Introduction
By Mahnoor | 24-08-2026
Looking at budget phones, many seem the same: big screen, multiple cameras, large battery, and a familiar look. The CMF Phone 1 5G does things differently. Made by CMF, Nothing’s lifestyle brand, this phone aims to add more interest to the budget market.
It has a stylish, customizable design, a 120Hz AMOLED screen, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chip, a 5,000mAh battery, and clean software. It’s not meant to rival expensive flagships. Instead, it focuses on giving everyday users the important features while staying affordable.
But is it worth buying? Let’s examine its design, display, performance, camera, battery, software, and overall value.
CMF Phone 1 5G Design
The first thing you notice about the CMF Phone 1 is its design. It’s not just another smartphone that looks like all the rest. The back panel has an industrial look with visible screws and a unique layout.
CMF made the back cover removable, which is unusual for modern phones. Users can change the back cover to give the phone a different look based on their style.
The design comes in several colors, including Black, Light Green, and Orange, but availability may vary by market. The orange version gives the phone a bold and youthful feel.
The removable back is more than just a design feature. It shows CMF’s idea of letting customers personalize their devices. You can also attach compatible accessories through the phone’s accessory system.
Even though it’s a budget phone, it doesn’t feel cheap. The overall design is clean, modern, and noticeably different.
6.67-Inch AMOLED Display
The screen is one of the best parts of the CMF Phone 1.
It has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The screen also supports up to 120Hz refresh rate, making scrolling and animations smoother.
For everyday tasks like browsing, watching videos, using social media, or switching apps, the higher refresh rate is noticeable. AMOLED technology is also great.
It makes blacks deeper, colors brighter, and movies or photos look much better than on a basic LCD screen. The phone also has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, which helps when using it outdoors in bright sunlight.
For a phone in this price range, having a large AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate is a big plus.
Performance and MediaTek Dimensity 7300
The CMF Phone 1 uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chip. This processor is built with a 4nm process, aiming to balance speed and battery use.
For everyday tasks, it handles social media, browsing, videos, messaging, and multitasking well. Apps open fast, and switching between them is smooth. Gaming is also good.
You can play games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile with decent settings. It’s not a top gaming phone, but for casual gamers, it’s more than enough.
A big plus is its efficient chip and clean software. It doesn’t come with lots of extra apps, so the experience is simple and neat.
5G Connectivity
The CMF Phone 1, as its name says, works with 5G networks.
For people in areas with 5G, this means faster internet and being ready for the future compared to older 4G phones.
Of course, real speed depends on your carrier, where you are, and which network bands are supported. Buyers should check the specific model for their region before buying if 5G with a certain network is important.
Camera Performance
The camera setup on the CMF Phone 1 is fairly simple.
It has a 50MP main rear camera and a 16MP front camera. Instead of adding many cameras that may not be very useful, CMF focused on the main sensor.
In good daylight, the main camera takes detailed photos with nice colors. It’s good for everyday shots, family pictures, travel photos, and social media.
Portrait photos can look good when the light is right. The software helps separate people from the background, but tricky backgrounds can sometimes cause problems.
At night, the camera’s limits become clearer. Photos are still okay, but don’t expect the same detail, dynamic range, or low noise as high-end phones.
The front camera is good for selfies, video calls, and social media. For most casual users, this camera is enough.
The phone can also record high-resolution videos, which is useful for people who occasionally make short videos for social platforms.
Battery Life
Battery life is another part where the CMF Phone 1 does well.
It has a 5,000mAh battery, which is now a common size for modern Android phones. With the power-saving Dimensity 7300 processor, the battery can easily last a full day of normal use.
If you use your phone for messaging, browsing, social media, music, and some video watching, you can usually get through the day without needing to charge often.
Light users may even get much longer battery life between charges. The phone supports 33W fast charging, which helps when you need a quick boost before going out.
It’s not the fastest charging on the market, but it’s fine for this price range. Buyers should note that charging accessories and their availability can differ depending on the market.
Nothing OS Experience
Software is another reason why the CMF Phone 1 feels different from many cheap Android phones. The phone first came with Nothing OS 2.6 based on Android 14.
The look follows Nothing’s special design style and avoids the heavy mess found on some other Android phones. The software is clean and pretty easy to use. It also has options to change the home screen and widgets.
Nothing’s software is great for people who like a simple Android experience without pre-installed apps.
CMF promises software support, including Android and security updates. But updates may depend on your region and software version.
Storage and Memory
The CMF Phone 1 comes in different memory and storage options depending on where you buy it.
More RAM helps if you often switch between many apps. The phone can also use some of its storage as extra RAM.
You can add more storage on some versions, which is great for keeping lots of photos, videos, music, or files.
But if you download many big games, getting a version with more storage is still the best choice.
Audio and Other Features
The phone has a speaker at the bottom. It works well for watching videos, listening to podcasts, and making calls. But if you really want strong stereo sound, you might not like it as much as other phones.
The phone also has a fingerprint scanner on the screen and a USB-C port.
These are small features, but they help make the CMF Phone 1 feel like a full modern phone, not one that lacks things just to be cheap.
CMF Phone 1 for Gaming
The CMF Phone 1 is a good option for light and moderate gaming. Its Dimensity 7300 chip can handle popular games well, and the 120Hz screen makes supported games and menus feel smoother.
For games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile, you can change the graphics settings to balance looks and smoothness. Serious gamers might still want a dedicated gaming phone with better cooling and extra gaming features.
But for most people, the CMF Phone 1 is powerful enough for playing games now and then.
CMF Phone 1 for Photography
If photography matters to you, the CMF Phone 1 is best seen as a good everyday camera, not a camera-focused phone.
The 50MP main sensor works best in daylight.
Photos can be detailed and colorful when there is plenty of light. It is good for taking pictures of people, food, pets, landscapes, and everyday moments.
Low-light photography is more limited. Noise and loss of detail become more noticeable in difficult lighting.
That is a fair trade-off given the phone’s overall price and features.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Attractive and unusual design
- Removable and customizable rear panel
- Large 6.67-inch AMOLED display
- Smooth 120Hz refresh rate
- Capable Dimensity 7300 5G processor
- 5,000mAh battery
- 33W fast charging
- Clean Nothing OS experience
- Good everyday camera performance
- 5G connectivity
- Expandable storage on supported configurations
Cons
- Camera performance is weaker in low-light conditions
- Speaker setup could be better
- No wireless charging
- Some features differ by region
- Not designed as a premium gaming phone
- Software support is shorter than some high-end competitors
CMF Phone 1 Price and Value
The CMF Phone 1 was launched as a budget 5G phone, with its starting price changing depending on the country and storage size. In Europe, it launched at around 239 euros for the 128GB version and 269 euros for the 256GB model, though current prices may differ due to sales, discounts, and regional availability.
This is where the phone gets really interesting.
Instead of just competing on specs, CMF has tried to offer a full experience. You get a fast AMOLED screen, 5G support, a capable processor, long battery life, and a design that looks very different from most others
. That combination makes the CMF Phone 1 a great deal for people shopping in the affordable and mid-range phone market.
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