Last year Nothing launched CMF, a sub-brand aimed at catering to a wider range of consumers. While Nothing in itself was innovating consumer tech with glyph-interfaced smartphones and transparent headphones, the CMF line brought a more minimalist and affordable design to Nothing’s arsenal. CMF launched its first budget-friendly smartphone, the Phone 1 on 9th July 2024. Let’s take a detailed look at the key features, pros, cons, and price of the CMF Phone 1.  Key Specifications of Nothing CMF Phone 1   Design and Build Quality  Ever since Carl Pei left OnePlus and started Nothing, he has been on a quest for innovation. Arguably, the glyph interface on the Nothing Phones is either a gimmick or actually useful depending on users. But with the CMF Phone 1, there’s this modular design that opens a host of possibilities along with ensuring ease of reparability.  The smartphone has a removable case back bolted in place by screws. The accessory point at the bottom can be interchanged with either a stand, lanyard, or even a card case.  Read more: 7 Best Smartphones in Tk 35000-45000 Range in July 2024 The device itself comes in at 164 mm by 77 mm by 8.2 mm (standard vs vegan leather back). It’s also pretty lightweight at around 197 or 202 g. Ports and buttons are all as usual with extendable storage, an optical fingerprint sensor, and a secondary noise-cancellation mic. However, there is no headphone jack even at this price.  The device is also IP52 dust and water-resistant. In terms of design innovation in the budget-friendly segment, the CMF Phone 1 easily surpasses any of its competitors by miles.  The Display  The display on the Nothing CMF Phone 1 is a 6.67 inches Super AMOLED LTPS panel with a 120 Hz high refresh rate, Ultra HDR+, and 8-bit color. The high refresh rate is complemented by a 240 Hz touch sampling rate and 960 Hz of PWM dimming for ease of use. The panel comes in a 1080 by 2400 resolution which is good enough for 395 ppi density and 85.1% screen-to-body ratio. Read more: Honor 200 Pro Review: A Flagship Camera Experience Additional features include a 1000000:1 contrast ratio, 700 nits typical, and 2000 nits of peak brightness.  But the Phone 1 stands out from its peers because of its near-uniform front bezel. Nothing has managed to shrink the bottom chin to the point that it almost feels like a uniform display at first glance. The performance of the panel was also pretty great with good viewing angles and constant high refresh rate.  The Camera  There’s a dual camera setup on the Phone 1 with the main camera being a 50 MP f/1.8 shooter with PDAF. The secondary camera is a 2 MP f/2.4 depth shooter. The front camera is a 16 MP f/2.0 wide-angle shooter.  Read more: vivo iQOO Z9x 5G Review: Budget Meets Substance While the Sony IMX882 and the 2 MP SmartSens SC202 sensors are modest at best. What’s impressive about the Phone 1 is the True Lens Engine 2.0. It’s a set of software features like Ultra XDR, AI vivid mode, night mode, and motion capture.  In terms of performance, the Phone 1 performs well in daylight conditions. We saw natural colors with good contrast and dynamic range. However, the details on the pictures weren’t as prominent. The portrait mode is also a hit or a miss at times as the camera stutters to separate the subject from the background. The nighttime photography was also decent thanks to the Ultra HDR rendering which did a pretty good job at exposure and details. The front camera was able to shoot decent social media-ready selfies each time.  The True Lens Engine slightly bumps up the quality of the images but it's nothing that would stand out in comparison with a flagship or even a mid-range smartphone.  Read more: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra Flip Phone Review: A Trip to Nostalgia The videography on the Phone 1 is rated at 4K@30fps and 1080p@30/60fps. But the footage isn’t all that great as there are no stabilization options other than the gyro-EIS.  Processor and Performance  The CMF Phone 1 is running on Mediatek Dimensity 7300 based on a 4 Nm architecture. The octa-core processor has a 4x2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 chip design with Mali-G615 MC2 GPU.  The Dimensity 7300 performs slightly better than the Snapdragon 782G in terms of raw performance. Day-to-day use on the Phone 1 was a breeze with no lags or stutters anywhere. Gaming was also decent as PUBG showed a stable frame rate at Smooth/Ultra settings. COD and Asphalt 9 ran at max settings without any issues.  