Nothing Phone (3a) vs CMF Phone 2 Pro: The $100 Question That Might Save Your Wallet

Just two months after Nothing dropped the wildly competitive Phone (3a), they followed it up with the CMF Phone 2 Pro—a budget phone that’s already shaking up expectations. And while it’s easy to roll your eyes when “Pro” gets slapped on everything nowadays, this phone might actually deserve the label. For $279, the CMF offers surprisingly thoughtful design, smooth performance, and a very capable camera setup. But the (3a) already felt like the perfect $379 phone. So where exactly does the extra $100 go?

Is the more expensive Nothing Phone really $100 better, or are you better off grabbing the CMF and calling it a day? In this comparison, we dive deep into everything that matters: design, display, performance, camera, software, and battery. We’re testing them side by side, highlighting where each one shines and where they stumble. We’ll even get into mic quality, zoom tests, and real-world app performance.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which phone gives you the best bang for your buck—and whether you’re better off with glyph lights or a customizable backplate. Let’s get into it.

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, the design philosophies of the Nothing Phone (3a) and the CMF Phone 2 Pro couldn’t be more different. The Nothing 3A sticks to its now-signature transparent glass back, showing off an array of faux circuit lines and its quirky glyph interface. It’s undeniably futuristic—almost like holding a concept phone from 2040. The CMF Phone 2 Pro, by contrast, takes a more industrial and modular approach with a matte plastic unibody and two-tone back panel finish, complete with visible screws for swappable plates and even a utility port for accessories like lanyards.

The build materials are a clear differentiator. The CMF feels durable but leans toward functional plastic, while the Nothing’s combination of matte plastic frame and transparent glass panel gives it a more premium in-hand feel. Still, neither screams “flagship,” and both are unapologetically plastic-heavy to keep costs down. Weight-wise, the CMF clocks in at a manageable 186g, while the Nothing is slightly heavier at 203g, largely due to its glass back.

In terms of usability, the CMF’s flat edges and grip-friendly finish offer a very secure hold. Meanwhile, the Nothing’s curvier shape and slippery back mean you might want to slap on a case if you’re clumsy. Protection-wise, it’s a minor win for the Nothing with IP64 compared to the CMF’s IP54, though neither can handle more than a splash—definitely no dunking.

Aesthetically, both phones are bold. The CMF’s camera array has this robotic, retro-futuristic vibe, while the Nothing feels like a toned-down version of its older siblings. The glyph lights return here in minimalist form, offering unique visual cues for notifications and ringtones, though they’ve been trimmed down versus previous models. The CMF skips flashy lighting altogether but gives you personality through customization—something we haven’t seen much at this price.

In our team poll, the Nothing design edged out as the favorite, but not by much. Those who like flashy, futuristic tech leaned toward the Nothing, while fans of rugged utility and customization were all-in on the CMF. Ultimately, the choice here boils down to identity. If you want a phone that looks like nothing else (literally), the 3A wins. If you’d rather have fun modding your hardware or standing out through design rather than LED flair, the CMF is the clear pick.

Display Specs and Biometrics

Despite their vastly different outward appearances, both the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone (3a) bring near-identical displays to the table—on paper, at least. Each phone sports a flat 6.77-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, FHD+ resolution, and support for 240Hz touch sampling. That means scrolling, gaming, and video playback all feel ultra-smooth and sharp, regardless of which phone you’re using.

Under direct sunlight, both screens perform admirably. In our simulated 100,000 lux outdoor brightness test, the CMF reached a respectable 1,148 nits on a full white screen, while the Nothing pushed slightly higher at 1,422 nits. These are solid results for budget AMOLEDs, making either phone usable outdoors without having to squint.

Both displays feature ultra-slim bezels, which makes them feel more modern and immersive than most budget phones. Color reproduction is equally vibrant across both devices, with deep blacks, punchy saturation, and excellent contrast ratios. That said, the Nothing does offer slightly cooler tones by default, while the CMF leans warmer—a subtle difference, but one that some eyes will notice.

 

Security-wise, both phones feature under-display optical fingerprint sensors. They’re fast and accurate in everyday use, though the CMF occasionally lags by a fraction of a second more than the Nothing in our side-by-side unlock tests. Face unlock is also available on both, relying on the front camera alone—meaning it’s fast but not particularly secure.

One notable divergence is in audio experience. The CMF features a single bottom-firing speaker, while the Nothing Phone (3a) comes with stereo output thanks to a secondary speaker embedded in the earpiece. Listening to music or watching videos, the difference is immediately obvious: the Nothing provides fuller, more spatial audio with deeper bass and louder max volume.

