Palmix Art 🇮🇹

Ultra-slim. Ultra-light. Ultra-sleek.

28 April 14:00 BST.

[Updated^]

A fresh take.

Redesigned for CMF Phone 2 Pro.

CMF by Nothing.

[Updated^]

New wonderful things.

Featuring CMF Phone 2 Pro, alongside a trio of buds – CMF Buds 2, Buds 2a and Buds 2 Plus.

Monday, 28 April at 14:00 PM BST / 18:30 PM IST / 15:00 PM CET / 09:00 AM EST

CMF by Nothing.
‎

[Updated^]

A new finish. Textured, tactile, different.

More to come. CMF by Nothing.

[Updated^]

In search of the perfect shot.

Coming soon. CMF by Nothing.

I’m so excited to hear the news that Nothing are doing another community edition project for Phone (3a) this time with a few interesting twists in the format.

Last year the community edition project for Phone (2a) Plus brought the community together in a way that i’ve never seen before, and we witnessed some amazing submissions for all the different stages.

To assist with the hardware design stage i shared some instructions on how to download a Phone (2a) 3D model from the nothing.tech website, and this time around the process is the same for Phone (3a).

While there are some limitations to this 3D model, it’s a great starting point - especially for those who want to portray their idea in 3D, but don’t have the knowledge or experience in 3D modelling.

To download the model, you can either see the direct link at the bottom of the page, or to learn how i did it follow these instructions - head on over to Phone (3a)'s product page on nothing.tech, and use inspect where the 3D preview is (this will work for each of the colours)

You will then want to navigate to the shopify URL with the .glb extension in the code, this should initiate a download of a glb file.

glb is a common 3D file type compatible with many different pieces of software, but in this example i will be using Blender - one of the most popular and also free options in the 3D space.

Import the file using the below steps.

As mentioned previously, this model does come with some limitations. You will not have full control of the actual back design itself since this is just an image. One way to get around this is to re-model the back details or load the image into something like photoshop. You can however change other elements such as the frame, buttons, screen, glass, sim tray (and more). Here is a very quick example i created just in the space of a few minutes, which includes a recycled plastic frame and a red Essential Key.

You may need to watch a few tutorials or read a few articles at this point if you’re not familiar with how to add/remove/edit/create materials, but great results can be achieved very quickly with the right drive and vision. it’s a great opportunity to test different materials, colours and finishes, and with some great lighting to top it off, some potentially incredible renders to be made.

Direct link to file - Phone (3a) White

Happy designing! please feel free to ask some questions and i will try my best to help.

The device retains the core idea of interchangeable panels but takes it even further. Accessories remain an essential part of the ecosystem, allowing everyone to create a unique phone tailored to their needs.
FOR YOU, BY YOU.

Project link:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/221809451/CMF-Phone-2

P.S. Yesterday, I posted on X, and that’s where I got invited here. But you can also check it out there:

Nothing hosted a drop event for the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro in their London store this past weekend, where you could get hands on and purchase the new lineup ahead of open sales! I attended along with @Derren and @Daniel, and I thought I’d share my experience.

We arrived just after 10am - the sun was shining and a healthy queue forming, which was great as there was still an hour til the store opened. We got straight to chatting with some of those in the queue ahead of the opening and met many great people from various backgrounds - whether a Nothing user already; checking out and upgrading to the latest device, people switching from another Android phone and even quite a few making the switch from iPhones too!

The store opened at 11 and people gradually filtered in. By this point, the queue was snaking around the corner! The atmosphere was great; customers in the store enjoyed being able to see and interact with the Phone (3a) series and test out the capabilities of the new cameras. If a purchase of any Phone (3a) model was made, they also received a free gift of Ear (a)!

There was a Snake Widget tournament which proved very popular; with prizes on offer for those that topped the leaderboard (and a Nothing branded tote bag for everyone that participated!), as well as a special one-day-only opportunity to engrave your new device with a custom message, if you wanted to.

Later in the day, we had a visit from Carl himself to see how the drop was going. He took the opportunity to get his personal Phone (3a) Pro engraved with a meaningful message, a quote popularised by Steve Jobs, which you can see above!

Overall, the store event was a great success - I certainly had fun meeting lots of new and familiar faces and getting to know some more community members.

So I’m interested to hear - did you attend the London drop, or one of the other drop events around the world? How did you find it? Let us know your experience below!

