Apple Watch rival for €70? Hands on with CMF Watch Pro 2 from Nothing

CMF, the budget-priced sub-brand of London-based technology company Nothing, has today announced a trio of new products – CMF Phone 1, CMF Watch Pro 2 and CMF Buds Pro 2.

It may be very early in the life cycle of Nothing for the firm to be launching a sub-brand given that Nothing is still a new kid on the block and already offers cutting-edge tech at competitive prices, such as the Nothing Phone 2a and Ear a earphones.

Nonetheless, CMF offers even better value for money and the company said it will “blend uncompromised user experience with cutting-edge technology, and make it accessible to everyone. New CMF products will be underpinned by rounds of testing and a high standard of quality management to ensure these are products that last.

READ MORE: Nothing else quite like Phone 2a: it’s the best smartphone for less than €400

I’ve been testing out Watch Pro 2, an everyday wearable to rival Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch 6 that costs less than €100. A full review will follow but my first impressions are below.

Here’s everything you need to know about the three new products which come in a range of striking colours…

CMF Phone 1

The first CMF handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G processor together with 16GB of RAM, which is incredible for a phone at this price point.

CMF Phone 1 comes in four colours: black, light green, blue (India Only) and orange. The black and light green models have a subtle texture formed directly into the case, while blue and orange have an elegant vegan leather layer embedded on top.

The firm said the uniqueness of CMF Phone 1 lies in its adaptability. With interchangeable covers, you can switch up the look of your device easily. You just remove the screws with the tools provided and breathe new life into your day. You can also unscrew the Accessory Point’s cover to attach a fold-out stand, card holder or lanyard. And you can miix and match cases and accessories.

CMF Phone 1 has a powerful camera system that lets users capture real life as it’s happening with a powerful Sony 50MP rear camera with a dedicated portrait sensor for a more pleasing bokeh effect. On the front of the phone is a 16MP selfie camera.

The device sports a dazzling 6.67in AMOLED display with an ultra-smooth 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 2,000 nits of peak brightness. And there is HDR10+ and P3 colour support.

CMF Phone 1 runs Nothing OS 2.6, and if you read my review of Nothing Phone 2 you will see why this unique and fun OS is one of the most compelling features of Nothing handsets. It is great news that this OS will also be on CMF phones.

A large 5000mAh battery should ensure all-day battery life and more. It supports wired charging at up to 33W.

CMF Watch Pro 2

I’ve been enjoying testing out this smartwatch which has an interchangeable bezel design. The predecessor was the product which introduced the CMF brand late in 2023.

A full review follows but my first impressions are that I am amazed how much tech is in a wearable that costs less than €70.

You get a bright and colourful 1.32in AMOLED always-on display with more than 100 watch faces with customisation options.

There is support for more than 120 sports and you get automatic recognition of five activities. You get round-the-clock monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and stress levels.

I’ve been able to make and take Bluetooth calls, control my music, receive my notifications, remotely control my phone camera and check the weather.

There is IP68 water and dust resistance and a claimed battery life of up to 11 days that I can report is accurate.

CMF Watch Pro 2 pairs with any Android watch and I’ve tested it with both Nothing Phone 2 and Honor 200.

CMF Buds Pro 2

These earphones come with a unique and customisable Smart Dial on the case, enabling you to control every aspect of the sound from your fingertips.

They boast dual drivers which combine an 11mm bass driver and a 6mm tweeter and have support for the higher quality LDAC codec and a Spatial Audio Effect.

There’s an impressive 43 hours of total battery life while a quick 10-minute charge givesd you seven hours of playback.

What has been said

“CMF Phone 1, CMF Watch Pro 2, and CMF Buds Pro 2 showcase Nothing’s unique approach to integrating creativity, practicality, and personalisation through design,” said Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing. “These products further mark our commitment to injecting fun into a boring industry, and I’m very excited to see the market feedback

Pricing and availability

CMF Phone 1 costs €239 EUR for the 128GB/8GB model and €269 for the 256GB/8GB model.

CMF Phone 1 accessories: Case (Black, Orange, Light Green, Blue) costs €35 and the Stand, Lanyard and Card Case all cost €25. Power pack 65W is €49 and Power pack 100W is €50.

CMF Watch Pro 2 costs €69 and the CMF Watch Pro 2 Bezel and Strap Set costs €19.

CMF Buds Pro 2 cost €59.

All products will be available to purchase from cmf.tech and retail partners. Pre-orders start July 8 and open sales commence on July 12. Nothing Store Soho (London) will start selling all new CMF products and accessories from July 13.

You can also check out the CMF store on Amazon.

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