Stylish and well-equipped: The CMF Phone 2 Pro shows what a 250-euro smartphone can do

The CMF Phone 2 Pro proves that a very affordable smartphone these days isn't just a stopgap measure, but can actually be a lot of fun. The device looks good and offers more than acceptable technology, from the display to the cameras.

After recently launching strong mid-range smartphones with the Phone 3a duo , British manufacturer Nothing is now launching an even more affordable device, the CMF Phone 2 Pro, starting at €250. With its stylish and customizable design, it's aimed primarily at younger users, but is also attractive to older generations who want to spend as little money as possible on a good phone.

Like its predecessor from last year, the CMF Phone 2 Pro has a plastic back with striking metal screws. These aren't just design accents. Like the disc in the lower right corner, they can be unscrewed to attach alternative backs, a kickstand cover, carrying straps, and other accessories. Although Nothing doesn't mention it, with a little fiddling, the back can also be removed to replace the battery.

Despite this design, the smartphone is still protected against dust and splash water according to IP54 standards. It has an overall high-quality feel and, with a matte aluminum frame and a low weight of 185 grams, feels comfortable and secure in the hand.

Great screen

The approximately 6.8-inch AMOLED display also contributes to the good impression. It delivers natural colors, offers strong contrast, and can be relatively bright. Not a given for this price range, the screen also scores highly with a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hertz (Hz). At 387 pixels per inch (ppi), its image is more than sharp enough.

Equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chip and eight gigabytes (GB) of RAM, the CMF Phone 2 Pro isn't a powerhouse, but it's powerful enough to feel like one. The device responds quickly and handles everyday tasks extremely smoothly. This is also thanks to the sleek, Android 15-based user interface. It's pleasantly uncluttered and simple, yet extremely functional. If desired, Nothing OS 3 can display icons and other elements in black and white.

The internal storage is available in either 128 or 256 GB (€280). Those who need more can expand it by up to two terabytes (TB) using microSD cards.

Useful extra button

The entry-level smartphone doesn't offer any special AI feats; its hardware is too weak for that. However, even with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, you can access Google Gemini by pressing the power button for a longer time.

And like other new devices from the manufacturer, the smartphone has an additional button. This allows you to quickly add screenshots or camera shots to the so-called Essential Space. It's also possible to enter voice input, which is converted into text, or to summarize text recognized in recordings. This allows you to collect ideas or create to-do lists, among other things. Pressing the button twice opens the corresponding app. A long press takes you directly to voice input.

For the most part, the AI ​​functions require an internet connection, although according to Nothing, the processing takes place on servers in Paris. The chip only handles the conversion of speech to text offline.

Useful triple camera, high endurance

The rear cameras are absolutely decent for such an affordable smartphone. This is especially true for the main camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels (MP) and an aperture of f/1.88, which delivers beautiful shots with a good amount of detail. It's also usable at night, but without optical image stabilization, longer exposure times often result in blurry images.

The ultra-wide-angle camera (f/2.2) isn't bad, but at only 8 MP, its images look a bit muddy in detail. The same can't be said for the telephoto camera (f/1.85), which offers 50 MP resolution. However, that's only true as long as you don't zoom much beyond its 2x optical magnification. Even at 5x zoom, a lot of detail is lost. The front camera (f/2.45/16 MP) delivers good images for selfies and video chats.

A highlight is the smartphone's long battery life, which results from its energy-efficient chip, excellent software, and a large 5000 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery. When needed, the battery can be quickly charged with up to 33 watts (W). Unsurprisingly, this affordable smartphone doesn't support inductive charging.

Unlike its predecessor, the CMF Phone 2 Pro lacks an NFC chip. Therefore, anyone who wants to can use the device for contactless payments with Google Pay.

Conclusion

In terms of hardware alone, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is very well-equipped for €250. Combined with its excellent software, it's perhaps the best smartphone you can get in this price range. You'll also enjoy it for a long time, because thanks to an EU regulation, the device receives not only three years of Android updates but also six years of security updates.

If you wait a bit longer, you can probably get the CMF Phone 2 Pro for just over €200. On the other hand, pre-orderers currently receive the equally new CMF Buds 2 earphones (€50) as a free gift. A slightly better-equipped, but hardly more expensive alternative is the Nothing Phone 3a, which costs around €330.