Read more: Top 8 Smartphones Launching in August 2024: Features, Specs, and Release Dates Its RAM power ranges from 6GB to 8GB. While the internal storage reaches up to 256GB starting from 128GB. CMF Phone 1 is available in three variants: 128GB by 6GB RAM, 128GB by 8GB RAM, and 256GB by 8GB RAM. We also didn’t notice any strong heating issues as the Phone 1 has an elaborate liquid and graphite cooling system. Benchmark  GeekBench 6: 1028 (single core); 2920 (multi-core)  Antutu 10: 646635 3DMark Wild Life: 3142 Read more: Oppo Reno 12 Pro 5G Review: Midrange Phone with AI Features Software  The software on the CMF Phone 1 is Nothing OS 2.6 based on Android 14. The Nothing OS is unique with its dot-matrix layout and material design. There’s virtually no bloatware on the OS and everything runs smoothly with integrated essential features. This might be the best stock like Android skin out in the market if you prefer material aesthetics.  Nothing has committed to 2 years of software updates and 3 years of security patches for the CMF Phone 1. Battery and Charge Time  The battery on the CMF Phone 1 is 5000 mAh. The device supports up to 33W wired fast charging and 5W reverse wired charging. The Phone 1 easily lasts a day of heavy use on a single charge.  Read more: Apple iPhone 16 Series: Everything We Know So Far Pros and Cons of Nothing CMF Phone 1 Pros: - 6.7 inches LTPS AMOLED panel - 120 Hz refresh rate - Modular design with attachment options - Interchangeable back - IP52 rating - Impressive performance - True Lens Engine 2.0 on the cameras  Cons: - No video stabilization features other than gyro-EIS - No NFC - Single loudspeaker. Read more: Price Ranges of Wi-Fi Internet Routers for Home Use in Bangladesh  Price of Nothing CMF Phone 1  The CMF Phone 1 is available in 6/128 GB and 8/128 GB variants in India. The prices are 15,999 and 17,999 INR respectively (with offers). It roughly translates to around 22,795 and 25,645 BDT respectively (1 INR = 1.42 BDT).  Verdict  The Nothing CMF Phone 1 is an impressive device for its price. The modular back and the attachment options open a door to possible accessories in the future. It's great to see some degree of innovation even in the budget-friendly segment.  The Phone 1 stands out in its display, processor, and design. The camera could have been better, but at an affordable price, the room to complain is much less. You can definitely pick this one up or alternatively go for Samsung Galaxy A35 or Xiaomi Redmi Note 13.  Read more: Motorola Moto G85 5G Review: A Flagship Grade Display on a Lower Mid-Range Smartphone.

When it comes to mid-range smartphones, Motorola has been consistent with their G series. Last year we had the Moto G84 with its impressive design, display, and performance. Motorola launched the updated G85 5G this year on 25th June 2024. Does the Motorola Moto G85 5G bring value for money performance with other upgraded features? Let’s check it out in detail.  Key Specifications of Motorola Moto G85 5G   Design and Build Quality  The design and build quality of the G85 is almost reminiscent of the outgoing G84. The near edge-to-edge front, tapering edges, matte back, and merging camera housing make the G85 stand out as uniquely Moto.  The dimension of the device comes in at 161.91 mm by 73.06 mm by 7.59 mm with around 171 g or 173 g weight (depending on the vegan leather option). As for the back, there’s either a PMMA/acrylic finish or a silicone/vegan leather finish. Both the variants use plastic as a base but the cover material exudes a premium feel to the hand.  Read more: Oppo Reno 12 Pro 5G Review: Midrange Phone with AI Features Ports and buttons are all in their usual spot. There’s an extendable storage option through micro SDXC. However, there’s no headphone jack on the G85 which was one of the highlights on the G84. There’s a single nano-SIM configuration with an additional e-SIM option.  Motorola claims a water-repellent design on the G85 but they didn’t provide any certification for it.  The Display  The display is the biggest highlight of the G85. Unlike last year, the G85 features a near edge-to-edge curved panel. The 6.67 inches P-OLED display has 1B colors, 120 Hz high refresh rate, and 1600 nits of peak brightness. The panel has a 2400 by 1080 resolution with 395 ppi density. The 20:9 aspect ratio and curved panel account for a whopping 92.70% screen-to-body ratio.  Read more: Top 8 Smartphones Launching in August 2024: Features, Specs, and Release Dates The 120 Hz refresh rate is also coupled with a 240 Hz touch sampling rate. Motorola has also included DCI-P3 color space SGS Blue Light Reduction and SGS Motion Blur Reduction technology for increased ease of use.  In terms of real-world use, the display on the G85 feels every bit like a flagship. The steady refresh rate, color calibration, and excellent viewing angles make the G85 a treat to use. The front glass is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 so you can rest assured about its durability.  The Camera  There’s a dual camera setup on the Moto G85. The main camera is a 50 MP, f/1.8 wide-angle shooter with a 1/1.95" sensor and 0.8µm pixels along with PDAF and OIS. The main sensor is the Sony LYT 600 which is commonly seen in mid-range devices. The secondary camera is an 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚  ultrawide shooter with AF. The front features a 32 MP, f/2.4 wide-angle shooter.  