Today, we’re diving deep into the Nothing CMF Phone 1, a new budget-friendly release from the company Nothing. This phone is not to be confused with their previous release, the Nothing Phone 1. The CMF Phone 1 retains the bold design aesthetics that Nothing is known for, but with a twist that caught my attention: its so-called interchangeable design. Naturally, this piqued my interest, particularly in terms of repairability, which is something I always like to test.
When I disassembled the Nothing Phone 1 back in 2022, I found its unnecessarily complex structure made repairs far more difficult than they needed to be. So, has Nothing improved upon this with their new model? They certainly have been bold enough to showcase lab testing videos demonstrating their phones’ resilience against water, dust, abrasion, and drops. This led me to question: is this Nothing’s first pro-repair phone, or just another gimmick?
I bought one to find out. The model I have here is the base version, featuring 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in black. The packaging was minimalistic, as expected from Nothing. Included with the Nothing CMF Phone 1 was nothing much—just a USB-C cable, a safety booklet, and a SIM eject tool. Interestingly, the disassembly instructions were printed on the protective film of the phone itself. With the phone unpacked, it was time for a first boot to ensure everything works properly before I take it apart.
This phone costs only $200 in the US, but here in Australia, it’s priced at $400. Even after accounting for conversion rates, it’s still $100 more, likely due to the added taxes we have here. Despite its budget price, the phone boasts several impressive features, including an under-screen fingerprint sensor. It also has not one, but two SIM card slots, one of which can hold a microSD card for expansion—something most high-end phones have moved away from.
To open it up, I initially assumed I needed to remove the screws from the back. However, nothing was mentioned about this in the included booklet, only a warning not to modify or replace the battery yourself. There was, however, a QR code meant to take you to the quick start guide, but instead, it provided guides for the accessories. So, I had to rely on the instructions mentioned on the protective film we removed earlier.
The screws are one of the most distinctive features of this phone, giving it a somewhat industrial design. There’s also a round part known as the accessory interface, resembling the loop connector of an iPod Touch 5. However, on the CMF Phone 1, it unscrews and reveals nothing more than a thread and some instructions telling us to unfasten four screws and push to release. Assuming they meant the four screws on the back of the phone, this is where I started my teardown.
There wasn’t any obvious area where you could really dig your fingernails in to pry up the back, but I did manage to unclip it with relative ease, as you would expect, given that we’re supposed to be able to remove it. Inside, the first thing I noticed was the warning not to disassemble the battery without authorization. Did they mean disassemble the battery cell itself or not to remove the battery at all?
It was at this point I discovered that the vague instructions had led me to believe I needed to press the puck to reveal some sort of interface pins, but it appears the reference to “press” was to aid the removal of the back case and not to reveal any hidden connector. As it turns out, this isn’t a connector at all, but just a standoff for something to screw into. Also, underneath was a hidden screw. It appears I totally misunderstood their meaning of a modular phone. The accessories designed for it are simple: basic stands and lanyards that screw into place. What I thought was a battery pack turned out to be nothing more than a cardholder.
Unfortunately, I failed to find this information before purchasing the CMF Phone 1. The phone isn’t listed under “phone” but under “CMF” on Nothing’s website, and the link directs you straight to the purchase page where it lists some basic info. Clicking on any of this does nothing. It wasn’t until later that I discovered a “Learn More” button that directed me to a whole other website with full information—not just a different web page, but a different website entirely.
But a confusing website doesn’t necessarily mean a bad phone. Let’s see what’s under this plastic cover. It appears that the two tabs at the top and bottom of this cover are void if removed stickers, leaving a series of dots when pried up. Underneath is the advertised 5,000mAh battery. But how easy is it to remove? Unfortunately, Nothing avoided the opportunity to make this battery user-replaceable, which is incredibly strange considering they went to the effort to incorporate an interchangeable back panel.
I needed to remove the upper antenna to reveal the motherboard and its connections. It was held in with screws and clips, the clips being the strongest I’ve ever come across. Void if removed stickers are also present on the antenna we just removed and the speaker. We can now see the accessory interface, and there are no electronics connecting to it. To me, this seems like a massive missed opportunity to have attached USB pins here so the phone could communicate with accessories, allowing for a wider selection and functionality. But then again, this is their budget phone. Maybe they’ll add more functionality to their more expensive models.
