Nothing CMF Phone1: The BEST $199 Budget Modular Phone! Gaming & EMU Test

[@slojanko]

In 2024, Modular Phone means you can change the back cover.

[@keyboardpersonal7518]

Weakest modular phone of today

[@mcgubert]

Yeah I clicked expecting that at least something could be changed INSIDE the thing and ended up like 😑

[@phunkadellicphilsabi]

Framework phone when?

[@Sup_D]

​@@keyboardpersonal7518is there even any other modular phones in the market?

[@will3641]

​@@phunkadellicphilsabithat would be very nice

[@afriendofafriend223]

Don't call it modular if you can't change the battery.

[@chemj0e2003]

blame that on samsung note 7. Because of that phone, it is illegal in most countries to have a removable battery

[@slickvibez16]

​@chemj0e2003 why is that?

[@afriendofafriend223]

@@chemj0e2003 that’s not true, no countries have banned removable batteries.

[@jalebisingh9886]

Well, you can, it will void the warranty though. But the battery will probably die once the warranty is over anyways

[@redacted629]

He said a little modular.

[@saysbadman]

I get the convenience of having your wallet on your phone, but I would rather not lose both at once.

[@Sup_D]

Apparently the Wallet add-on is MagSafe compatible, so it can be used in various other ways as well.

[@PKM1010]

My gf made a funny comment that you don't get NFC, so you need the wallet on the back lol.

[@struggler4898]

Thank you for actually doing a comprehensive gaming test. I'm looking for a new phone and mainly need it to run Call of Duty Mobile smoothly.

[@DaManCave123]

bros slowly becoming a tech youtuber

[@drewnewby]

I've watched most of his content, not even close. No critical reviews, no comparison, and the older emulation content is mostly over. It's a tech infomercial channel now.

[@chidorirasenganz]

Always has been

[@SageNevaRan]

He's always been a tech tuber 😂

[@SageNevaRan]

You can block specific ads

[@Sup_D]

​​@@drewnewbyHe is a Tech Showcaser & Advertiser, not a Reviewer.

[@electricmiragemedia]

I don't really see how this is modular outside of a marketer's head. Still, I like smaller phones, and the more repairable the better.

[@mistrotech8894]

This is 6.67 inches btw...it is NOT small.

[@rcarlom9882]

@@mistrotech8894 i wish more niche companies like this reintroduce smaller phones again. We stopped at iphone 13mini, we need more improvements for the small ones.

[@sammyboyroute]

Thhis what I love about this channel, a phone very little known caan be shown and is appreciated!

[@cryptorellyt]

you need to see more channels dude... there are TONS of little known phones that are good that this channel does not show because it's not a phone review channel.

[@hassb6348]

I always thought phone cases were useless and we should have the back covers removable in case you drop the phone, raise the bezels ever so slightly to protect the screen

[@shinigamidaiko8368]

1:47 you can download the nothing icon pack by the company itself, it automatically changes the icons to match

[@edwardgreenjr167]

This feels like this is the spiritual successor to MotoMods. I had all those phones up to the Z4, and I really wish that ecosystem caught on. That controller was still great for the time. And adding on seamless battery banks, speakers, or camera modules was ahead of its time.

[@theantil7]

FINALLY, I've been checking KZbin almost every day for a gaming review of this phone. This might be the one for me! Let's dig into the video

[@TheRealAlpha2]

I wouldn't mind seeing a keyboard cover for this either. 200 bucks is basically my limit for phone purchases so this phone is probably my next purchase in the future and would be a great replacement for my current "writing on the go" solution.

[@atobekeigo17]

not bad for a price waiting for you to make a video on this waiting for this phone in my country to be available and change my old xiaomi phone

[@entropyms0016]

There's a nothing icon set on the play store that will convert the rest of those icons.

[@itssomeoneelse]

There are a lot of apps that can get the job done, I recommend Icon Pack Studio.

[@UV5R-]

@@entropyms0016 good to know, thanks!

