CMF Phone 1 teardown reveals it’s not so easy to repair

15 July 2024
It earned a 6.5/10 repairability rating from PBKreviews.

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Pretty ironic that the "modular" device is hard to repair

The depth lens has x-ray Powers tho

    praised as 'semi-modular' or modular and yet it is the only the back case and accents that are simply customizable. Not much modular here - can't replace the battery or anything else.

    a glittery case with a pop socket on any other phone that would be called 'e-waste' by gsmers is just as modular, but isn't currently heralded as a game-changing innovative concept. but, props to Nothing, they have more ardent defenders in these comments than any brand i've seen

      Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024Most budget Samsung phones use MediaTek SoCs (A05, A15 4G, ... moreThe fastest budget Samsung that you mentioned is still much weaker than CMF in performance.. There is also no 4K and WiFi 6 support on Samsung. There aren't even any Chinese phones like that either.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • gXJ
        • 15 Jul 2024

        DashF, 15 Jul 2024Name the model lmao, don't be so vague. Anything under... moreMost budget Samsung phones use MediaTek SoCs (A05, A15 4G, A15 5G).

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          • Anonymous
          • Tsr
          • 15 Jul 2024

          Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024A55 is 218 euro here (256gb 249) and CMF starts at 239 euro... moreA35 is 218 euro I meant

          Not A55, that's a typo.

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            • Anonymous
            • Tsr
            • 15 Jul 2024

            LimeAlz, 15 Jul 2024Nothing phone 2a is 400 aud here and a35 from Telstra unloc... moreA55 is 218 euro here (256gb 249) and CMF starts at 239 euro.

            Nothing 2a starts at 292 euro.

            So looking at that, it would make more sense for CMF to only focus on markets where their devices makes sense, because I mentioned the US as one example, but there are countries in Asia where CMF is the better deal too.

              Hugo, 15 Jul 2024 Weird where i stay a samsung A35 costs about 50% more.Nothing phone 2a is 400 aud here and a35 from Telstra unlocked is 350 aud

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • pRB
                • 15 Jul 2024

                DashF, 15 Jul 2024Name the model lmao, don't be so vague. Anything under... moreMotorola and their obsession with crappy, underpowered and rebranded SOC’s.

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                  • Shazzam
                  • pRB
                  • 15 Jul 2024

                  Nothing makes decent phones but their marketing is more like deception. Trying to be the Apple for android phones.

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                    • Hugo
                    • XUi
                    • 15 Jul 2024

                    Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024Then I wonder why CMF did even bother releasing it in regio... more Weird where i stay a samsung A35 costs about 50% more.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • Tsr
                      • 15 Jul 2024

                      Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024Why don't you tell that to the target market where smi... moreThen I wonder why CMF did even bother releasing it in regions like mine where A35 is 20 euro cheaper than CMF.

                      They should have sticked to regions that make more sense, for example in the US this thing is a great deal people say.

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                        • Anonymous
                        • JaT
                        • 15 Jul 2024

                        Why why i thought it was going to be repairable like fairphone

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                          • DashF
                          • rK@
                          • 15 Jul 2024

                          Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024Get a similarly priced samsung or motorola and it's go... moreName the model lmao, don't be so vague. Anything under $200 from samsung has wide af bezel, heats too much, has a mediocre Exynos processor. Motorola sucks whole giving updates. Maybe enjoy rebranded 695 for the 100th time in your Motorola

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                            • Casio
                            • gLI
                            • 15 Jul 2024

                            the concept is just a scam. They dont give you a charger in the retail box but they give you three back cases with even more plastic waste... how smart is that?

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                              • Anonymous
                              • vaS
                              • 15 Jul 2024

                              Anonymous, 15 Jul 2024Get a similarly priced samsung or motorola and it's go... moreWhy don't you tell that to the target market where smilarly priced products actually suck? And no, the likes of Samsung A35 is not in it's price range.

                                Don't worry Carl Pei will just create another company with another awesome product

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • AK0
                                  • 15 Jul 2024

                                  I really don't get why they did this. If you're gonna cripple functionality like nfc and the IP rating for this removable back gimmick, why not go the extra step and make the battery removable too and build some good will? With the EU replaceable battery mandate coming closer and closer, the first company that complies before the deadline is probably going to get a bunch of kudos for it.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • AK0
                                    • 15 Jul 2024

                                    DashF, 15 Jul 2024That's maybe third or fourth time I'm seeing some... moreGet a similarly priced samsung or motorola and it's gonna kick it's ass.

                                      So much for the replaceable back. At least it's specs are decent though.

                                        justasmile, 15 Jul 2024Pointless comment.Removable back but no removable battery lmao

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