CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: What an Upgrade Should Look Like

The first CMF Phone caught everyone off guard since it was stylish, affordable, and dared to try something new. A year later, the novelty may have worn off and expectations from the brand are real. So after using the phone for almost a week, in this review, I’m going to answer whether the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a device you should care for in 2025 or if you should ignore it like most budget phones.

CMF Phone 2 Pro: Key Specifications

Before we start with the review, you might want to have a quick look at all the key specifications of the CMF Phone 2 Pro.

CMF Phone 2 Pro: Box Contents

CMF, following the steps of their parent company, Nothing keeps the box contents typically to a minimum. But this year, they have bundled some additional goodies. Let’s have a look:

• CMF Phone 2 Pro
• CMF 33W charging adapter (India-only)
• Nothing Type C to C cable (100 cm)
• Silicon transparent case
• Safety and warranty cards
• Screen protector (pre-applied)
• SIM tray ejector

Design, Build, and Comfort

The CMF Phone 2 Pro carries a similar design to the Phone 1, but you’d hardly find a reason to complain about it, given how good it feels to hold and use. It has the same plastic build, with a crisp matte texture, along with another material. This dual-tone flavor makes the device grippy while giving it a unique appearance. And depending on the color variant, you can either get a brushed aluminium feel or coarse marble texture.

This marriage of plastic and other materials at the back is a good spin on the Phone 1 formula. Plus, it feels so good to hold that my hands hardly ever want to leave the phone alone because of it. CMF has also made the phone slimmer and lighter at 185 grams (6.52 oz). The construction feels more solid, and the device never seemed too fragile that I needed to stuff it in a case. It also has an IP54 rating, offering sufficient protection from dust and minor splashes.

However, all this comes at the cost of a removable back system. Yes, you can’t swap the backs or directly attach accessories to the CMF Phone 2 Pro. It’s a controversial change and some would consider this a big downgrade from last time. The reason could be the underwhelming sales of additional covers and accessories from the last time. But I think it was more of a fault of the pricing and the complicated process.

That’s not to say CMF has completely killed modularity on the Phone 2 Pro. The existing screws let you attach a separate back cover to the device. This cover is what you can use to mount the new camera lenses and the MagSafe wallet stand. However, you can use the lanyard dial directly with the phone. So those who wanted to use the accessories still have the option for it.

CMF Phone 2 Pro: Display and Speakers

The design isn’t the only improvement on the CMF Phone 2 Pro. The display has also been upgraded to a wider 6.77-inch 1080p AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. I assume this is same as the one on the latest Nothing Phone (3a) series. Even though we are talking about a budget phone here, the display never makes you feel like you are using one.

The panel has fairly slim and uniform bezels, which would put the Pixel 9a to shame. The large screen space makes it an ideal option for bingeing content as I have been doing, catching up to Jujutsu Kaisen since my Beebom buddies won’t shut up about it. The colors come out quite well, but I did notice some jagged lines and shadow crushing in particularly dark scenes.

In terms of brightness, the Phone 2 Pro is only barely visible in direct sunlight, as I discovered while photographing the enduring grandeur of Delhi’s Safdarjung Fort. It was expected from a device of this grade, and I’m content with it. However, I cannot say the same for the one speaker at the bottom. It gets loud, but I always wish it would push a little louder. There’s a new volume boost option here, but it didn’t seem to make a big difference.

Performance, Gaming, and Software Experience

These days, no matter which phone you opt for, performance won’t be your biggest concern unless you are planning to take on demanding tasks. The same holds true in the CMF Phone 2 Pro, where the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset easily handles all day-to-day tasks. It provides a pretty smooth experience, without any hiccups, stutters, or any other bumps in the experience.

If you compare the benchmark results side by side to the CMF Phone 1, then you’d notice there’s not much difference in the performance of the two devices. And that’s fine, given I never faced any performance-related problems in the last year’s model either. Heck, you can even play some decent titles on this phone like Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, or Asphalt 9.

