Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro quick review: Promising upgrade over CMF Phone 1

India Today

30-04-2025

'At CMF, we want to shake things up a bit,' said Nothing India head Akis Evangelidis as he launched the CMF Phone 2 Pro in India on April 28, 2025. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is only the second phone released under the CMF sub-brand. It is priced at Rs 18,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant (Rs 20,999 gets double the storage). Compared to the CMF Phone 1, the second-generation model brings a host of upgrades — the 'Pro' in the name is seemingly justified. There are improvements in the display, performance, and design, but the most significant upgrade is in the camera setup which appears to be a key focus area for Nothing this year. Nothing has realised that while its devices have stood out for their unique design and user interface, the cameras have held them back so far. However, with the launch of the Nothing Phone 3a series — particularly the 3a Pro — and now the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the company is trying to fix that issue. The relatively more affordable CMF Phone 1, though it was well-received, had a single camera doing all the heavy lifting. It had its moments, but there is only so much that one camera can do, which left big room for improvement for the sequel. Luckily, Nothing did not disappoint, at least as far as specs are concerned. With the Phone 2 Pro, it is taking a different approach — much like it did with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro — by offering a triple-camera setup. The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a 50-megapixel primary sensor, which is the same that the company used in the pricier Nothing Phone 3a. Then there is a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and up to 20x ultra zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens with a 119.5-degree field of view. We are yet to take these cameras out for a full spin, having spent only a few hours on the phone, but what we have on paper seems very promising, especially for something that is priced below Rs 18,000. Moving on, the Phone 2 Pro also comes with a dedicated Essential key, similar to what we saw in the Phone 3a series. The button offers a few functions — few being the operative word — primarily using AI to sort information from your screenshots and pictures. It automatically organises relevant details in one place, saving you the trouble of doing it manually. That's certainly convenient, but the functionality feels limited. I found it a bit gimmicky in the Phone 3a series, and for now, I feel the same about the Phone 2 Pro. More on this in our full review. The CMF Phone 2 Pro also has a slightly different design. It looks more premium now. The mint green variant I have been using has a shimmery texture. The device is also sleeker at 7.8mm thickness. In fact, Nothing claims it's the company's thinnest phone ever. That said, the design feels like a slight departure from the signature industrial design (ID) of the CMF Phone 1. The modular functionality which we saw in the Phone 1 and which Nothing has tried to retain here as well, seems largely on an aesthetic level. You still see the exposed screws, but Nothing wants you to not open them as frequently as with the Phone 1 where it made DIY assembly a big deal. This is perhaps to accommodate the higher ingress protection. The Phone 2 Pro is IP54 (versus IP52 in Phone 1).
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED display
advertisement Importantly, the phone has a great in-hand feel. Despite its large 6.7-inch display, it feels comfortable to hold. The soft texture of the back and the soft edges have a nice feel. The phone's display has also been upgraded. It is bigger (6.7- versus 6.67-inch) and brighter (up to 3,000 nits). The panel is a 120Hz AMOLED with Panda glass protection. The bezels are slimmer, and the chin is almost gone. In terms of performance, Nothing has been making big claims. Although it uses the same MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset as the Phone 1, there's now a 'Pro' added to its name, with some under-the-hood improvements making it up to 10 percent faster (without increasing the core speeds). I haven't used the phone enough to comment on its performance yet, but Nothing is clearly targeting more demanding users, even gamers, with this model. The phone is said to support 120fps settings in gaming titles like BGMI — but I'll share more on that once I've tested it. And of course, the biggest buzz around the phone is that the CMF Phone 2 Pro comes with a charger in the box — a 33W adapter — along with a transparent case. Many brands these days no longer include chargers, a trend started by Apple, followed by Samsung, and then Nothing. However, Nothing India head Akis Evangelidis was clear that including the charger is something they are 'trying out,' and he clarified that the company isn't promising this for all future models. 'For now, we will be including the charger in the box,' he said. The Phone 2 Pro is an interesting device to review. It looks promising with all the upgrades, but now it's time to put them to the test and see how they hold up in the real world. We'll be sharing our detailed review of the CMF Phone 2 Pro very soon — stay tuned.