Nothing's budget brand could have a smartphone in the works

What you need to know

• A newly discovered Nothing product's model number was originally thought to pertain to the Phone 3. However, a second listing seemingly debunks that.
• The "A015" product surfaced on the BIS certification database under the CMF by Nothing sub-brand, which could mean its first phone is on the way.
• More concrete details about the device are still unknown.

Nothing's budget sub-brand could have a smartphone in development as a curious model number appears for certification.

According to Android Headlines, a Nothing product with the model number "A015" was spotted in a database under the brand's manufacturer title. It was originally theorized that the number referred to the Nothing Phone 3; however, the model number doesn't follow Nothing's typical internal naming behavior.

Remember: the Phone 1 featured the "A063" tag while the Phone 2 had "A065."

The folks at 91Mobiles quickly picked up on the appearance of the same model number in the BIS certification database. Curiously, its listing swaps "Nothing Technology Limited" for "CMF by Nothing" under the brand category.

This discovery seemingly reduces the chance of the A015 device representing the Phone 3 to (almost) zero. Aside from the supposed model number, the product's specifications and more substantial information were unavailable.

There's a chance that this model number refers to a completely different product. So, it'd be best to take this rumor with caution.

CMF by Nothing is the London-based company's sub-brand that tries to merge style at a lower cost. The brand debuted last September as it launched the Buds Pro, Watch Pro, and a 65W GaN charging adapter. It'll be interesting to see if this CMF by Nothing smartphone rumor holds water — and where such a device would fit.

Nothing debuted the Phone 2a early in April as a budget option nestled right below the capabilities of the Phone 2. The device diverged from Qualcomm's chipset in favor of MediaTek's Dimensity 7200 Pro. The phone launched in the UK, India, and other regions, leaving the U.S. out of the loop.

Current speculations are that CMF by Nothing's phone would become available in specific countries, similar to Phone 2a, to avoid self-competition.

While this rumor seemingly turns us away from the Phone 3, a recent report purported to have some details on the chipset powering the Phone 3. A report claimed that the Phone 3 would lean on Qualcomm's latest flagship chip variant: the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. The rumor added that Nothing could increase the price of its upcoming phone, which could put it at roughly $540 in the U.S. if true.

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