Nothing sub-brand teases entry-level CMF Phone 1 with unexplained knob element

In May, we started hearing the first rumors about the Nothing sub-brand CMF producing an Android smartphone. On X, the company officially confirmed that a phone of some kind is coming.

The CMF Phone 1 will be the first smartphone from the Nothing sub-brand, as reported by Android Authority. The was light on details beyond a teaser image and that the device will be "coming soon." 

The post did claim that the CMF Phone 1 "serves as a wonderful entry point to our entire product ecosystem." It claimed that the phone falls into an overlooked category.

It leads us to speculate that CMF is aiming the Phone 1 at the entry-level phone sector.

A previous leak claimed the Phone 1 would feature a 6.67-inch OLED display running on the Mediatek Dimensity 7200 Series processor. It could have a 5,000 mAh battery and 33-watt fast charging. It's confirmed that the Phone 1 will come in orange with the teaser, but it might come in black, green and blue. Finally, it should feature 8 GB of RAM, but no leaks on how much storage it might feature.

Based on the same leaks, the CMF by Nothing Phone 1 will launch in July for $249 and $279. That pricing does undercut the Nothing Phone 2a, which comes in at $349.

The highlighted orange dial in the teaser image is intriguing and CMF didn't provide elucidation on what it might be. That said, the CMF BUDS earbuds carrying case features a somewhat similar dial that is mainly used to attach a lanyard.

If CMF is providing a similar feature on Phone 1, it does align with their goal of making the phone an entry point in the ecosystem with similar design features.

For those unaware, CMF is a sub-brand launched by Nothing in 2023. Less than a year old, CMF has a goal of "making great design more accessible." The company already has some earbuds and a pretty great smartwatch.

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