[@cobrin6437]

My take on a modular phone is on that you can remove an replace the: CPU module GPU (perhaps) Ram module Storage module Radio module Camera module Battery & Display From the chassis within a set model name, for a set time. Because sometimes newer hardware can’t always be backwards compatible. Some limitations exist because of generational design updates so I don’t mind keeping a chassis if hardware updates could see you say 10yrs of service. Google coming on board and having modular coding where you select your hardware and it’ll direct you to an already compiled os. That’d be nice. Just like building a pc, build your phone.

[@sayednizam2713]

Heck even my 3yr old redmi note 10 pro plays resident evil 4 on aethersx2 at 2x resolution vulkan without any stutter.

[@Abolition-ky5sd]

That battery does not look like it just comes off

[@struggler4898]

It doesn't. You also lose warranty if you remove it. The removable back is just a gimmick.

[@wavybones7437]

By the time you'll need to replace the battery the warranty's probably void though

[@Macky4941]

​@struggler4898 the removable shell is not a gimmick, it's a removable shell so you can change it out.

[@struggler4898]

@@Macky4941 ... which is a gimmick. Whats your point?

[@TheRealAlpha2]

Everything is a gimmick until it becomes practical. Touch screens, analog sticks, they were all gimmicks once. With 3D printing and DIY electronics being a thing, there's always room for practicality. Heck, you might even be able to eventually remove the battery solution since you only have a thin plastic barrier between you and a few standard connectors.

[@nataclar]

As somebody who went in on the Moto Z line I will never get into anything like this again. You buy the mods then the product line is dropped and you have a bunch of junk left over.

[@gendragongfly]

It's not *modular*, because it is not made up out of modules. It's *accesorizable*, which is not strange for a smartphone.

[@lordjackify]

Actually watching on my new cmf phone, great so far. What i like more is tha they at least tried to make something new

[@markaznar1979]

This guy loves all the gadgets he reviews! He does KZbin ads and NOT reviews lol

[@amichi10]

Sadly does not have bands for US market, hope that changes, really nice device with outstanding battery life.

[@Bert439]

only reason I am skipping this! Got hyped and saw its freaking useless in the States

[@Penguingaming69]

I bought a Samsung s21 fe 2 or so years ago for $600. This is practically the same phone but with more memory all around and brighter screen for $200, wow lol I personally just need a competent phone and want a beast of a desktop

[@systemBuilder]

I freaking love my Nothing 2 phone and my Nothing 2 earbuds (onsale @ $99). The earphones actually improved my hearing on a KZbin frequency test because they can compensate for personal hearing loss! And my nothing phone rode home from the gym on the roof of my car and it was just fine :-) :-) It replaced my OnePlus 6T - also a fantastic phone by Carl Pei :-) 🙂

[@marumisu9560]

OMG thank you ETA prime for reviewing this. I wanted a red magic phone but I couldn't afford it. I can't believe this runs Gran Turismo 4 so smoothly. That's crazy.

[@marumisu9560]

It doesn't support verizon. can't even buy it :(

[@JerziTBoss]

The only thing this phone has going on for it is price. It's not modular if all you can do is swapping back cover and add some cheap looking accessories. Lack of NFC is deal breaker at least for me since I use NFC payments everywhere I can. I don't need to carry around my wallet if I have phone with my banking and public transport card in my phone.

[@Leopez02]

Yes I've been heard about that AWESOME new CMF phone1: A it's so nice the price is only $199/199€ that's a perfect price for a phone that can handle games that good and i'm surprised how good emulation looks on that phone like Nintendo Wii Sonic Colours one of my favourite Sonic and Wii games of all time that I have that video was so good thank you Eta Prime! 🖤🧡

[@Phantraas]

Hell yeah! Love seeing your review stuff like this, just got the Nothing Phone 2a, and these products are awesome

[@msh9488]

I think rather than modular phone, it much more reasonable to call it custom phone

[@Nightingale1887]

Wanted to get this or a Nothing 2A but went with a Motorola G54 5G. It has NFC, 8GB with 256GB storage, 120Hz IPS etc. Got it for €169, whereas this was €239. Maybe a tad less hipster but very much more usable. NFC for paying and public transport is need for me. Slapping your card on the back is nice and all that but increases the risk that you can lose both at the same time. Also, 3.5mm jack on the Moto. Can't really dig the need for an extra BT headset that also needs charging or using an USB C to jack adapter and having to carry it around and try to not lose it. Which will happen or my cats will munch on them.

