CMF Phone 2 Pro review: Nothing but the best

Nothing delivered a hit last year with the CMF Phone 1; the phone had an interesting design and modularity, and it nailed the basics. The brand is looking to build on that with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which delivers decent upgrades in most areas. The most notable addition is a 50MP tele lens at the back as well as an 8MP wide-angle module that joins the main 50MP camera, and it gives the CMF Phone 2 Pro versatility like no other budget phone today.

You also get an AMOLED panel with ultra-thin bezels — similar to the Phone 2 and 3a Pro — a decent-sized battery, IP54 ingress protection, and the best software of any budget phone available today. The best part is that Nothing is continuing its value-focused push, and the Phone 2 Pro costs just a smidgen more than its predecessor.

Is this the budget phone of 2025, then? Without a shadow of a doubt.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Pricing and availability

Nothing unveiled the CMF Phone 2 Pro at a global launch event in India on April 28, and the phone is slated to go on sale in the country starting May 5. The good news is that it costs just ₹18,999 ($223) for the variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and that's just ₹1,000 ($12) more than what the Phone 1 debuted at last year. Nothing is also selling the device in an 8GB/256GB configuration at ₹20,999 ($246), and both models retain the MicroSD card slot — a great move in 2025.

Annoyingly, the device isn't launching in the U.S., with Nothing making the 8GB/256GB variant available as part of the beta initiative for $279. Thankfully, the device will be on sale in the U.K. and other markets in the region, debuting at £219 ($293) for the 8GB/128GB edition and £249 ($333) for the 8GB/256GB model. In Germany, it's launching at €249 ($283) for the 8GB/128GB variant, and €279 ($317) for 8GB/256GB.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Design

Nothing's mainline phones stand out for their designs, and the CMF Phone 2 Pro is no different. While it doesn't feature a similar design language, the bold colors and vibrant accents give the phone a good presence, and the design belies the price tag. I haven't used an entry-level phone that looks this good, and if you want a device that turns heads, you'll need to get the orange model.

I got the green version of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, and it has a back that mimics a frosted-glass finish. The black version uses the same texture, with the white model delivering a sandstone-like matte texture instead. The orange color, meanwhile, has a metallic sheen, and looks very distinctive.

Another distinction is the dimensions; coming in at 7.8mm, the Phone 2 Pro is the thinnest Nothing phone yet, and at 185g, it is 12g lighter than the CMF Phone 1 — there's a noticeable difference between the two when it comes to in-hand feel. The back has smooth curves where it meets the mid-frame, and it has good weight distribution.

Interestingly, Nothing added the Essential Key to the Phone 2 Pro as well; the dedicated button debuted on the Phone 3a Pro this year, and it allows you to launch Essential Space, a dashboard that lets you save notes, images, and just about anything else.

The rear camera design is accentuated by bright rings around each module, and it gives additional flair to the design — not that it needed it. A key difference this year is that the back is fully sealed; this allowed the brand to achieve an IP54 ingress protection. Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis revealed during a briefing that the device is water-resistant, but that it didn't go through the requisite IP testing.

As the back cover is no longer detachable, the CMF Phone 2 Pro doesn't quite have the same level of modularity as its predecessor. That said, Nothing is debuting a universal case that attaches to the back, and it enables the use of several accessories. This time around, the accessories include a kickstand that connects magnetically to the universal case, a macro lens, fisheye lens, and a lanyard.

Attaching the accessories is about as easy as it gets once you affix the universal case to the back of the Phone 2 Pro. While I generally liked using the universal case, it doesn't confirm to the curves at the back, and it has a distinct plastic feel to it. It's a good way to enable the use of custom accessories, and for what it's worth, the Phone 2 Pro as a whole has a design that looks much more polished.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Display

Nothing is using a similar-sized 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel as last year, but it went with a flexible AMOLED on the Phone 2 Pro, resulting in thinner and even bezels on all sides. Evangelidis noted that the switch to a flexible AMOLED added to the device's manufacturing costs, but as the brand wanted to retain parity with its mainline phones, it used the costlier panel.

There's also greater flexibility with panel refresh, with the Phone 2 Pro able to switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. The device even gets 2,160Hz PWM dimming, and the panel itself is the best of any budget phone around. I didn't run into any issues during regular use or while gaming, and Nothing did all the right things in this area.

