Backside line: Nothing’s budget-minded sub-brand, CMF, has launched its first cell phone. The CMF Telephone 1 is an entry-level handset that would lastly take the idea of a modular smartphone mainstream. The value is true at $199, however will it make a splash in a cutthroat market the place each earlier modular try has come up quick?
The CMF Telephone 1 (CMF being quick for Colour, Materials, and End) incorporates a 6.67-inch Tremendous AMOLED show (1,080 x 2,400, 395 PPI) with a 120 Hz adaptive refresh charge pushed by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 SoC, an octa-core chip constructed on a 4nm manufacturing course of. It is paired with 8 GB of RAM.
Different noteworthy options embrace a 50-megapixel rear-facing digital camera from Sony, a 16-megapixel front-facing shooter, as much as 256 GB of native storage (expandable as much as 2 TB through microSD card slot), and a 5,000 mAh battery that is good for as much as 23 hours of steady video playback.
The CMF Telephone 1 ships operating Nothing OS 2.6 (powered by Android 14). It seems to be a strong finances entry on paper, however its modular design might make it particular.
In contrast to earlier modular smartphone makes an attempt that centered on swappable {hardware} parts, CMF is specializing in an adjunct ecosystem constructed round a user-replaceable rear backplate. Merely take away 4 screws on the rear of the telephone, pop off the inventory backplate, and substitute it with certainly one of a handful of options.
At launch, CMF may have three alternate backplates out there to buy. One provides a pockets to the rear of the telephone, one other incorporates a flip-out kickstand, whereas a 3rd features a tethered lanyard. It sounds so much like Motorola’s Moto Mods from the mid-2010s.
Pricing begins at a really cheap $199, which features a pre-applied display protector. As a finances telephone, you might be giving up some luxuries discovered on costlier gadgets similar to wi-fi charging, help for NFC, and sturdy safety in opposition to liquids.
Search for it to ship within the US as a part of the corporate’s beta program later this month.