[@fatihgunce6688]

00:16 I'll be honest, I thought it was a Samsung Galaxy flip series phone until I opened the cover :)

[@arcadeslum5882]

Modular? Is the battery user removable or not? What os support and security support is promised?

[@Sup_D]

It's mainly Modular in looks aspect, not specs. And since Nothing has public released the back design data, people can make custom mods if the back panel or use the accessory point to add custom support. No it doesn't have a removable battery (like there are any other company that provides that feature nowadays). OS is Android 14 with 2 years or major updates (aka., until Android 16), and 3 years of Security updates.

[@JerziTBoss]

The only modularity is with change of back cover and adding few plastic addons. The battery is glued inside of the phone. Which is shame, because the phone would offer much nicer selling point with removable battery. If Nothing would sell these batteries it would be even better. But with modularity like this it's just a gimmick.

[@alexgee365]

Been on the hunt for an affordable gaming phone that can emulate. This looks like it's the most viable option as it won't break the bank & can run everything I need it to

[@KingASE88]

for $200 those specs are insane, budget smartphones have come so far

[@Macky4941]

Cant wait for the Nothing Phone 3. Ill probably be getting the 2a+ to hold myself over until it drops.

[@ChasingEnigma]

$200 that is a very different price to what he have here in the Philippines, here it's $300.

[@coolunusual]

Very common, that's not even that much of a crazy price difference compared to many other places around the world.

[@robotsix6268]

@@coolunusual It's roughly 200 in other SEA countries. Other Nothing products are 110% of the MSRP in PH. Distributor is just greedy.

[@fightnight14]

Because it's an imported product. Freight exists. Also that $199 is before tax when you buy it should be around $220-$225

[@robotsix6268]

@@fightnight14 It's well past $225. Retailers here saw the hype and are pre-scalping the device. I've seen this phone go upwards of $400 in some online stores.

[@ChasingEnigma]

@@robotsix6268 Just stop bruh these people will still find a way to justify the pricing.

[@calebmarking342]

I love your videos! Thanks for the information!

[@nathangonzales2641]

What the hell is the point of this phone being modular if i can't purchase a screen if it breaks

[@OlafWalkowiak]

Thanks for this review ❤

[@williamrutter3619]

I would love to see the raspberry pi compute module 5, and for phones we could build it in to. A pi phone.

[@ristekostadinov2820]

rockchip 3588 soc compute module :)

[@jonahlers1026]

Cmf buds pro 2 look even better with a volume control on the case

[@davidsongv]

Thanks for the review videos

[@JuanD817]

I miss the modularity we had back in the Moto Z days

[@ophirs3558]

The phone draw awesome.i hope same at the boxs camera bigger.really great strategies looking

[@djashjones]

Not worth watching this ad. No NFC, 2 years of major updates and 3 years of security and misleading about being modular.

[@axescar]

But why it called modular? Some accessories and shells - that's all

[@LeeJoRo]

Thanks for putting this up. I'm using a pixel 5 and it's on its last legs. I don't play play games on phones, just the usual video streaming and Spotify Does this phone have as on screen fingerprint unlock? It's at the top of my list now Thanks

[@ryanfitzgerald9833]

Looks pretty good. I mean honestly mid-range devices at low costs with good durability. They're hard to come by. I be tempted to switch myself if it had NFC

[@antsgamingvideosn2b]

No NFC for tapping to pay in shops but the design rocks.

[@jrit2559]

The phone is nice, I haven't been able to use it because the carrier I am on. It shows a signal, but still can't make calls or data. I wanted to use it, but now it's going to sit away in a drawer to waste away.

[@ryanfitzgerald9833]

@@jrit2559 which carrier?

[@brandon_nope]

can’t return it?

[@jimmelton5846]

The pungent scent of BS fills the comments section. 😂

[@terrygaines6287]

@@ryanfitzgerald9833 I own this phone. Works great with Metro PCS $25.00 bucks unlimited talk text and internet!