Even though both phones are technically evenly matched in screen hardware, the user experience is slightly elevated on the Nothing thanks to the dual speaker setup and marginally higher brightness. But the CMF holds its ground exceptionally well, especially considering its price, giving you 90% of the visual and tactile experience for $100 less.

Software Updates and Apps

Both the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone (3a) run on Nothing OS, with the CMF shipping with version 3.2 and the (3a) currently running 3.1—though both are based on Android 15. That means you’re getting the same streamlined experience, but the CMF actually comes slightly ahead in terms of software version, which is a pleasant surprise for a sub-$300 phone.

Nothing OS continues to be one of the cleanest Android skins out there. It retains the aesthetic minimalism Nothing is known for while offering a few useful tricks up its sleeve. There’s no bloatware to speak of, and the UI feels fast and consistent across both phones. You get extensive support for third-party icon packs, a minimalist launcher with smart folder organization, and customizable lock screens and widgets.

One standout feature on both is the “Essential Space”—Nothing’s clever take on a digital locker. Activated using the programmable key on the CMF or from the settings on the (3a), this space lets you clip, annotate, or even voice-tag screen content. It’s surprisingly useful, especially if you multitask often or take quick reference notes.

Another nice touch: both phones now support the Nothing X integration, which lets you sync with earbuds, track battery status, and customize ANC modes right from the quick settings panel. While it’s clearly meant to push the Nothing ecosystem, it works flawlessly and doesn’t feel intrusive.

When it comes to updates, Nothing promises 3 years of Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security patches for both phones. That’s fairly decent in the budget tier, though not quite as generous as what you’d get from Samsung or Google. Still, for phones under $400, it’s above average.

Overall, the software experience is slick, customizable, and thoughtfully designed. Even though these are two different phones at different price points, there’s almost no difference in how they function day to day—giving CMF buyers full access to the Nothing OS perks without the premium cost.

Performance and Chipsets

Under the hood, the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone (3a) are powered by very different chipsets—but real-world performance tells a surprisingly close story. The CMF runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro, while the Nothing packs the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. On paper, Qualcomm’s chip is the more powerful one, especially in synthetic benchmarks. But in day-to-day use, that advantage is narrower than you might think.

Both devices in our tests came with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. That’s more than enough for multitasking, social media apps, YouTube, or even photo editing on the go. We rarely experienced stutter or lag on either phone—even when pushing them with multiple apps or quick app-switching.

App launch times were slightly faster on the Nothing, especially for heavier apps like Lightroom or CapCut. The Snapdragon chip also has the edge in CPU and GPU-intensive workloads, pulling ahead in Geekbench and Antutu scores. But unless you’re actively benchmarking, you might not notice much difference outside of those brief wins.

The CMF still held its own in every scenario we threw at it, and it’s incredibly efficient thermally. It runs cooler under pressure, which is impressive given its lower price. Even after prolonged use, it doesn’t throttle performance the way some older MediaTek phones did.

In terms of everyday responsiveness—navigating the UI, loading Instagram stories, flipping between Chrome tabs—both phones feel equally snappy. That’s a big win for the CMF, which costs $100 less but doesn’t feel “cheaper” to use. Unless you need every last ounce of benchmark horsepower, both phones are more than fast enough for most users.

Gaming Performance and Tests

For mobile gamers on a budget, both the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone (3a) deliver solid performance—but with slightly different strengths depending on the game. We tested popular titles like Grid Autosport, Withering Waves, and Bloons TD 6, and modified graphics settings to push both phones to their limits.

In Grid Autosport, both phones ran smoothly at 60 FPS for the first 10 minutes. However, the CMF began to dip to around 52 FPS under thermal stress, while the Nothing held closer to a stable 60 FPS. Heat-wise, both phones got warm, but the Nothing ran hotter, reaching up to 49°C compared to the CMF’s 46°C.

Switching to Withering Waves with max settings, the Snapdragon chip inside the Nothing (3a) proved more stable again, staying above 30 FPS longer. The CMF started at 60 but dropped into the 40s quickly during intense scenes. Still, both were playable and visually smooth for casual sessions.

In the CPU-stressing Bloons TD 6, both devices dropped to 3 FPS when the screen was flooded with hundreds of units—a stress test more than a real-world use case. Interestingly, the CMF ran hotter here, peaking at 42°C, likely due to its tighter thermal envelope.

