CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: 2025’s Top Smartphone That Won’t Break the Bank!

Initially, we were expecting a straightforward Phone 2, but Nothing surprised us by adding the ‘Pro’ suffix! The Phone 2 Pro is the second offering from CMF, the budget-oriented brand of the London-based manufacturer.

Last year’s model impressed us with its polished features at a very reasonable price. The Phone 2 Pro raises the bar even higher, notably incorporating a 2x optical zoom for less than 260 euros.

With meticulously crafted specifications and a distinctive design, CMF is not content with just a foothold in the competitive budget smartphone market. It aims to match or surpass more expensive models, making it an exceptionally appealing choice.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProTechnical Details

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProDesign

Unboxing the Phone 2 Pro, you’ll notice some similarities to its predecessor, including the dial used to attach various accessories. This dial is no longer notched, making it slightly more challenging to unscrew. At the back, the iconic stainless steel screws still line the edges.

Unlike the screws on the CMF Phone 1, these are non-functional. Nothing has decided to eliminate the option to change the smartphone’s back cover. The color chosen at purchase is therefore final. Is this a major issue? Not really, as by making this decision, the manufacturer was able to slim down and lighten the product.

At 7.8 mm thick and weighing 185 grams, the Phone 2 Pro is exceptionally user-friendly despite its large 6.77-inch screen. The display has been increased by 0.10 inches without affecting the overall dimensions, focusing instead on minimizing the width of the black bezel that surrounds the screen.

The camera sensors blend seamlessly into the design, with a punch-hole on the front for the selfie camera and a trio of separately housed cameras in aluminum circles on the back.

CMF offers the new smartphone in four colors: White, Black, Orange, and Light Green. The black and green versions feature backs that mimic the texture of frosted glass, providing a pleasant feel and good grip without retaining fingerprints. There’s also a sandstone finish on the white model and metallic reflections for the orange one. All variants have a metallic frame.

All elements are flat, adhering to the current conventional design. There is still a bevel between each part, which adds comfort to the grip. The screen protrudes from the chassis with a black plastic frame, reflecting the Phone 2 Pro’s price point.

In terms of protection, the device is well-equipped with Panda Glass and an additional factory-applied protective film. CMF also certifies the smartphone with an IP54 rating. While there’s no eSIM support, it does have a dual nanoSIM slot, and storage can be extended via microSD.

While the Phone 1’s influence is apparent, the new CMF Phone 2 Pro truly takes off with a design that’s distinctly its own and significantly more premium. It’s an impressive feat at this price point. Additionally, among its buttons, you’ll find the Essential Key from the Phone (3a), which triggers Nothing’s AI pane. Yes, when I say the Phone 2 Pro is well-equipped, I mean it.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProScreen

The 6.77-inch display of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a delight. Enlarged since last year without changing the device’s dimensions, it features a 10-bit Amoled panel with HDR10+ support.

The resolution is slightly lower than that of the Phone 1, but it remains in Full HD+ and also supports a 120 Hz refresh rate. Of course, it doesn’t have an incremental refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz (LTPO); it’s either 60 Hz or 120 Hz, but that’s already quite good.

Nothing also promises increased brightness: 3000 nits peak, 1300 nits outdoors, and 800 nits typical. We took out our probe along with the CalMAN Ultimate software from Portrait Displays. Our measurements showed a maximum of 1265 nits in both SDR and HDR.

While we didn’t observe the promised peak, compared to other smartphones, the Phone 2 Pro sets a benchmark. It’s the best among all entry-level models. In our chart, the first to perform better than it on the price scale is Nothing’s own Phone (3a).

And then there’s the calibration. It’s also excellent on this CMF with an average DeltaE measured at 1.96 in its best mode (Active). This is well below the targeted value of 3, under which human eyes are considered to be deceived.

The color temperature is also very close to the 6500K of daylight. Finally, the Phone 2 Pro easily covers the sRGB color space and almost completely the DCI-P3. Again, for the price asked, we are more than served. Well done.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProPerformance

Nothing remains loyal to Mediatek for its entry-level smartphone (though this designation really doesn’t suit it). The Phone 2 Pro is equipped with a 5G-ready Dimensity 7300 Pro.

It all comes down to the ‘Pro’ designation since the Phone 1 was powered by a 7300. With its 8 GB of RAM, it managed to sweep all its competitors and position itself alongside much more expensive smartphones.

There’s no need to change the formula; the Dimensity 7300 Pro gives the Phone 2 Pro the necessary power boost to repeat the same pattern today. It’s as powerful as 400-euro smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G or the Samsung Galaxy A36, for example.

In use, the 8-core SoC, etched in 4 nm by TSMC, never shies away from a task, proving to be a powerhouse of efficiency. It handles multitasking without faltering, especially since the system allows for pinning applications in floating window mode, which could tax the performance, but it doesn’t.