[@leonangelarevalo2596]

First time since a while that ETA mentioned the price of a product ..

[@fightnight14]

Expectation: $199. Reality: $259 and Out of Stock.

[@DarinMikesell]

I'm so happy for you ETA, you've worked so hard to get your channel to where it is. Keep up the hard work!

[@self.medicate]

01:09 I see you have accidentally turned on "Caret browsing", good sir. Perchance, by hitting F7? You may hit the same key to turn it off. You're welcome. 😁

[@notloki3140]

There are handsets out there for $50 less that perform better, on a Qualcomm platform and considering that the update cycles for this is on par or worse than those, honestly, it's just not worth it.

[@srvuk]

No video out means it's just another budget phone. The SOC power is on par with something like the RK3588 in SBC form, so theoretically still capable of playing a decent array of games. I imagine that Winlator might run fairly well.

[@Katzelle3]

So this one uses the same chip as the Jelly Max which means this video already demonstrates how good gaming performance is going to be on that phone What remains to be seen is how well the Jelly Max works with USB gamepads such as the Backbone

[@aceonewillful]

Micro SD slot I'm sold

[@Mark.Pelham]

Fun Fact: I have this phone and the wallet magnetic peice is compatible with magsafe so u can use magsafe holders, sadly it doesn't have wireless charging.

[@ConcealedCarrier]

SD card alone makes it more attractive.

[@cesarvarela5438]

Can you change the battery? No? Not modular

[@przemyslawk23]

Missing NFC disqualifies this phone in this day and age.

[@Yataro79]

I agree. What a confusing decision.

[@MarioScott]

How many $200 phone has NFC?

[@Yataro79]

@@MarioScott Basically all of them.

[@MarioScott]

@@Yataro79 a used S8, sure a brand new budget, no.

[@przemyslawk23]

@@MarioScott idk, i'm not up to date with prices, but it's not the price i'd worry about, cause adding NFC module it's like couple of bucks only. I'd say it's matter of usability and imho lack of NFC disqualifies it

[@MlNECRAFT69]

I’m confused, straight up clickbait? This shit isn’t modular at all, less modular than every Samsung ever that can remove battery??? Still a good phone though

[@gornes2403]

Wait what? being able to change the cover is called 'modular'? give me a f.. break

[@AlistairBrugsch]

So comparing the phone 'bench scores to an S24 is all well and good (i mean obviously it's not going to be anywhere near it) but what sort of current phone is it comparable to? A pixel 8a? 6a?

[@enjoygary]

For 200 this seems good

[@williamrutter3619]

A Great looking phone.

[@ferdgerbeler8494]

Okay, now this is damn interesting.

[@AntiGrieferGames]

Any plans of Benchmarking Wuthering Waves?

[@ScottAshmead]

would be great to know how much bloatware is on them when you get these phones.... great vid

[@paulglennhunter]

I was thinking the same. I want nothing more than access to an app store so I can pick what apps I want. I hate when Facebook or whatever is bundled in with no option to remove it.

[@Phantraas]

​@@paulglennhunterNothing/CMF include NO bloatware whatsoever. I have the Nothing Phone 2a, and the only apps included are stock android apps. They didn't even include their own brand of apps, completely optional

[@cindariel]

Nothing has no/the least bloat ware. Even Motorola has more in cheap phones

[@c7dmz30]

it has teenage engineering vibes bcs the founder of teenage engineering is a partner of the company nothing.

[@ThijsKoevoet]

Interesting phone, but nothing compared to the HTC u23 or u24 pro! The U23 pro is available for 285 at the moment, so thats a more interesting pick. Oled screen, microSD, jack, notification Led, SD 7 gen 1 or 3. You should look into it ;)

[@maikeru6158]

Wondering how repairable it is

[@Sundram.]

