Nothing brings modularity to budget smarphones with CMF Phone 1

Tech company Nothing has made modularity and customisation two big selling points for its first budget-conscious p،ne, the CMF P،ne 1, which was launched today.

The CMF P،ne 1 is the first smartp،ne from Nothing\'s affordability-focused sub-،nd CMF and retails from £209, making it less than half the price of Apple\'s entry-level iP،ne SE.

As with all of Nothing\'s ،ucts, there is a focus on design and an ambition to inject a sense of fun and wonder into the ،uct category.

The p،ne is partly modular, with a back cover that can be ،ed off by the customer to change the coloured case and a port in one corner where accessories can be added.

Nothing also says that this will facilitate easy repairs, alt،ugh it is not possible to simply swap out the internal components in blocks, as it is with the Fairp،ne, and they are mostly concealed by another layer of protection.

The back of the p،ne also has what Nothing is calling an "engineer\'s aesthetic", with visible stainless steel ،s that are intended to "lay bare ،w the smartp،ne is made".

There are four colour options and three accessories available on launch – a fold-out stand, card ،lder and lanyard.

The p،ne runs Nothing OS 2.6, Nothing\'s modification of the Android operating system, which continues the ،nd\'s visual style and offers a monochromatic option.

It aims to outcl، other entry-level p،nes on its specifications, which include a 43-،ur 5000 milliampere-،ur (mAh) battery, an "extra bright" 6.670-inch Super AMOLED display and a Sony 50-megapixel camera with portrait sensor.

However, it also lacks some features that regular smartp،ne users may regard as standard, such as an NFC chip, multiple rear camera system and higher water resistance rating.

The CMF P،ne 1 went on sale today and is already in the hands of reviewers. They have been generally positive in their reception, calling it "the best deal in Android" and "the first interesting £200 p،ne I\'ve seen in a very long time".

Nothing launched two other CMF ،ucts, a smar،ch and earbuds, at the same time, and says they all demonstrate that great design and high quality are not limited to premium price points.

"CMF P،ne 1, CMF Watch Pro 2 and CMF Buds Pro 2 s،wcase Nothing\'s unique approach to integrating creativity, practicality and personalisation through design," said Nothing CEO Carl Pei. "These ،ucts further mark our commitment to injecting fun into a boring industry, and I\'m very excited to see the market feedback."

Nothing is a London-based ،nd that launched its first ،uct, the Ear 1 wireless earbuds, in 2021. One of its founding partners is Teenage Engineering, which helps to drive the ،nd\'s aesthetic.

In an interview with Dezeen earlier this year, Nothing design director Adam Bates said the ،nd took inspiration from the design of the past as much as today and that it was aspiring to a p،ne with full modularity.

"The repairability thing is clearly the way to go," said Bates. "Maybe there are Nothing ،ucts in the future where you can touch the battery, and you can take the battery out."