Nothing uses a particularly effective liquid cooling system. It relies on a high thermal conductivity heat pipe that transfers heat away from the chip and works in conjunction with a cryogenic frame around the device and graphite pieces on both sides of the device for even better heat dissipation.

As a result of this meticulous design: after an hour of stress testing, the Phone 2 Pro does not fold. There’s no notable drop in performance over this period and no overheating either. A maximum surface temperature of 34°C is ideal.

In gaming, despite a SoC that’s not top-of-the-line, the Phone 2 Pro holds up well thanks to its performance mode, which prioritizes raw power and limits framerate drops. On Genshin Impact, pushing the graphics settings to the max, it runs between 30 and 50 fps. Just be a little less demanding to maintain a constant framerate. With CMF’s beautiful screen, it’s a treat.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProSoftware

Released shortly after the Phone (3a), the Phone 2 Pro benefits from the latest iteration of Nothing’s system, namely Nothing OS 3.2. Based on Android 15, it runs flawlessly on this device.

The visual approach of Nothing is evident with this impact in three hues: black, white, red. The approach is intriguing, but those accustomed to the Pixel Experience won’t be thrown off. Despite a strong design, the options are well organized in their places.

For the top dropdown menu, it’s a single piece but well-organized. The rounded edges of all elements contribute significantly to the overall look, and here we feel the heritage of OnePlus. The app drawer adopts the same advancement as on the Phone (3a), namely the ability to intelligently sort applications into folders defined by their category. Very practical indeed.

And then, Nothing OS is devoid of any bloatware, whereas its competitors at the same price do not shy away from it. This is rare enough to be highlighted.

Where Nothing significantly raises the bar compared to the Phone 1 is in the update period. We previously had two major updates and three years of security updates. Now, we’re looking at three years of major updates and six years of security patches. Of course, we’re not at the level of the best, but we’re assured of being able to use the Phone 2 Pro safely for the next six years! Apart from the Galaxy A16, no other device in this price range offers better.

Essential Space

I mentioned it in the design section. The Phone 2 Pro is equipped with a new button on its right edge. It’s the Essential Key, the button to govern the entire artificial intelligence experience of Nothing.

Introduced with the Phone (3a), it allows you to capture all your ideas, memos, screenshots, voice notes, etc., and then organize them in the Essential Space.

This formula, which I praised during the tests of the Phone (3a), is simple, accessible, useful, and does not bother to try to bring tons of poorly made or poorly integrated functions.

A button, some notes, light processing, but here it addresses a need with the amount of information we see passing under our eyes every day. At least, here’s a tool that offers us a handy intelligent reminder.

NDLR: the Essential Space function could be chargeable in the future. This is information raised by Android Authority via its discovery in the code of the Essential Space app.

Nothing CMF Phone 2 ProPhotography

There’s a change in program at Nothing. The CMF Phone 2 Pro will not just be Pro in performance, but also in photography! Yes, it gains not one, but two sensors!!!

The Phone 1 was limited to a 50 MP main sensor and a depth sensor. Now, we have a wide-angle, an ultra-wide-angle, and even an optical zoom!

• 50 MP wide-angle (f/1.88),
• 8 MP ultra-wide-angle (f/2.2),
• 2x optical zoom (f/1.85),
• 16 MP selfie sensor (f/2.45).

Wide-angle

The main sensor of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is technically very capable. It delivers very detailed, sharp, and clean images, with good dynamic range management. Its visual signature is characterized by vivid, saturated, and contrasted colors, and a quite pronounced sharpness.

It’s a more “flattering” and immediately “punchy” rendering compared to the more natural one of a Pixel. It will appeal to those looking for vibrant photos straight out of the camera, but may be less suited to purists who prefer a strictly faithful rendering. The base quality is solid.

At night, the performance is more mixed if you look closely. This CMF manages to produce bright images with correct colors, which is already a good point, but this comes at the cost of only average noise management and especially a very significant loss of fine details due to aggressive smoothing.

The management of high lights is also improvable. The result is a night image that is visible and colorful, but sorely lacking in sharpness and fine texture. Of course, we mean here that the images are viewed elsewhere than on the screen of a phone. For sharing, it’s perfect. Be careful with light sources, if they are too weak, the phone struggles to focus properly.

Similar Posts

• Galaxy S25 Edge Design Leaked: Specs & Details Revealed!
• Honor 400 Lite Review: Does It Stand a Chance Against Rivals?
• Realme GT 7 Review: This Smartphone Breaks All Battery Life Rules!
• Honor 400 Review: Surprising Excellence in Unexpected Features!
• Top Affordable Tablets of 2025: Discover Our Best Selections

Maya Singh

Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.