Would definitely bought this if it was lil smaller

[@viyusavery248]

Etaprime can you review the cubo max 5 i believe it supports type c to hdmi , 6.95 display lpddr5 ram It feels like a budget red magic 9s pro for $270

[@michaellegg9381]

I'm jelly now 😆 I got a vivo y21s in Australia last year for $200 new at Australia Post.. it has a helio G80 CPU 4gb ram and 1gb of "extra ram" (swap space if the storage is less than 90% full) it only has a 720p 60 hz screen at 6.5 inches 18w fast charge and 10w wireless charging 128gb storage and duel Sim and SD card slot.. it has 3x cameras on the back and 1 on the front. 5mp front camera 50mp + 5mp +2mp rear mono loud speaker fingerprint scanner power button and made of plastic.. it's was actually very good value considering the the prepaid smart phones available for $200 across Australia Shop's so I'm hoping that CFM phone is available here soon as I want it now 😂 even though my vivo is working fine and runs android 13 just fine so I'll just hand it down to one of the kids I guess..

[@ABSTRACTMEDIAHIGHDEFINITION]

I think "customizable" would be a better option than "modular"

[@raptorrex]

Cool design

[@jimmyhails]

I wish they added the option for a removable battery.

[@GSingh-fr7os]

motorola G85 emulation next video plz Which tab shud I buy ? For emulation

[@zachwang6485]

Technology is based on changing the back cover

[@adithraj9302]

Watching this on the same phone

[@MayankJairaj]

I really love the design but it aint modular Oh yes the processor at that price is really good with an OLED combo. I would love a case with a thermal pad and heatsink for continuous use, it could be screwed in with the back. Or like a back with a heatsink cutout and a fan running on top Maybe i should try some😅 but im a novice at 3D printing+ dunn have this phone. I'll try something with my older SD855 Reno 10x. Some kids told me they found a way to bypass oem locks and overclock it - ill check that out in some time. Also whats NetherSx2 is the old Aether SX2 not worth keeping? I still use it btw

[@ako_0256]

If you update the nothing icons app from the play store, all apps (even third party ones) will become monochrome. You might have to re-apply the icon pack though, I'm not sure.

[@AhmedAliVlogs-786-]

please Install 'nothing icon pack' then all app will shown as nothing native

[@anntsen5855]

Can you make a video testing the Console video game using the emulator on the CNF Phone 1?

[@altair3090]

Start showcasing harder to run emulators like 3ds and Switch

[@ericklarnet9577]

Sucks that Nothing doesn't have any in stock

[@tuan7408]

it would be perfect if they moved the back camera to the middle

[@dlewis9760]

Check out Hugh Jefferies for a tear down. I have my issues with the guy, but he's usually a straight arrow.

[@pcc404]

i tought the card case was an extra battery pack at first 😭

[@craftymulligar]

My samsung a 25 was around 200.00 usd. Compare to that is what. Although i dont game on it but will trade on robinhood.

[@Ziansoufi]

I need to ask do you buy it from the website

[@masszero3521]

Where can we buy that waving cat!

[@jamesfreeman9049]

now i know what to replace my pos pixel 6

[@LelouchLamperouge235]

:D thats bs, i have one too and it runs well .. also it has nfc unlike this

[@jamesfreeman9049]

could be i just got a dud of a phone, i live in Montana where everything isnt measured by distance rather by the time it takes to get from point a to point b so i dont use nfc, and it will not connect to my router when literally every other device does after it updated to android 14. im glad you like it though.

[@Vinz3ntR]

It's not modular! Correct this fake information! Only the cover is interchangeable!

[@dlewis9760]

The company calls it that. At best he could say what you said. But he's not really a reviewer. He showcases stuff.

[@Will-sc3hw]

Yawn. Phone is not modular at all. ETA, just pumping out videos for the sake of money and stuff now?

[@_mysilentblue2227]

Linux phone, i'm tired of iOS and Android

[@GhostLinx]

Linux is compatible with arm CPU's

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

modular? whats so modular dawg, bro is pulling terminology out of his rear end

[@dlewis9760]

Company says it is. Some big time KZbinrs are playing along also. Legit ones are going "You can change the back. BFD".

[@ram64man]

But without nfc it’s pointless, it prevent payment options , and transit options , if a 7 year old phone can have it , it should have been fitted