Last month, I took a big leap and got the new and highly influential Nothing’s CMF Phone 2 Pro right at its ₹;16, 999 launch price in Charcoal. After fifteen days of real-world use, were talking about some seriously customizable vibe. The translucent frosted back, exposed stainless-steel screws and circular Accessory Point scream mod-meets-minimalism, and having two finish options(Charcoal, and Fog and Chalk) means you can dial up your style.
At just 7.8 mm thin and 185 g, its the slimmest, lightest Nothing handset yet. I loved snapping on the bright orange lanyard accessory to my Fog unit for weekend treks, though the new ecosystem means only a couple of lenses and stand modules are live so far. Water-resistance is IP54, so splashes wont faze it, but youll want a cover if youre planning a waterfall selfie.
Flip it over and the 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED immediately wows, with 120 Hz refresh, 1.07 billion colours and a whopping 3, 000 nits peak brightness, you’ll be immersed instead of experiencing the visuals you watch. Scrolling through my photo-heavy Instagram feed under direct sunlight was effortless, and their promised Panda Glass held up solidly against a few accidental drops on my concrete balcony. Performance-wise, the MediaTeks Dimensity 7300 Pro(4 nm) paired with 8 GB RAM(plus microSD expansion) and 256 GB storage meant zero stutters as I juggle 15+ Chrome tabs, WhatsApp voice notes, and aggressive COD: Mobile headshots. Only under continuous, frantic tapping did I notice a few micro-lags, but nothing that kills the momentum.
Photography on CMF Phone 2 Pro is where Nothing flexes. The triple-camera array(50 MP main, 50 MP tele with true 2 optical zoom, 8 MP ultra-wide) nails daytime details, and slapping on the optional macro lens results in shockingly usable close-ups with crisp detail, something where most sub-₹;20K phones botch at. Night mode is basic: youll see noise and soft edges without OIS, and theres no dedicated long-exposure tool, but the TrueLens Engine 3 AI does a solid job salvaging those moody low-light snaps. Selfies on the 16 MP front cam come out sharp and colour-true, though I dialed down the default smoothing filter for more natural skin tones.
Battery life is a standout: the 5, 000 mAh cell powered me through a day-and-a-half of heavy streaming, gaming, and camera tests. When I did need juice, the 33 W charger took me from zero to 50 percent in about 25 minutes, reliable if not blisteringly fast.
Nothing OS 3.2 over Android 15 feels delightfully uncluttered. Im a big fan of the monochrome home screen and the new Essential Key(a little side button that fires off instant screenshots or voice-memos into Essential Space), acting like a dedicated notepad in your pocket.
What truly sets the CMF Phone 2 Pro apart is its playful modular ethos. It doesnt pretend to be a Pixel rival or Galaxy clone; instead, it leans into its quirks: modular snaps, frosted translucency in Charcoal, Fog or Chalk, and that satisfying click when you unscrew a lens. If youre a creative tinkerer whos tired of one-size-fits-all glass slabs, then this phone will feel like a playground to excel at.
Sure, you wont get IP67, wireless charging, or pro-grade stabilization here yet. But under ₹;20 K, the CMF Phone 2 Pros unique style, dependable performance, swappable hardware bits and a solid battery life makes it one of the most memorable and fun phones in its segment.