The CMF Phone 1: a new, unique, and low-end budget smartphone in the U.S. through a beta program

That’s a misleading statement; I haven’t really taken any phones apart lately, but when CMF’s Phone 1 arrived, that’s the first thing I did. This one is built differently, my friends. It will not be widely available in the US, but it is possible to get one through Nothing’s experimental program for $199.

Budget gadgets are usually stuck with drab designs and lackluster specs, a challenge Nothing’s sub-brand CMF has decided to take on. The relatively new offshoot from Nothing focuses on the extreme lower end of the market and has until now sold a smartwatch, wireless earbuds, and chargers. Today marks its first smartphone, the CMF Phone 1, becoming available in the US through a beta program. The new Buds Pro 2 and Watch Pro 2 are accompanied by unique accessories.

The concept is simple: it’s a phone, but the back panel comes off so you can swap it with a different one. Each replacement comes with everything you need for the job including a screwdriver, screws, and a color-matched sim tray.

There is a port cover on the bottom corner of the phone. Although it resembles the control dial on CMF’s neckband earbuds, it doesn’t offer any functional use aside from protecting the accessory port. CMF will offer a kickstand, a wallet, and a lanyard, all in an orange color, at launch.

There are also colorful replacement back panels that are $35 each. You get a budget phone with a 6.7-inch OLED, 50-megapixel camera, and a generous 5,000mAh battery in the box. It comes with a black panel that’s also available in orange, green and blue.

Taking the back panel off is straightforward, though it takes a bit of force — enough to break a fingernail that was too long, as I learned. Probably for the best, though, since that panel is the thing standing between the guts of your phone and the rest of the world. Speaking of guts, it’s so weird seeing a modern phone all naked and exposed like that.

Once the phone is safely encased again, you can add accessories. The wallet is actually two pieces — a plastic panel with a MagSafe-like magnet embedded and the actual wallet. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that I was able to attach the phone with this magnetic mount to a MagSafe charging stand (though the Phone 1 doesn’t offer wireless charging). Attach the lanyard or kickstand to the wallet and you are good to go.

The lanyard is made of a thick, woven fabric. It would be easy for someone much younger than me to wear their phone with them. The kickstand seems sturdy, but I wish the arm sat on the phone when not in use. They are all orange colors, and they are the gadget color of the year.

The price is the most astounding thing about these devices. I have tested cheap and flagship smartphones for nearly a decade, and after setting up the CMF Phone 1, I was pretty surprised to hear it costs just $199—it looks, feels, and performs nearly twice the price. The Watch Pro 2, an equally well-built smartwatch, will set you back just $69, and the Buds Pro 2 are $59. They’re more than just cheap devices. There are a lot of character in their designs that make you want to use them.