CMF Phone 2 Pro vs Phone 1: Key Differences and Should You Switch?

CMF, the cool and trendy sub-brand of Nothing, has launched its second smartphone, the CMF Phone 2 Pro. The CMF Phone 1 was quite a striking debut, with its modular design, swappable back covers, and an ecosystem of add-ons like a stand, a wallet, and a lanyard. The Phone 2 Pro comes with a host of improvements and refinements over last year’s CMF Phone 1, including a new dual-tone design, improved cameras, a brighter display, and a 10 per cent faster CPU.

There is no ‘non-Pro’ CMF Phone 2 as of now. So is the CMF Phone 2 Pro worthy of the ‘Pro’ moniker? And is it a notable update over its predecessor? Let’s find out. In this article, we will take a deep dive into both smartphones and analyse their pricing, specifications, and features.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Price in India

Both smartphones are offered in two variants. The CMF Phone 1 can be equipped with up to 8GB of RAM, and the internal storage tops off at 128GB. The Phone 2 Pro offers 8GB of RAM as standard, but storage options include 128GB as well as 256GB.

Both devices are available on Flipkart, Vijay Sales, and Croma.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Design and accessories

The design language of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is more or less the same as the CMF Phone 1, with some iterative upgrades here and there. Here are the changes in a nutshell:

• The Phone 2 Pro has a dual-tone back panel, while the Phone 1 features a single solid colour.
• The dual rear cameras of the CMF Phone 1 are housed in a pill-shaped module. In contrast, the Phone 2 Pro’s triple cameras are stacked in individual rings, with an aluminium surround.
• At 7.8mm and 185 grams, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor. In fact, it is the slimmest Nothing smartphone on sale right now.
• The durability has also seen a slight upgrade – the Phone 2 Pro has an IP54 dust and water resistance rating vs IP52 on the original.

The CMF Phone 1 offers the ability to swap out the back panel, and different colored options are available for purchase. With the Phone 2 Pro, the back panel is not swappable, but CMF has introduced a new multifunctional universal cover, which can be screwed onto the smartphone, and allows for the attachment of a wallet that doubles as a stand and interchangeable lenses. The cover has a built-in metal plate that allows accessories to be mounted.

The lack of swappable back panels is a step in the wrong direction, in our opinion. It was a standout feature of the CMF Phone 1 and helped it stand out from the sea of identical-looking rectangular slabs.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Performance

Powering the CMF Phone 2 Pro is Mediatek’s Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, an incremental update over the Dimensity 7300 found in the CMF Phone 1. It offers a 10 per cent boost in CPU performance and 5 per cent better graphics performance.

The CMF Phone 1 can be equipped with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The CMF Phone 2 Pro, on the other hand, offers 8GB RAM as standard

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Software

Both the CMF Phone 2 Pro and CMF Phone 1 run Nothing OS 3 based on Android 15. The CMF Phone 1 launched with Android 14 but has since been updated. Nothing’s software experience is clean and bloat-free. No third-party applications are pre-installed, and there are no ads littered across the user interface.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes with AI-backed features like Nothing’s exclusive ‘Essential Space’, which organises your tasks, events, and memories in one place. The CMF Phone 1 is not graced with any artificial intelligence tricks.

Another major difference lies in the software support. CMF has promised three years of Android updates and six years of security patches with the CMF Phone 2 Pro. This is quite a step up from the CMF Phone 1, which will get two OS updates and three years of security patches.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Camera

The CMF Phone 1 has a simple dual-camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary lens and a mostly perfunctory portrait sensor included to pad the specs. Up front, there is a 16-megapixel camera.

The cameras have received a significant boost with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, at least on paper. This time around, there is a triple rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. The selfie camera is still a 16-megapixel affair.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Display

Both smartphones come with a 6.77-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

The peak brightness has seen a significant update in the CMF Phone 2 Pro, up from 2000 Nits to 3000 Nits. Also, the touch sampling rate has increased from 240Hz to 1000Hz, and the PWM frequency is up from 960Hz to 2160Hz.

CMF Phone 2 Pro vs CMF Phone 1: Battery

A 5,000mAh battery is housed inside both phones, which can be topped up via a 33W fast charger.

CMF Phone 1 users have to spend extra to buy a fast charger. With the CMF Phone 2 Pro, Nothing is bucking the recent trend of stark, empty retail boxes by bundling a charger and case in the box.

Final Thoughts: Is the CMF Phone 2 Pro a worthy upgrade over the CMF Phone 1?

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a solid upgrade that improves upon its predecessor in almost every aspect. While the improvements are not drastic, little changes like a brighter display, better software support, a much more usable secondary rear camera, a marginally better IP rating, and a slightly more powerful chipset add up to deliver a more rounded smartphone.

The removal of swappable back panels feels like a step in the wrong direction, as it takes away a unique feature that set the original CMF Phone 1 apart. If you are currently using a CMF Phone 1, there is no need to rush out and upgrade, as the improvements are incremental. However, if you are looking to upgrade an old smartphone and want a solid smartphone with clean and bloat-free software, the Phone 2 Pro is well worth considering.