Game loading times were similar, but the Nothing consistently edged out slightly quicker starts. Touch response and latency were excellent on both thanks to their 240Hz touch sampling rate displays—great for action titles or rhythm games.

So while the Nothing is clearly more capable for extended or demanding sessions, the CMF holds up admirably. Unless you’re pushing every game to ultra or playing competitively, either phone will meet most gaming needs. Just know that the (3a) has the extra headroom if you need it.

Battery Life and Charging Speed

Both the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone (3a) are powered by identical 5,000mAh batteries, and in day-to-day usage, they drain at nearly the same rate. After a full day of mixed use—social media, video streaming, gaming, and navigation—both phones had around 35–40% battery left by evening.

Where they differ is in charging speed. The CMF supports up to 33W wired charging, while the Nothing pulls ahead with a 50W max. In our test using a 100W charger, the Nothing charged to 100% in just 58 minutes, while the CMF took about 1 hour and 7 minutes. Both reached over 50% in the first 30 minutes.

Neither phone supports wireless charging, which is expected at these prices. Thermal performance while charging was controlled on both, with no overheating issues.

Efficiency-wise, the difference in chipsets didn’t noticeably impact battery life. Both phones sipped power well and held up under stress. Whether you go for the CMF or the Nothing, you’re getting all-day endurance with quick top-ups when needed.

Camera Specs and Performance

Main Camera (Daylight Performance)

Both phones pack a 50MP main sensor, but their processing pipelines are clearly different. Outdoors, the Nothing Phone (3a) leans toward punchy contrast and sharper details, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro sticks with a more natural and balanced look. In bright scenes, the Nothing’s photos pop more on first glance, but if you zoom in, the CMF often reveals more realistic color tones and cleaner transitions between highlights and shadows.

Main Camera (Indoor and Low Light)

Indoors, the CMF again goes for subtlety, offering warm, true-to-life color rendering. The Nothing Phone punches up shadows aggressively, sometimes introducing noise in darker areas. At night, both phones struggle in their own way—the CMF smoothens noise a bit too much, while the Nothing can oversharpen and lose subtle details. The Nothing does slightly better with highlight control, though, especially in scenes with mixed lighting.

Ultra-Wide Camera Performance

Both phones use 8MP ultra-wide sensors, and results are fairly underwhelming. Outdoors, the CMF tends to shift warm and washes out highlights, while the Nothing renders scenes cooler with slightly more detail. Indoors, they both boost saturation and contrast more than necessary. The CMF particularly struggles with dynamic range, flattening the scene in tricky lighting. Edge sharpness is acceptable but unimpressive.

Portrait Mode (Main and Telephoto)

Portrait mode tells a similar story. Using the main lens, the CMF struggles with edge detection, often blurring or warping hair and glasses. The Nothing performs better here, producing more consistent subject isolation and richer skin tones. Using the 2x telephoto lens for portraits, both phones perform comparably—edge detection improves, and both tend to lift blacks and add a cinematic blur. The Nothing’s contrast-heavy approach still feels more polished.

Zoom and Telephoto Comparison

Zoom is where the CMF quietly pulls ahead. At 2x optical, its dedicated lens captures sharper images with better detail retention and less visible noise in low light. At 5x digital zoom, the difference becomes clearer—the Nothing begins to soften dramatically while the CMF holds shape and clarity. At 10x and 30x, both degrade heavily, but the CMF often has more usable results, particularly when zooming into signs or text at a distance.

Front Camera and Selfies

The Nothing sports a 32MP selfie cam versus the CMF’s 16MP shooter. Despite the difference, both produce similar selfies in bright light. The Nothing has a bit more detail, especially in hair and eyes, but the CMF surprisingly handles background blur more naturally. In low light, the Nothing takes a comfortable lead with better texture detail and more lifelike skin tones. Both front cameras are limited to 1080p 30fps for video.

Video Quality (Main and Ultrawide)

Video recording maxes out at 4K 30fps on the main lens for both. The Nothing captures more dramatic footage with high contrast and saturation, though it suffers from occasional focus hunting. The CMF plays it safer—less eye-popping, but more stable and natural. Switch to the ultrawide lens, and video caps at 1080p 60fps. Here, the CMF’s poor highlight handling becomes more obvious, while the Nothing continues to push shadows too far, crushing detail.

Microphone and Audio Test

We tested microphone performance in a noisy environment. Both phones struggled with wind and ambient noise, failing to isolate the speaker’s voice. The Nothing sounded slightly clearer overall, but the difference wasn’t game-changing. Neither offers flagship-grade mic processing, and this is an area where both could improve.

