The Morning After: Nothing’s CMF sub-brand announces a $200 smartphone with a modular back

Nothing’s budget-friendly sub-brand, CMF, is getting experimental with its latest device lineup. There’s a smartphone, watch and earbuds, but I’m most intrigued by the CMF Phone 1. The back cover is interchangeable, so users can swap to different colors and designs on the fly. The company says the removable cover makes accessing the phone’s internal components easy for repairs.

There’s also an accessory point on the back cover, which when unscrewed, can attach to fold-out stands, card holders and lanyards. It’s like a customizable case already part of your phone. That speaks to me, someone who won’t shut up about for iPhone and Android phones .

This pseudo-modular design is far cooler than anything else listed on the phone’s spec sheet (8-core MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G processor, 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display flagship-grade 50MP main camera), but it’ll be joined by companion earbuds and a smartwatch.

The companion watch has multiple band styles, but users can also swap out the bezel to “switch fluidly between styles to suit any occasion.” Meanwhile, the second-gen CMF earbuds have a giant control dial on the case that can be assigned to volume, skip tracks or anything else you might want to do with the buds. Available now, the CMF Phone 1 costs $200, and the watch and buds launch on July 11th.

Oh and set your alarms for tomorrow, because Samsung Unpacked 2024 is happening. It’s time for foldables.

— Mat Smith

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