of our test devices, a splash of light teal colour could be seen; we now know the range of eye catching colours available for the Phone 1, and I’m a fan of both this colourful branding on CMF’s part and the variety available for consumers. There are obviously no LED glyphs, replaced by the interchangeable backs and ‘accessories’, and though I’m sad to lose the funky lights, I think the sky’s the limit with these accessories and it’s a great way of handing the mic to some creative community members who will inevitably find new ways to customise interesting new elements. The device itself is lightweight, feels strong, and has a relatively large 6.67 inch display (minutely slimmer than the Phone (2) at 6.7 inches). I’d personally have loved a slightly smaller screen, but that’s the personal gripe of someone with small hands, and larger phones are definitely ‘in’ at the moment.
Battery
One of my favourite new features, and something I hope will become standard across Nothing’s phones, is ‘custom charging mode’. There are three options to choose from: 70%, 80%, and 90%. I set my device to only charge up to 80% while testing; this worked consistently and will be a welcome addition to those looking to preserve their battery health a little longer. The battery life itself is also impressive, with the 5000mAh capacity comfortably lasting a few days with very light use and being more than capable of lasting the day as your main device (bearing in mind, I was never charging to 100%).
Display
As mentioned above, the 6.67 inch screen almost mirrors that of the (2), with the exception of slightly larger bezels, creating a longer, thinner appearance. For a budget device, the Phone 1 has an impressive 120Hrz AMOLED display, speedy adaptive brightness, and HDR10+, keeping up with the demands of streaming and gameplay. Overall, the greatest compliment I could really give is that I didn’t particularly notice much about the display during months of use; it just worked, and worked well.
Audio
The Phone 1 does not have the second speaker of the (2), and while I did miss the stereo effect, the CMF debut packs a good sound punch and is more than capable playing music, podcasts, and games. There is no headphone jack, as with most modern phones, so bluetooth connections are crucial, but I had no issues pairing to other devices during use.
Software
One of the first things I noticed when receiving the Phone 1 was that it came with Nothing OS and the snappy, capable software we’re used to seeing from Nothing’s flagships. I’m personally thrilled this wasn’t watered down or removed for CMF, as it runs as smoothly as that of my Phone (2). The widgets are familiar, new abilities to create shortcuts are welcome; if you’re a fan of the Nothing design and set up, you’ll be happy here.
Camera
The 50MP camera, by Sony, functioned well in each scenario it was tested in. If you’re someone who doesn’t go too deeply into your settings, you can click and shoot and still end up with a good photo, but the Phone 1 doesn’t skimp on more expert settings either, with a dedicated ‘expert’ mode and other adaptations. There seems to be a fair amount of criticism of the portrait depth sensor being ‘useless’, but when testing photos with the sensor covered and uncovered, I personally found that it goes a long way to making a quick photo look special, highlighting key parts of the photo and enhancing the accuracy of the overall portrait background blur. An addition to the Phone 1 is the ability to choose between ‘natural’ and ‘vivid’ mode; some people will love the addition of ‘vivid’, others won’t, as it really highlights the colour in each photo. I did feel as though I missed the ‘wide angle’ lens, and obviously there is only one functional camera, but I think changes made would also boost up the price, so it seems a fair trade for a good camera, and if you want a great one there are other phones on the Nothing market that excel in this area.
Conclusion
I’m a fan of a budget phone, my daily driver before the Phone (2) was a Huawei P30, and the Phone 1 hasn’t felt like a budget device. Its launch release from £179 (now £209) feels in line with the competitive pricing of CMF, but surpasses my expectations based on functionality. My main takeaway from being a tester for Phone 1 has been how interchangeable it has felt to my Phone (2), which I think is no mean feat at this price point. After also taking part in the ‘Community Reacts’ project, my buzzwords for this product, and the new Watch/Buds Pro 2, are customisation and value. You’re getting a whole lot of bang for your buck and I love how accessible and interesting this line of products are and have the potential to be. I am excited to see where CMF go next!
