CMF Phone 2 Pro Hands-on: Does It Deserve the 'Pro' Tag?

CMF by Nothing had launched the all-new CMF Phone 2 Pro smartphone globally last month. It’s been nearly a week since I’ve been using the device, and to my surprise, the device is doing surprisingly well for its price. However, just like any other gadget, it has its pros and cons.

We are already working on a full review, which should go live by the end of this month. But before that, here’s our initial impressions of the CMF Phone 2 Pro.

Unboxing and Box Contents

The CMF Phone 2 Pro gives you a cool unboxing experience—way better than what you usually get at this price. Right when you open the box, there’s a nice little welcome note from Nothing printed on the inner packaging. Inside, you’ll find:

The phone itself
A 33W fast charger
A USB-C to USB-C cable
The user manual
A SIM ejector tool with CMF’s signature design
A clear TPU case

It’s a small touch, but it makes opening the box feel a lot more premium than most budget phones.

Design and Build

Though the CMF Phone 2 Pro has a complete plastic build, it feels very comfortable and premium in-hand. The in-hand feel, in particular, is a lot improved from the CMF Phone 1. The device comes in White, Orange, Black and Light Green color variants. The one I’m using is the Light Green variant. It has a shimmering matte finish on the rear panel, which mimics the frosted glass texture.

The Orange and White get a dual tone design, whereas Black and Light Green have a single color throughout the panel. For reference, it measures 78.0mm x 164.0mm x 7.8mm in dimensions and weighs about 185 grams.

As the figures speak, the device is very lightweight and slim. It’s the slimmest device coming from the house of Nothing. It has a flat frame with the power on/off and the Essential Key button placed on the right-hand side, whereas the volume control button is on the left-hand side.

As for accessories, the replaceable back panel from the first model is gone. Instead, there’s a Universal Cover (sold separately) if you want to attach an external macro lens (also sold separately). We’ll talk more about the accessory options in the full review.

Display: Smooth and Vibrant

The CMF Phone 2 Pro packs an exactly similar display to the Phone (3a). It has a 6.77-inch FHD+ flexible AMOLED display. The pixel resolution is 1080 x 2392, and the highest refresh rate supported is 120Hz. Since it’s an LTPS panel, it can switch between 30, 60, 90 and 120Hz automatically. The panel has a peak brightness of up to 3000-nits, normal brightness of 800-nits and HBM brightness of 1300-nits. There’s an HDR 10+ certification as well.

The display itself is surprisingly good for the price – colors look vibrant and accurate without any noticeable calibration issues. But the bezels are another story. Nothing went with a symmetrical design where all four borders are equally thick, including the chin. While this does create visual consistency (and is technically an improvement over the last model), it means the phone has thicker borders all around than most modern devices.

I would’ve preferred slightly asymmetric bezels if it meant getting a more contemporary, edge-to-edge look – even if that broke the symmetry.

Cameras

Talking about the most highlighted part of the device–its cameras. The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a triple rear camera setup. It has a 50MP 1/1.57″ Samsung GN9 primary wide lens with an equivalent focal length of 24mm. The aperture value of the main lens is f/1.88.

The secondary lens is a 50MP 1/2.88″ OmniVision OV50D 2X zoom telephoto lens. It has an equivalent focal length of 50mm and an aperture value of f/1.85. Last but not least, there’s an 8MP 1/4″ ultrawide sensor with an aperture value of f/2.2. On the front, there’s a 16-megapixel 1/3″ selfie snapper with f/2.45 aperture. None of the lenses has the support of Optical Image Stabilisation, which is a huge bummer.

None of the lenses can do 4K 60fps video recording. The main and telephoto can do 60fps at 1080p and 30fps at 1080p and 4K. The ultrawide lens can do video recording in only 1080p 30fps. You do get the support of custom LUTs (/cube) files in the device as well, which is a very good feature.

The camera performance is decent for the price. Photos come out with natural, slightly warm tones—nothing too saturated or artificial. The detail and HDR handling are decent, too, although I’ve noticed some minor inconsistencies in the color balance between the different lenses. The portrait also needs some work. I’m still putting the cameras through their paces, so I’ll save my final verdict for the full review. A dedicated camera review is being done as well.

Performance, Battery & Software

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ‘Pro’ chipset paired with a UFS 2.2 RAM type. Also, don’t get confused by its chipset name. The Dimensity 7300 Pro is exactly similar to the Dimensity 7300. The brand says that it’s being called a ‘Pro’ because of the better optimisation and integration between Nothing and MediaTek.

Anyway, the phone is good enough for day-to-day usage with light gaming. However, it’s not the absolute best option you can get in the segment for performance. You may have the resort to another option if you are looking for something for gaming. The UFS 2.2 is also a letdown.

The device packs a 5000mAh battery with the support of a 33W fast wired charger, that is provided in the box. The battery optimisation is easily one of the best I’ve ever seen for a 5000mAh battery. However, the charging speed is very slow. It takes more than 1 and 1/2 hours to fully charge and sometimes, even more.

The NothingOS 3.2 is one of the best software you can get for the price. The software is clean, fast, and bloatware-free. It follows the stock-Android style UI design with Nothing’s monochrome touch.

The Verdict

The CMF Phone 2 Pro offers a well-balanced package with notable strengths and some compromises. Its lightweight, slim design and premium matte finish make it comfortable to hold, while the 120Hz AMOLED display delivers vibrant colors and smooth performance, though the thicker bezels may not appeal to everyone.

The camera setup, featuring a 50MP main sensor and 2X telephoto lens, captures decent images with natural tones, but the lack of OIS and 4K 60fps recording limits its versatility. Performance-wise, the Dimensity 7300 Pro handles daily tasks smoothly, though UFS 2.2 storage and slower charging speeds hold it back compared to competitors.

On the software front, NothingOS 3.2 stands out with its clean, bloat-free experience, making it a strong choice for users who prefer a near-stock Android interface. Battery life is impressive, but the sluggish 33W charging is a drawback.

Overall, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a solid mid-range option with a focus on design and software refinement, though it faces stiff competition in areas like performance and charging speed. Depending on user priorities, it could be a compelling pick or one that leaves room for alternatives.

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CMF Phone 2 Pro Initial Impressions: Does It Deserve the Pro Tag?