Nothing CMF Watch Pro 2 review

13 October 2024

CMF is a Nothing's more affordable sub-brand and it's already released half a dozen products. Last year it launched its first smartwatch a and this summer, a second one was introduced – CMF Watch Pro 2.

We spent a few weeks with the wearable and we are finally ready to share our impressions.

Design

The CMF Watch Pro 2 features a circular display, in a shift from the rectangular screen of its predecessor. Since the original CMF Watch Pro is still available this effectively lets you choose between two different styles.

The watch has an aluminum case with a matte finish, giving it a sleek appearance. However, the "cmf by Nothing" branding on the bezel feels excessive. Fortunately, the bezel is replaceable, and the wearable looks much better without the lettering.

The watch sports a 1.32" AMOLED display with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels, which is decent for its price range. The size strikes a good balance, fitting on most wrists, without being too small or too large.

We find it hard to understand why the Watch is dubbed "Pro" though. With only two wearables in the CMF lineup, both of which are "Pro," it's clearly not the case of being the better version of something. Nor is it a particularly premium product in the grand scheme of things.

Our review unit came with blue leather straps. Although this reviewer is not a fan of leather, we must admit the strap held up well — it felt very comfortable and didn't show any signs of wear in tear in close to two months.

We tested the Watch Pro 2 in various activities, including swimming, running, rock climbing, and gym sessions. Impressively, neither the case nor the strap picked up any damage, which suggests the watch has excellent durability.

The AMOLED display is vibrant, though the auto-brightness feature sometimes misbehaves especially in overcast conditions, selecting too low a settings and making it hard to read the screen.

There’s a rotating crown on the side that also functions as a button. While an additional button would have been nice, the responsive touchscreen compensates for its absence.

Software

Although CMF is positioned as Nothing’s affordable brand, the Watch Pro 2 doesn’t feel cheap. It not only looks good but also performs well, connecting seamlessly with both Android and iOS phones.

CM offers hundreds of available watch faces, categorized by style rather than function. There’s no app store; it’s not an expected feature at this price point.

Navigating the interface is smooth, and although the layout might take some getting used to, it's a refreshing departure from other smartwatch platforms. Nothing aimed for uniqueness, and they achieved it.

Activity & Tracking

As we mentioned we did a large variety of activities when testing the Watch Pro. One common trait was the slow GPS lock-on, which is frustrating for runners and cyclists.

Even In open spaces, GPS lock can take two to five minutes, which is not competitive in today's market. That said, the watch includes a 12-step guided warm-up routine, and if you follow that it gives it enough time to link to GPS.

The watch can function independently if you don't want to take your phone with you, but CMF warns you that in that mode its data can be less accurate.

When compared to other fitness trackers, including Samsung, Huawei, Garmin, and Coros devices, the training logs by the Watch Pro 2 were almost a perfect match. This was unexpected, given the price difference.

Health and sleep tracking is basic but functional, including features like blood oxygen saturation, stress readings, and sleep monitoring, which have improved since the first Watch Pro. However, it lacks advanced metrics like ECG or skin temperature monitoring.

During testing, the Watch Pro 2 provided sleep data that aligned with the Huawei Watch GT4, the daily driver of the reviewer.

Battery Life

Nothing claims the CMF Watch Pro 2 can last 11 days with typical use and 9 days with heavy use. With the Always-On Display (AOD) enabled, this drops to 4-5 days. In reality, these numbers seem inflated. We achieved just under 10 days with typical use and about 7 days with what we'd call heavy use. AOD reduced endurance to 4 days, even with the health sensors turned off.

These numbers are somewhat unimpressive among the watches without a proper OS, but the Watch Pro 2 does comfortably outlast Apple and Samsung watches, which admittedly have much more advanced operating systems.

The watch charges using a proprietary cable with pogo pins, and it doesn’t support wireless charging, as it clearly wouldn't fit within the available budget. A full charge from 0% takes about 100 minutes, with 30 minutes reaching 50%.

Pricing and Conclusion

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is available in four colors — Dark Gray or Ash Gray with plastic straps, and Orange or Blue with leather straps. It is priced at €69 in Europe, £69 in the UK, and INR 4,999 in India (around $59).

The design is interesting, the software is clean software, and running and cycling tracking was accurate enough. While the GPS could be improved and advanced health features are missing, there's hardly a better wearable at this price point.

Pros

• Comfortable size that works for all
• Lovely design
• Durable body
• Clean software

Cons

• No in-depth analysis
• Laggy GPS
• Battery life could be better
• Second button would have been handy