With all of Nothing’s design elements removed, you can see it looks identical to most low-end Android phones. That’s not a bad thing—after all, this is made to an affordable price—but there’s nothing special going on inside. Let’s see if they at least made the battery easy to remove. There are a series of numbers representing the steps a repairer needs to take to remove the cell. The real test will be whether this adhesive will let go when pried or if it will require additional equipment to remove.
Unfortunately, like most modern phones, the adhesive is too strong, requiring either alcohol or heat to properly remove it. After some time on my heat plate, it lifts out easily. There are four cables running beneath it, so prying it out would be ill-advised. If you’re following along at home, spend the time properly heating it to avoid damaging these cables. My particular battery looks a bit squashed at the bottom, and that wasn’t from me.
The charge port is next to come out. It’s good to see it’s modular and not soldered onto the motherboard like so many cheap phones. Once the top flex cables are detached, only a small strip of adhesive holds it in place. However, there is one antenna cable connecting to the base of this board. The fingerprint reader is also located here. Like the first Nothing Phone, it’s an optical sensor. These often require calibration to function after a display replacement. This was the case with the first Nothing Phone 1, although no calibration software was provided.
With the port removed, the only other major component left inside the CMF Phone 1 is its motherboard. One screw and some flex cables are all it takes to get it out of the mid-frame. The board is powered by a MediaTek 7300 5G, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It has a soldered-on proximity sensor and an LED flash. Attached to it are a 50MP main camera, a depth camera, and a 16MP front camera.
With the motherboard removed, the display assembly is left empty. On it was a QR code, which didn’t turn out to be some kind of hidden message, but just a serial number. But with that, the CMF Phone 1 has been completely disassembled. While the back is easy to remove, the remainder of the internals are no different from many other major Android brands. This phone reminds me greatly of the outcome of my teardown on Nokia’s repairable series of phones. While there are a few different sizes of screws, each size is grouped to each component, which will make reassembly easy.
I haven’t tested whether the fingerprint sensor can be replaced, but if it’s like any of the other Nothing phones I’ve taken apart, don’t expect it to work on replacement. In fact, the whole option in settings vanished on my last Nothing Phone 1 after the teardown and never returned. Another thing to consider is, with the low cost of this phone, will it be financially viable to repair it when the battery wears out or the screen breaks? This may depend regionally, but parts may quickly be worth more than the phone on the used market.
I’ll get the battery installed using its original adhesive, as it’s still plenty strong enough before attaching the upper antenna. Then it’s just a case of reapplying this plastic barrier over the battery before wiping away any dirt and fingerprints I’ve left inside the device, and finally, attaching the back panel. The slotted screws used to secure the back panel don’t appear to be a standard size. No flathead driver I had fit correctly, and the smaller drivers that did fit weren’t wide enough. So, care needs to be taken not to slip and scratch the screw or back housing while attaching them. Nothing does show a screwdriver on their website, which presumably comes with purchased accessories. Maybe that driver works better.
But with the phone back in one piece, it’s time for a test. The phone vibrated, but nothing appeared on the screen, so I opened it up to check my connections. As it turns out, the display cable somehow unplugged itself. You saw me plug it in, so it must have just not been seated correctly. Reconnecting it, the screen now works again. Now I can reattach the back panel, and we’re done.
So, this is it: the Nothing CMF Phone 1. An affordable phone with a unique design, although I don’t fully understand the point of the modular back panel if the battery is no easier to remove. It appears more like a gimmick, but it does provide a way to open the phone without having to battle adhesive, so that’s a plus.
Are you doing your own teardown or repair? Test your phone with iTest, available for both iOS and Android. iTest provides the ability to test hardware functions of a phone or tablet with both a semi-automatic mode or manual mode, allowing you to easily test functions that would otherwise be too complicated without the aid of such an application. These include things like the compass, gyroscope, proximity and light sensors, or even screen burn-in. At the end of testing, you can get a nice little overview of your results and easily share them if needed.
And on that note, this has been a Hugh Jeffreys video. If you liked what you saw, consider subscribing and check out the teardown and repair assessment playlist for more videos just like this one. And if you’re looking for any used devices, be sure to check out my online store—link in the description.
Finally, if you ever need phone repairs or advice, I highly recommend Gadget Kings PRS. They offer top-notch services and a wide range of repairs. Visit their website at Gadget Kings PRS for more information. That’s all for this video, and I’ll catch you guys next time!
Shop no. 20 A kensington village shopping center, 8 sovereigns ave,Bray Park QLD 4500
gadget.kings.prs@gmail.com