Watch: CMF Phone 2 Pro Unboxing, First Impressions, Camera Samples - Most exciting for the price

Once in a while, merong mga lumalabas na very exciting smartphones even in the more affordable category.

File photo: CMF Phone 2 Pro in White

One of them is this—the CMF Phone 2 Pro by the Nothing brand.

This handset is the update of the modular CMF Phone 1 from last year, promising to bring improvements in build, performance, and, of course, cameras.

In the Philippines, the price starts at just PHP 16,490. Let's unbox it.

Watch: CMF Phone 2 Pro Unboxing, First Impressions, Camera Samples - Most exciting for the price

First experience

Unboxed

One of the biggest upgrades of this smartphone is found in its cameras. It has a capable 50MP primary shooter, and we appreciate that it now has a 50MP optical 50mm 2x zoom mode for improved Portrait shots. It now has an 8MP ultra-wide camera.

Nothing skin

Out of the box, you can choose the Android skin or the black and white Nothing skin. It also has cool yet subtle animations when charging, and the Nothing skin makes the icons of all apps black and white.

As expected from a Nothing-branded device, the interface is sleek. It is also very smooth.

In terms of speed, there is not much difference from the CMF Phone 1, as there is only a minimal upgrade to its chipset. But, it is new 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro is very power efficient.

This is not the fastest phone for the price; it is in the middle of the pack, but I don't mind. The experience is great for the price so far.

CMF Phone 2 Pro Specs

Display: 6.77-inch Panda Glass protected AMOLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, FHD+ 2392 x 1080 resolution at 394 ppi

CPU: 2.5GHz 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G615 MC2

RAM: 8GB

ROM: 128GB/256GB expandable via microSD card up to 2TB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 w/ + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 50MP f/1.9 2x telephoto Portrait sensor + LED flash 

Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.0

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 33W fast charging, 5W reverse wired charging

OS: Android 15 w/ NothingOS 3.2

Connectivity: WiFi 6, 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP54 water and dust resistance, USB-C, Colors: White, Black, Orange

Dimensions: 164 x 78 x 7.8 mm

Weight: 185 g 

Price: PHP 16,490 (128GB), PHP 18,490 (256GB)

Quick thoughts

The display CMF Phone 2 Pro

Out of the box, I'm happy with what I saw with this phone.

While the difference in actual performance is minimal from what I experienced with the CMF Phone 1, it arrived in a cooler-looking two-tone design with better overall cameras.

The software, as expected, also feels more refined than ever.

While gamers may still look elsewhere, this is definitely one of the coolest-looking affordable mid-range phones around, with a reliable camera system.

While I do not have them yet, I've seen the possibilities if you have the modular accessories.

What do you guys think?