P.S. All of these photos were taken on Phone (3a) Pro, except for the selfie which was Phone (2)

I have been a Nothing Phone (2) user for about a year and a half and have witnessed its evolution in the photography department thanks to multiple updates that have improved color interpretation, processing speed, and low-light quality. Despite these advances, it is still not a photography benchmark, but it performs solidly in most situations.

In this review, we’ll look at how the Nothing Phone (2)'s camera has improved, what aspects are still its weak points, and whether it’s worth it for those looking for a good photography experience.

Camera Evolution: Improvements and Changes

Since its launch, Nothing has worked on optimizing the Phone (2)'s camera with various software updates. Among the most important improvements is the arrival of Nothing OS 2.0, which optimized performance in low-light scenarios, improved contrast management in portrait mode, and increased facial sharpness.

The Nothing Phone (2)'s camera system consists of a 50 MP Sony IMX890 main sensor and a 50 MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide sensor. These sensors have received software improvements, such as the implementation of True Lens, which allows capturing images with more detail and better balance. Additionally, processing time has been reduced, which was notably slow in previous versions. Now, photos save about three times faster than at launch, offering a smoother experience.

The 50 MP ultra-wide sensor provides very decent quality, surpassing many competitors who opt for lower resolution or quality sensors. Chromatic aberration is minimal, and colors are represented quite faithfully without generating exaggerated purple edges in high-contrast areas. Overall, the results with this sensor are good, although there is still a noticeable loss of detail at the edges of the image, which is common with this type of lens.

Color, Portrait Mode, and HDR

One of the most obvious changes has been the improvement in color interpretation. Initially, the Phone (2) offered overly saturated images, giving them an unnatural look. Now, the calibration is more precise, though some red tones still get overly dark, and HDR doesn’t always balance the bright lights well, causing overexposure in certain areas.

Portrait mode is one of the better-executed aspects. Subject cropping is precise, with no major errors, and the bokeh effect looks quite natural. In some cases, the blur may be a bit excessive, but overall, the result is realistic and competent.

Regarding HDR, its implementation has improved, but in some scenes, it may exaggerate the effect. That’s why I recommend taking the same photo with HDR on and off to compare which style you prefer, as in some cases, the non-HDR version may look more natural. If, after taking the photo, you notice that the colors are not entirely accurate or the image has too much contrast, you can make small adjustments with an editing app like Snapseed, which allows you to quickly correct lighting and color details.

Front Camera: Solid Performance with Room for Improvement

The Nothing Phone (2) has a 32 MP front camera, offering solid performance, especially with good lighting. The level of detail is notable, and dynamic range and colors are represented fairly accurately. In some situations, the tones may be slightly saturated, but overall, the balance is correct.

HDR in selfies does its job, but in backlighting, it can overly process the image, resulting in an exaggeratedly blue sky and overexposing faces and bodies, which can make the photo seem unrealistic or even like a fake. Still, in optimal conditions, the results are good and offer more than enough quality. In the following images, I show you a couple of unedited selfies. The first one is in a well-lit environment, and the second one is in the worst possible conditions, against the light.

Macro Mode: Is It Worth Using?

The Nothing Phone (2) features a macro mode that lets you capture images from a distance of 4 to 5 cm from the object. It works well in terms of detail but has the problem that, being so close, the perspective distorts: the front of the object appears exaggeratedly large, while the background becomes too small.

To avoid this effect, it’s better to use the main sensor with a 2x zoom, which allows you to back up a little more and get an image with a more realistic proportion. This way, you achieve better image balance without the distortion caused by the macro mode.

Advanced Photography: RAW Mode and Pro Mode

The Nothing Phone (2) includes a RAW mode, ideal for those who want to edit their photos without losing quality. It also has a Pro mode that allows you to manually adjust settings such as ISO, shutter speed, exposure, and white balance, giving more control to advanced users.

Do I Recommend the Nothing Phone (2) Camera Now?

The Nothing Phone (2) is not a phone for those looking for the best camera on the market, but it offers solid performance in most situations.

Its camera is versatile, functional, and can adapt well to different scenarios, especially with good lighting, where it can deliver remarkable and well-balanced results. Plus, it has improved over time, both in image processing and color interpretation.

If you need an all-around camera that works well in general and comes with software that continues to evolve, the Nothing Phone (2) is still a very valid option today.

