21 Oct 2025
The CMF Phone 2 Pro distinguishes itself with a unique modular design and an optimized Nothing OS experience in a competitive smartphone market. While offering a vibrant AMOLED display and robust battery life, its camera performance and pricing position it as a nuanced alternative to established rivals like the Samsung A56 and A36.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a distinctive modular design, making it unique among contemporary phones. It boasts a thinner profile than its predecessor, the CMF Phone 1, and an improved IP54 waterproof and shockproof certification. While the full back cover is not entirely replaceable, separate case modules can be attached to the existing one. The plastic back cover has a matte top and a shiny bottom, housing three lenses and a flash, and a plastic screw allows for attaching various accessories like straps, stands, card slots, charging stands, and even external lenses.
The phone is equipped with a 6.77-inch AMOLED display that supports 1 billion colors, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+. It delivers excellent resolution, contrast, and brightness, reaching a peak brightness of 3000 nits, which is considered outstanding for its price range. The screen utilizes Panda Glass for scratch resistance and AI technology to enhance dynamic range. Despite its high quality, the display features noticeably large bezels.
A 5000 mAh battery is integrated into the phone's slim and attractive body, providing approximately one and a half days of normal usage. Charging is efficient, with the device reaching a full charge in roughly one hour and twenty to twenty-five minutes using a 35W adapter, which users must purchase separately.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro incorporates an under-display fingerprint sensor that functions quickly and effectively for security.
The camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens, notably opting for telephoto over a macro lens. A significant limitation is the absence of Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) across all sensors, making images and videos prone to blur from hand movements. Photos from the main sensor are generally good, offering decent detail, dynamic range, and sharpness, though some color exaggeration and blurring may occur. The portrait mode on the main sensor is notably weak due to poor subject-background separation, while the 50-megapixel telephoto sensor provides 2x optical zoom for good quality photos up to 5x. The 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor is less competitive but acceptable for video if held steady. Video recording is limited to 30 frames per second (fps) across all resolutions, which is a drawback compared to competitors offering higher frame rates. The 16-megapixel selfie camera performs well, capturing clean photos with good detail, dynamic range, and low noise, and its portrait mode is superior to the main camera's. Overall, the camera package is considered average, delivering acceptable results but not excelling in all areas, especially without OIS.
The phone is powered by a Diamond City 7300 Pro processor. Its user interface, Nothing OS, is highly praised for its excellent performance in the user environment, offering extensive personalization, Googly-styled animations, and a clean, attractive design. The processor ensures stable and optimal gaming performance, maintaining around 60 FPS for up to an hour without overheating or significant performance drops, even during demanding use cases.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a single, non-stereo speaker, which is described as having poor sound quality.
Currently priced comparably to the Samsung A56, the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers advantages in battery life and display quality. However, the Samsung A56 generally outperforms it in overall camera performance (except for the telephoto lens) and raw processing power, and also provides a longer software update commitment (six years). The CMF Phone 2 Pro's main appeal lies in its unique design and the distinct user experience offered by Nothing OS. It is suggested that the CMF Phone 2 Pro would represent a better value proposition if priced closer to the Samsung A36.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro's modular design and the fluid, customizable Nothing OS provide a refreshingly different user experience that sets it apart from more conventional competitors.
| Feature | CMF Phone 2 Pro | Competitor (e.g., A56) |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Build | Modular, IP54, unique aesthetics, attachable accessories (strap, stand, lenses) | Conventional, less customization |
| Display Quality | 6.77" AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 3000 nits peak brightness, Panda Glass | High resolution, good quality, potentially lower peak brightness |
| Battery Life & Charging | 5000 mAh, ~1.5 days usage, ~80 min full charge (adapter separate) | Comparable battery, often includes charger |
| Camera System | 50MP Main, 8MP Ultrawide, 50MP Telephoto; No OIS; Average overall, weak main portrait, good selfie | Generally better overall camera, OIS often present, macro instead of telephoto |
| Processor & Software | Diamond City 7300 Pro, excellent Nothing OS (customizable, fluid), stable gaming | Higher raw performance, longer software update support (Samsung) |
| Audio Output | Single speaker, poor sound quality | Stereo speakers, better audio experience |
| Value & Positioning | Unique design/OS, strong battery/screen; Overpriced vs. A56, ideal at A36 price point | Balanced performance, established brand, extensive updates |