Night Mode and Processing

In dedicated night mode, both phones try to brighten the scene—but often in different ways. The CMF tends to blow out artificial lighting and smooth textures too much, while the Nothing’s heavy sharpening creates halos and harsh contrast. Interestingly, the CMF does a better job preserving subtle textures, while the Nothing wins on dynamic range control.

Overall Camera Verdict

Both phones deliver solid main camera results in good lighting and fall short in ultra-wide and low-light scenarios. If you prefer vivid, high-impact photography, the Nothing Phone (3a) wins with better post-processing. But for those who value realistic skin tones, softer HDR, and better telephoto performance, the CMF Phone 2 Pro actually comes out ahead in many practical situations—especially when zooming or shooting under tricky lighting conditions.

Price and Availability

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is priced aggressively at just $279, positioning it squarely in the entry-level premium tier. It’s available in select markets via Nothing’s online store and third-party retailers, with wider rollout expected soon. Color options include the distinct two-tone orange, black, and a silver variant, and users can swap back plates for a custom look.

The Nothing Phone (3a), meanwhile, starts at $379, making it exactly $100 more expensive than the CMF. It’s available in more regions at launch, including Europe, Asia, and North America, and supports a few more color variants, including white and grey transparent finishes.

Both phones come in 8GB + 128GB base models, but regional differences in storage configurations may apply. Accessories like cases and screen protectors are easier to find for the Nothing, while CMF-specific accessories are more niche.

Considering the hardware parity in most areas, the CMF offers incredible value. That said, the Nothing does still feel slightly more polished—and for some, that’s worth the extra spend.

• Buy CMF Phone 2 Pro on Amazon now!
• Buy Nothing Phone (3a) on Amazon now!

Conclusion

When comparing the Nothing Phone (3a) and the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the key takeaway is simple: both are excellent budget-friendly smartphones—but only one delivers nearly the same experience for $100 less. The Nothing Phone (3a) has some clear advantages: better audio with stereo speakers, a slightly more stable gaming performance, and a more premium feel with its glass-backed glyph design. It also edges out in areas like selfie quality and contrast-rich photos that pop on social media.

However, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is the real surprise here. It holds its own in nearly every department—offering the same display, similar software, smooth performance, and even better low-light zoom and main camera realism in some shots. Add in the modular design with replaceable back covers and a surprisingly good cooling system, and it starts to look like a no-brainer for value hunters.

For casual users, students, and first-time buyers, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is almost unbeatable at $279. It skips the flashy lights, sure, but nails the fundamentals. Unless you absolutely need the glyph lights, slightly faster charging, or dual speakers, there’s little reason to spend more.

Nothing has made two compelling phones—but ironically, the cheaper one may be the smarter pick.

• Buy CMF Phone 2 Pro on Amazon now!
• Buy Nothing Phone (3a) on Amazon now!

Nothing Phone 3A – Pros

• Transparent glass back with glyph lights offers standout design
• Dual stereo speakers deliver fuller, louder sound
• Slightly faster wired charging at 50W
• Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset offers better sustained gaming performance
• More detailed selfies thanks to 32MP front camera
• Higher benchmark scores and faster photo exports

Nothing Phone 3A – Cons

• Costs $100 more than the CMF Phone 2 Pro
• Heats up more under heavy load
• Overprocessed images with aggressive contrast and sharpening
• Buy Nothing Phone (3a) on Amazon now!

CMF Phone 2 Pro – Pros

• Incredible value at just $279
• Modular, customizable design with swappable back plates
• More natural photo processing with better highlight balance
• Cooler thermals and efficient performance in extended gaming
• Slight edge in low-light zoom and telephoto clarity
• Same AMOLED display and Nothing OS 3.2 at a lower price

CMF Phone 2 Pro – Cons

• Mono speaker lacks audio depth
• Slower 33W wired charging
• Slightly less powerful chipset affects export/render times in some apps
• Buy CMF Phone 2 Pro on Amazon now!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is the Nothing Phone (3a) worth $100 more than the CMF Phone 2 Pro?

• For most users, no. The CMF Phone 2 Pro offers similar performance, display quality, and camera results for $100 less—making it the better value unless you prioritize stereo audio or glyph lights.

Does the CMF Phone 2 Pro support NFC and software updates like Nothing devices?

• Yes. It includes NFC for mobile payments and will receive 3 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches, just like the Nothing Phone (3a).
• Buy CMF Phone 2 Pro on Amazon now!
• Buy Nothing Phone (3a) on Amazon now!