The CMF Phone 2 Pro is making waves as a strong contender for the budget phone of the year. It offers a unique design and a surprising set of features for its price point, making it stand out in a crowded market. This phone aims to deliver a premium feel without the premium cost, challenging expectations for what a budget device can offer.
A Fresh Look for a Budget Phone
When it comes to looks, the CMF Phone 2 Pro definitely has personality. It's not your typical slab phone. The design is distinct, with a flat back and metal camera rings. While some might find it unique, others might not call it beautiful. But hey, you don't look at the back of your phone all the time, right?
What's really cool is how high-end it feels for its price. It has a big, bright, high refresh rate AMOLED display with an under-display fingerprint reader. It's thin, the bezels are even, and it's surprisingly light, even with a large 5,000 mAh battery. The plastic back feels metallic on the bottom half, adding to that premium touch.
Modular Fun: Magnets and Lenses
One of the most interesting things about the CMF Phone 2 Pro is its modular design. While it's not fully compatible with older CMF accessories, it introduces a new system. There are four screws on the back, plus a thumb screw, that let you attach an accessory back. This back adds camera lens mounts and a super strong MagSafe magnet array.
- MagSafe Magnets: These magnets are incredibly strong, allowing you to attach various accessories like wallets or mount the phone in your car or on a desk. Unlike some other magnetic wallets, this one feels very secure.
- External Lenses: The plastic ring around the main camera acts as a mounting point for external lenses. CMF offers a macro and a fisheye lens that simply pop onto the phone. While the lenses are just okay, the idea of having attachable lenses is a fun addition.
Software That Shines
Perhaps the biggest surprise with the CMF Phone 2 Pro is its software. It runs Nothing OS 3.2, which is incredibly clean and smooth. For a phone under $400, this is a huge plus. The animations are fluid, and there are some nice custom widgets. It's not cluttered with ads, which is a common issue with budget phones.
This software experience makes it easy to forget you're using a cheap phone. None of the features are artificially removed, and it even includes the extra button for the early-stage AI info collection tool. The display is also a major highlight:
- Size: 6.77-inch panel
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: Adaptive 120Hz AMOLED
- Brightness: Up to 3000 nits in HDR, 1300 nits full-screen outdoors
- Touch Sample Rate: 480Hz
- Dimming: 2160Hz PWM dimming
The only minor complaint is the pre-installed screen protector, which has a cutout around the selfie camera and isn't perfectly smooth.
Performance and Camera
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro. This chip performs similarly to a Snapdragon 865, which was a flagship chip about five years ago. It's perfectly capable for occasional gaming, heavy multitasking, and everyday social media use. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with a microSD card slot for expansion.
While it doesn't have wireless charging, it does include NFC for contactless payments, which was missing from the previous CMF phone. The haptics are good, and it's IP54 rated, meaning it can handle splashes. The 5,000 mAh battery provides excellent battery life and supports 33W charging.
As for the cameras, the CMF Phone 2 Pro features a triple camera setup. The main 50-megapixel sensor is decent but lacks OIS, so don't expect mind-blowing results. It can have a warm, pinkish cast and sometimes overexposes. The 2x telephoto lens is on a smaller sensor, sacrificing light and quality for a small zoom. The 8-megapixel ultrawide camera is a nice addition, offering a wider view, but it's also a tiny sensor.
Key Takeaways
- Affordable Price: At $279, it offers great value.
- Unique Design: Stands out with its distinct look and modular features.
- Excellent Software: Clean and smooth Nothing OS 3.2.
- Impressive Display: Large, bright, and high refresh rate AMOLED screen.
- Solid Performance: MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro handles daily tasks well.
- Modular Fun: MagSafe magnets and attachable lenses add personality.
Overall, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a strong contender for the best budget phone of the year. Its combination of a unique design, excellent software, and a great display makes it a fun and functional device for its price. While the cameras are just okay, the overall package is hard to beat in the sub-$300 category.