My colleague Nick Sutrich tested the device's PWM dimming, and noted that it was more than double that of the CMF Phone 1 at low brightness, which is great. When you boost the brightness to over 50%, you get DC dimming as standard.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Hardware

Nothing is once again using MediaTek's Dimensity 7300 Pro this generation, and the platform is clearly showing its age; I haven't used a phone with the older Cortex A78 and A55 cluster in a while. That said, Nothing did a decent job optimizing the platform, and there isn't any noticeable lag in regular use.

The phone is passable at gaming too, and while you don't get smooth framerates, there isn't too much jitter, and it is usable if you turn down the settings. That said, I'd strongly recommend picking up the Phone 3a Pro if you're looking at a budget-focused gaming device — it does a much better job in this area.

Outside of that, the notable inclusion is a MicroSD slot; the base variant's 128GB storage is decent enough, and while 8GB of memory is usable, Nothing should have rolled out a 12GB/256GB variant at least. You don't get AptX codecs, but there's the standard Bluetooth 5.3, and I didn't see any problems with connectivity.

Nothing didn't change anything on the battery side of things, and the CMF Phone 2 Pro retains a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. Interestingly, the Indian model now includes a charger in the box — Nothing says its userbase in the country was vocal about its inclusion — but other regions miss out on the same. You can use any USB PD charger with the device, and in general, I got a day's worth of use comfortably.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Cameras

The CMF Phone 2 Pro gets a trio of cameras at the back, including a 50MP main lens, 50MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP wide-angle lens. That's a big deal in itself considering most phones in this category have just a single usable camera, and it's good to see the brand providing decent versatility.

The camera interface is pretty basic, but you get access to all the shooting modes and toggles. It takes 4K30 video, and while the video quality isn't particularly great, it is usable. There's a decent number of shooting modes, and the phone does a passable job with portraits.

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Daylight shots have good detail and color vibrancy, and I didn't see any issues in this area. What I like the most is how well the CMF Phone 2 Pro handles low-light imagery; even in challenging conditions, it delivered photos with good colors and little to no visible noise. The wide-angle and 2x tele lenses are good in their own right, and if you need a little extra, Nothing has macro and fisheye lens attachments.

The fisheye lens is fun to use, but I didn't see much utility out of the macro module. Overall, the camera on the CMF Phone 2 Pro is the best you'll find on a sub-$300 phone, and Nothing deserves credit for bundling a strong package.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Software

The CMF Phone 2 Pro runs Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15 out of the box, and the brand continues to do a stellar job with its UI. You get a clean interface with a distinct visual styling, and it makes using the device that much more enjoyable. Nothing's exclusive widgets are a big part of why I like using its phones, and the design combined with usability makes the OS as a whole stand out.

You get a good amount of customizability as well, and the interface is fluid — I didn't have issues in daily use. You get the usual AI-enabled utilities with on-device transcribing, and Nothing uses ChatGPT for any cloud-facing requests. On that note, a new addition is Essential Space, which basically makes it easy to organize information, including creating notes, taking memos, and saving things like billers.

The utility does a great job, and it's another way that Nothing differentiates its devices. Switching over to updates, the CMF Phone 2 Pro will get three Android OS updates and six years of security updates, and that's among the best of any budget phone today.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: The alternatives

POCO's X7 continues to be a good choice if you need a reliable budget phone. It has the same MediaTek Dimensity 7300 platform, a bigger 5500mAh battery with 45W charging, and IP68 ingress protection. The software isn't as good as the CMF phone 2 Pro, and it won't get as many updates, but if battery life is a priority, the X7 is a good option.

Last year's CMF Phone 1 is still quite decent, and a viable alternative if you can get a good deal on the device. Obviously, you miss out on the upgrades that the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers, but the Phone 1 is a great device in its own right.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You need a budget phone that looks great
• You want good cameras
• You need clean software on a budget device
• You want timely software updates

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You need a gaming phone

Nothing is making a habit of showing up other budget phones, and the CMF Phone 2 Pro is my go-to recommendation if you need a new sub-$300 phone in 2025. There's a lot to like with the design, and the unique accessories give the device an edge. The AMOLED panel has good colors, and the thin bezels make the device feel premium.

You get a good set of cameras at the back, great battery life, and the software is easily the best you'll find on any budget phone. The only limitation is around gaming; you'll want to get the Phone 3a Pro if you need a bit of added power, but other than that, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a fantastic all-rounder.