Read more: How to Activate Earthquake Alerts on Android, iOS Phones In terms of performance, the G85 punches above its weight. The main sensor can take some great photos in daylight and well-lit environments. The excellent dynamic range especially stands out due to its balance. There’s a good contrast, color reproduction, and details in each shot. However, the pictures may seem a bit overprocessed in subjects with a lot of colors. The portrait mode lacked a 2x feature. Other than that, it produced decent results.  The wide-angle shooter also performed well though it didn’t quite match the details and vividness of the main sensor.  The night mode on the G85 is the saver when it comes to night photography. It doesn’t over-expose the subjects but rather brings a good balance between details and exposure.  Read more: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra Flip Phone Review: A Trip to Nostalgia The videography on the G85 is rated at 1080p@30fps. The included OIS does a pretty good job of stabilizing the footage.  Processor and Performance  The processor on the Moto G85 is Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 based on a 6 Nm architecture. The 6s Gen 3 is a slightly upgraded version of the Snapdragon 695 5G in terms of raw performance.  The processor has a chip design of 2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver with Adreno 619 GPU. The internal storage is UFS 2.2 which is a slight bummer considering the “ancient” read and write speed. The RAM is also relatively older at LPDDRX4.  Read more: vivo iQOO Z9x 5G Review: Budget Meets Substance In tests, the processor performed similarly to last year's G84. Games like PUBG could be played at Smooth/Ultra settings with smooth frame rates and zero jitters. Free Fire and COD also performed well. However, Genshin Impact saw frame drops here and there with noticeable stutters in the gameplay at times.  The device did pretty well in heat management as we didn’t notice any thermal throttling.  Its RAM power ranges from 8 to 12 GB. Starting from 128GB its internal storage ranges up to 256GB. The Moto G85 is available in 8/128 GB and 12/256 GB configurations.  Read more: Honor 200 Pro Review: A Flagship Camera Experience Benchmark  Antutu 10: 471,687 GeekBench 6: 926 (single core); 2145 (multi-core)  GFXBench T-Rex: 4949  PCMark: 11.6  Software  The Moto G85 is running on Android 14 with a custom Motorola skin on top. Motorola went with a stock-like UI without much customization. The lack of bloatware is complemented by useful stock Android features making it a great UI for stock enthusiasts. Motorola has also committed to up to 2 years of software updates on the G85.  Battery and Charge Time  The battery on the G85 is 5000 mAh. The battery is complemented by 30W if wired for fast charging. If you’re going with the Indian variant, you’ll get a 33W wired option. Motorola claims up to 34 hours of normal usage on a single charge. Claims aside, the G85 is easily an all-day device.  Read more: Apple iPhone 16 Series: Everything We Know So Far Pros and Cons of Motorola Moto G85 5G Pros - 5G network - P-OLED display- Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection- 120Hz refresh rate- Water-repellent design- 30W fast charging - Android 14 OS and NFC - Stereo speakers - Under-display fingerprint scanner. Read more: Pirate-themed Video Games for Android, iOS Cons - No Wireless and reverse charging support- No optical zoom camera- No 4K video recording mechanism- Lacks Gyro-EIS support- No audio jack- Lacks custom UI- Heating issues may arise on heavy use. Read more: 10 Best eBook Reader Apps for Android, iOS in 2024 Price of Motorola Moto G85 5G  Moto G85 5G is not officially available in Bangladesh now. In India, 8/128 GB and 12/256 GB variants prices are 17,999 INR and 19,999 INR respectively (with offers). It roughly translates to 25,564 BDT and 28,404 BDT (1 INR = 1.42 BDT). However, the official price of the Motorola Moto G85 in Bangladesh may vary due to tax and other issues. Verdict  The Motorola Moto G85 5G brings several upgrades to its ancestor G84. Users now have a better camera, display, and processor. However, the omission of the headphone jack might be a bummer for many. In terms of performance, the G85 holds steady though a faster ROM and RAM would’ve benefitted the overall experience.  Xiaomi Redmi Note 13, Nothing CMF Phone 1, and the Samsung Galaxy M35 can be considerable alternatives at a similar price. However, the G85 still holds the edge in terms of the overall package. As for who this is for, anyone who’s looking for a durable lower mid-range device can easily pick up the Moto G85. Read more: Price Ranges of Wi-Fi Internet Routers for Home Use in Bangladesh