I am developing on 10 years of protecting cellphones, and after a while with the CMF Cellphone 1, I do not assume I’ve used a extra excellent telephone for the cash. CMF is a sub-brand by Nothing, based by Carl Pei of OnePlus fame. It has been dabbling in ultralow-cost units, like smartwatches and earbuds, however the CMF Cellphone 1 is its first Android telephone. And it prices $199.
I make it a degree to overview low-cost smartphones—I bear in mind the times once I scrounged each penny I earned to purchase my first smartphone, the $200 Samsung Galaxy Captivate in 2010. It is vital to assist steer folks on a restricted funds to good units. This 12 months alone, I’ve tried the $150 Moto G Play and the $199 Galaxy A15—the latter of which I discovered to be a disappointing successor to the wonderful Galaxy A14 from 2023. However none of those telephones maintain a candle to the CMF Cellphone 1, which blows its friends away.
Phenomenal Worth
CMF’s design language for the Cellphone 1 is its first win. This machine is way extra visually attention-grabbing than another $199 handset within the US. The economic look comes alive while you embrace the $35 swappable again covers. Use the included screwdriver to pop off the screws and you may change the again to a special coloration. My alternative was orange.
The screwdriver is a bit brief, and so it is a bit of arduous to take away the screws—I can not think about altering the again usually. This additionally doesn’t suggest you’ll begin repairing stuff your self or swap out the battery—CMF urges clients to not take away the battery with out authorization (there is a warning label on the battery). There’s disappointingly not a lot right here to make repairs simpler, not like HMD’s new Skyline.
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
A part of the enjoyable is the Accent Level, the little wheel on the proper nook of the telephone. Take away this thumbscrew and you may affix different equipment, like a lanyard, kickstand, or pockets. My favourite of the lot is the kickstand, and I dare say it doubles as a fidget spinner of types. Useful, enjoyable, and nifty! CMF is even encouraging clients to 3D print equipment for it.
However all of those design tips, whereas distinctive, aren’t what makes the CMF Cellphone 1 particular. No, that is the precise {hardware}, construct, and specs. Immediately, my first impression after booting it up was its pace. Within the time I spent with it, I do not assume I observed any lag or stutters, which is uncommon on a $199 smartphone. That is because of the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 inside with 8 gigs of RAM, but it surely additionally has loads to do with the optimizations between the {hardware} and software program, which is Nothing OS. (It is nonetheless Android, however Nothing’s layer on the highest affords a particular aesthetic with some tweaks, just like the utterly monochromatic theme on the house display screen.)
OK, so no lag. Subsequent, the battery life impressed. I made this my main machine as I traveled to Paris to cowl Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked occasion, and I went to mattress some nights detached about plugging my telephone in after seeing it had 50 % left. That is with navigation, music streaming through Bluetooth, messaging, and snapping pics. I’ve managed to push the 5,000-mAh battery with heavy utilization and produce it all the way down to 30 % on the finish of a day, however with common use, I used to be usually getting two days out of it. (I can not say the identical in regards to the $1,100 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6.)