Note: All the photos attached in this article were taken in auto shooting mode with the Nothing Phone (2) and were later retouched using the Snapseed app in a few seconds.

Source: Nothingtec (That’s me ) @ruudhesp

First of all, I am truly grateful to get my hands on the new nothing phone 3(a) Pro. So thank you team, it was a pleasure putting the phone to test.

I have been using the phone since the past week and here are my first impressions and quick review.

Packaging & Unboxing

Usually Packaging & Unboxing are not part of reviews but it would have been unfair if I did not include as it was such an exciting experience. Reminds me of the time when we were kids and got our first video game! The packaging is compact & premium and everything is well placed inside.

Build Quality

The Nothing phone 3(a) Pro continues the brand’s signature semi-transparent aesthetic industrial design. The device is sandwiched between two glass panels and matte plastic finish on the sides ensuring a comfortable grip. The bezels are quite thin and uniform thanks to the flexible panel along with 3 glyph zones at the back. The volume buttons are on the left and the power button and the shiny essential key on the right. The camera bump is slightly larger on the Pro but it helps to hold the phone preventing it from slipping away. The phone is 211 grams but doesn’t feel like it as it is quite balanced. The grey variant looks like a phone from the future and it’s truly gorgeous.

Performance

Under the hood, the Phone 3(a) Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor (4nm) promising a seamless and lag-free experience for multitasking and gaming. I’m not much into gaming but tried a few games and it runs quite well without any stutter or lags. I did not encounter any heating issues as of now. The Nothing OS helps it as well but more on the software later!

Cameras

The triple-camera setup on the Pro includes a 50MP primary sensor, 50MP telephoto sensor and the 8 MP ultrawide. The Periscope lens is excellent for portraits and macro photography and gives astonishing results. Th 3x/6x zoom works wonder if you’re into macro photography. The primary camera works great as well giving out great details,accurate colors and no shutter lag in good lighting conditions. The phone 3(a) Pro also does not disappoint in low light conditions as the sensors capture enough light with no grainy images. The ultrawide lens does it’s job most of the times but it struggles in some cases and could’ve been better.

The video quality is fair and the stabilization is on point. I shot some videos while riding a bicycle and it came out really well. The pro also comes with a 50 MP front camera and the images are crisp and up to the mark. The presets are a great addition to the 3(a) series and the camera interface is quick, easy to use and provide all the tools I require. There’s a lot more to talk about the camera which I’ll share in a detailed camera review later but overall the cameras and the processing on the phone are impressive! Here are some shots I clicked on the Phone 3a pro -

Battery and Charging

The phone comes with a 5,000mAh battery with 50 W fast charging support which easily lasts 2 days with regular usage. It charges 50% in 19 minutes, 100 % in 56 minutes. During the test period I never charged my device more than once a day even with heavy usage so the backup is quite good. No heating issues encountered while charging the phone.

Software

The Nothing OS 3.1 is clean, quick and reliable and probably my favourite thing about the Nothing Phones. It is a perfect balance of minimalism and utility. The attention to detail is what I love about OS and the monochrome icons feels less intrusive and keeps me away from addictive apps and games. The folders on the homescreen keeps it clutter free and the widgets helps me check things in a glance. My personal favourites are the photo widget, pedometer, screentime and the calendar. The animations are smooth and it feels light in day to day interactions. The essential key is a new addition. I’m yet to get a hang of it but I tend to forget stuff a lot so I guess it will be useful for me once I start using it full fledged. Overall the software experience on the phone is top notch, Hat’s off the team!

If you’re looking for an aesthetic, feature-packed smartphone with a focus on design and user experience along a powerful camera setup and a solid battery life the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is for you.

Hope this helps!

Palmix Art This is such a great review. Appreciate the effort you put into this.

The essential space feels like a game changer for me, I would love to try it out someday. As a professional designer and a hobbyist musician, inspiration really strikes anytime, anywhere without notice. I have been using Nothing’s great inbuilt recorder app a lot for the same but a quick button for it and dedicated space for organization is definitely better.

A question I wanted to ask - Does the transcribe and essential space reminders work locally without the internet ? I am quite offline most of the time so it would be functionally better. Not to mention it ensures that the AI is running locally.

P.S. I hope you got around to feeding your “cut” at 9:50