- Nothing has announced its new CMF Phone Pro 2
- It launches May 6 and starts at $279 / £219
- Nothing also gave us new CMF Buds 2, Buds 2 Plus, and Buds 2a
Following its teaser earlier this month Nothing has revealed its CMF Phone 2 Pro and new CMF Buds 2 (alongside Buds 2 Plus and Buds 2a), and this new smartphone has the potential to land instantly on our best cheap phones guide.
Why? Well, the Phone 2 Pro’s base model (8GB RAM / 128GB storage) costs just £219 (it’s not available in the US beta program), and the upgraded option comes in at just $279 / £249 for 8GB RAM / 256GB storage so it certainly ticks the ‘affordable’ box.
At the same time, it boasts some surprisingly impressive-sounding specs. We’re talking a four-camera setup including a 50MP main sensor on the back and 16MP selfie camera, and improved processor over the CMF Phone 1, which is 10% faster and offers a 5% graphics improvement. There’s also a battery that Nothing says can deliver close to two full days of use on a single charge.
More specifically, that battery will apparently last for “47 hours of voice calls, 22 hours of YouTube or 10 hours of Battlegrounds Mobile India gaming.”
Admittedly, the Phone 2 Pro has a few weaknesses, which explain the price tag lower. Its ultra-wide camera is a mere 8MP, and the processor’s max clock speeds are slower than you’d find on an iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S25 (though they are on par with other budget options).
It also only has an IP54 durability rating rather than the IP68 rating most other phones offer, meaning it isn’t as dust or water resistant as its rivals (likely owing to its customizable design).
Obviously, we’ll need to test it out fully before passing final judgement, but with such a low price of entry it won’t take much for the CMF Phone Pro 2 to win us round. If you’re keen to pick it up ASAP, preorders are live already – with the new phone officially launching on May 6.
Affordable audio incoming too
If you’re not in the market for a budget phone, Nothing also just announced three pairs of CMF buds for those who need some affordable audio options.
The standard model is the new CMF Buds 2. They’ll cost $59 / £39 and boast spatial audio, 48dB hybrid active noise cancellation, and enhanced audio tuning from Dirac which Nothing says should help them deliver a “clearer, more dynamic sound”.
Want to spend a little less? The CMF Buds 2a cost just $49 / £29 and come with an entry-level performance – with less powerful ANC. Meanwhile, if you have a slightly bigger budget you can splash out on the $69 / £49 CMF Buds 2 Plus which are outfitted with “Hi-Res LDAC, hearing compensation and full EQ customization” for what Nothing declares a “next-level audio experience.”
We’ll need to test these earbuds out for ourselves to understand what they’re capable of, but our three-and-a-half-star CMF By Nothing Buds review was generally positive – calling the earbuds “stylish” and “temptingly inexpensive.”
That said, we did find their “middling” audio performance and ANC left something to be desired.
Hopefully, these new models come with some necessary upgrades, but you might want to hold off until reviews are published to know if these buds are worth your time, rather than getting in on the already open pre-orders ahead of their May 6 release.
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