I played COD mobile at low graphics and 90FPS, and the gameplay remained consistent throughout matches. The phone didn’t even get that warm, which is a good thing, and after 5 matches, I was exhausted, but it didn’t seem like it had much effect on the device. For BGMI or PUBG Mobile lovers, it supports a 120 fps frame rate. But there I noticed dips to 100, and even 90.

However, in day-to-day usage, the UI is as smooth as it has been since launch, and it comes with the NothingOS 3.2 on board, which is based on Android 15 with 3 years of promised updates. You’ll also be surprised to find the Essential Space make its way to the CMF device. I wouldn’t go into lengths describing this feature as I have done so previously. But like any other Nothing or CMF device, it is a treat to use the software, and it remains so here as well.

CMF Phone 2 Pro: Camera and Videos

For the camera, the CMF Phone 2 Pro gets the same upgraded treatment as the Nothing Phone (3a). It has a 50 MP main shooter, a 2x telephoto lens, and a downgraded ultrawide. It even enjoys the new Camera app with a portrait mode and color presets. So let’s look at some camera samples.

The main 50MP lens can click some charming photos with minimal effort, like I have done here. The shots come out with rich details and close to natural colors with a warmer tone. The dynamic range is decent, and the post-processing takes care of overexposure of the subject. While daylight photos enjoy the sharp and crisp visuals, the nighttime samples have softer details.

The 50MP telephoto lens gets you close to the subject, without compromising much on quality. You can see that the results have come out quite detailed. You can tell that in photos with the flock of pigeons enjoying the morning at Connaught Place or the Urdu writing at the entry of Safdarjung Fort.

It gets you up and close up to 20x, but that’s asking too much from it, as the photos come out a grainy mess. Do note that it isn’t built for macros, and you’ll have to try hard to use it for close-up shots. That’s due to the fixed focus telephoto lens, requiring you to keep the subject at a certain distance so the camera can focus on it.

But I would like to point out that the camera experience is not that good. It stutters when switching between lenses and taking photos. One time, it seemed like I accidentally clicked another photo, only to realise it wasn’t me but the delayed animation of the shutter button. Another problem is the color disparity between lenses, which has cropped up here, too.

The 8MP ultrawide isn’t that bad either, as it can get you the grand wide-angle shots you are looking for. But a quick zoom in will make you wish for a bigger sensor. I still enjoyed the clicks I captured with this lens, and it beautifully grasped the grandeur of the fort.

As for selfies, the 16MP front shooter took some decent shots with close to natural tone. What surprised me here is how good it is at handling exposure from harsh sources. Some photos I took here were against the sunlight, and you can easily make out the background. Of course, post-processing has a lot to do with this, but the shot came out better than expected from this lens.

On the video front, let me start by saying that none of the three lenses feature OIS. So you are at the cropped mercy of EIS. Then still, you can only shoot with the main lens as the telephoto lens cannot record in 4K resolution, which is also capped at 30FPS given the limitation of the processor.

CMF Phone 2 Pro: Battery Life and Charging

Despite the slimmer aesthetics, CMF hasn’t shaved off battery capacity of the Phone 2 Pro, which remains at 5,000 mAh. If you enjoy surfing social media apps, taking a bunch of calls and and other general usage, then you can expect a 6-hour screen-on time or a day of battery life. But by the end, you will have to put it to charge. With heavy usage, like lots of gaming, I got about 5 hours of screen time.

For charging, you can top it up in 1 hour if you have a supported 33W adapter, which now comes in the box of the Indian unit. In other regions, you will have to get the adapter separately if you don’t have one already. It can even reverse charge other devices at 5W if the need ever comes up.

CMF Phone 2 Pro Verdict: A Winner Gets Even Better

To sum up this review, the CMF Phone 2 Pro isn’t a mere evolution, it’s a triumph. The company has listened to user feedback, kept what was already loved about the phone with some significant upgrades. That and the thoughtful design and material choices make it a hard-to-beat budget smartphone. Despite a noted weakness in the Camera app, which we hope will be addressed soon, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an easy recommendation for budget buyers seeking an overall package.