Nothing unveiled the budget competitor to Samsung and Xiaomi

CMF, the affordable sub-brand of the Nothing company, has unveiled the new smartphone CMF Phone 2 Pro along with three models of wireless headphones. The device claims to be a new benchmark in the segment of budget Android devices and competes with the Moto G, Galaxy A series, and even the more expensive Google Pixel 9a.

ZDNet writes about it.

What are the characteristics of the budget CMF Phone 2 Pro?

CMF Phone 2 Pro retains the recognisable bold Nothing styling and modular design, which allows you to screw on branded accessories or 3D-printed parts to the body. The new product is available in four colors: bright orange, light green with a matte texture, classic white, and black. The body thickness is 7.8 mm, and the weight is 185 g. The declared protection against dust and splashes complies with the IP54 standard.

The main update concerns the cameras: a 50MP telephoto lens with EIS and 2x optical zoom has been added to the main 50MP sensor and 8MP "ultrawide" lens. The front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels. The smartphone is equipped with a 6.77-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2392x1080 pixels at 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 3000 cd/m² (HDR) or 1300 cd/m² in the sun.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. The user can choose 128 or 256 GB of storage and expand it with a microSD card up to 2 TB — a rarity for smartphones in 2025. The 5000 mAh battery supports 33 W wired charging and, according to the manufacturer, retains at least 90% of its original capacity after 1,200 cycles.

The device runs on Nothing OS 3.2 (Android 15) with the promise of three-year OS updates and six-year security patches. The signature Essential Key button opens the Essential Space environment, where you can conveniently store voice notes, screenshots, and photos using AI. The smartphone is available through the Nothing beta programme for USD 279.

As a reminder, low-cost smartphones have long ceased to be frankly weak devices. Manufacturers in the sub-UAH 5,000 (USD 120.45 — Ed.) segment offer interesting models with decent features.

We also wrote that secondhand smartphones are becoming a reasonable alternative to flagships with prices exceeding USD 1,000. Most of the previous models have good features and long-term software support, which makes them relevant for years.