It is quite interesting to see that Nothing, which is only three years old, has its own sub-brand, CMF by Nothing. This brand focuses on unique designs, more environmentally friendly and affordable prices compared to Nothing and other competitors. CMF by Nothing is also another step by Nothing that tries to further develop their open ecosystem.
Their three products namely Buds Pro, Watch Pro and Power 65W GaN have already arrived at the our laboratory a month ago and I have tested these three products. Is it worth having or otherwise? In this review article I will share my experience of using it.
BUDS PRO
Type In-ear earphone set
Audio Driver Dynamic Audio Driver Boost Bass
LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer)
PU (Polyurethane)
Microphone 6x microphone
Noise Cancellation Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
Sound Pass Mode
Battery Up to 39 hours
55mAh Earphone
460mAh Charger Pod
Bluetooth 5.3 tethering
Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair
Codec AAC, SBC
USB-C charging
Nothing X app support
iOS, Android
Touch Pad Control
IP54 waterproof capability (Earphones)
Selling Price RM 239
(Dark Grey, Light Grey, Orange)
CMF by Nothing Buds Pro is a basic and simple audio product that is not unique compared to the Nothing Ear series. The charging pod is round like a make-up powder container. It's very light and feels hollow with a logo on top, an LED light on the front while a hinge and a USB-C port on the back. On the inside there is only one docking button and a charging port for each earphone.
Each earphone uses an AirPods Pro-like design but with a longer, flatter stem. It reminds me of Mobvoi TicPods. The color of my Buds Pro is white so they easily pick up dirt from the climb even with the dull finish. Each of these earphones is very light and has a good grip in the ear. The flat surface on the handle is for touch control that is sensitive enough and smooth for every function and feature.
The Buds Pro's audio quality is just average. It doesn't have any features like LHDC support to play lossless audio and the Nothing X app doesn't allow users to use an equalizer. The TWS tuned by Nothing is less satisfying than Nothing Ear (1) and not good enough compared to other affordable TWS such as realme Buds.
The audio quality provided is too focused on the bass until the vocals are drowned out. If the bass is good it might still be acceptable, but it seems to lack definition and lacks a satisfying thump impact.
Vocals are also less clear with female and male singers sounding digitally processed rather than original voices. The high pitch also does not provide a good listening experience because it does not reach a level that shines. Buds Pro reminds me of the realme Buds Air 2 two years ago, only a little better. If you want to experience an audio product tuned by Nothing itself, this might be a good alternative to Nothing Ear.
WATCH PRO
1.96″ AMOLED screen, 410 x 502 pixels, 600+ nits
Operating System Not disclosed
IP68 protection
Accelerator Sensor
Pulse Scanner
Blood Oxygen Saturation
Others GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS/Beidou
Bluetooth 5.3
110 Sports Mode
Speaker + Microphone
340mAh battery, up to 13 days
Aluminum Alloy Frame Construction Material
Silicone Watch Strap
Price RM 339
Dark Grey
Metallic Grey/Orange Luster
Dark Grey/Ash Grey
Watch Pro is a health tracker masquerading as a smartwatch. This watch is like Xiaomi Smart Band or Amazfit Bip only with software design by Nothing. Because it offers basic functions and features, this watch has no app store support, it takes a long time to update the software or change the watch face, and most functions and features require users to open the CMF Watch app to use them.
Nothing reveals the software used but I'm sure it's another iteration of the RTOS. This watch uses aluminum alloy construction material for the frame and silicone for the watch band. The silicone material used is not very skin-friendly for my hands because after comparing with other health trackers at the same price, my wrists do not experience itching and sore skin like wearing the Watch Pro.
For a pair of RTOS watches, the Watch Pro delivers pretty smooth performance. It's just that the face of the watch looks strange because of the uneven thick bezel. The use of sports mode, pulse scanner, site tracking, sleep monitoring and blood oxygen data reading provide good data more or less with Wear OS watches and watchOS.
My main problem with the Watch Pro is that there is a delay in notifications after they arrive on the phone. Either Nothing Phone (2) or iPhone 13 Pro, both devices have the same problem. This caused me to miss many phone calls and even important WhatsApp messages.
Then for my use, in a month of use I have never received the 13 day battery life claimed by Nothing because so far it has only lasted around 7 days. I can forgive this because of the fast enough charging with the provided magnetic cable.
What I like most about this Watch Pro is the very user-friendly CMF Watch app. CMF Watch uses a very simple, beautiful and easy interface for me to read all data and do settings. This is one of my favorite clock apps so far.
I hope that one day, Nothing can integrate these applications directly into Nothing X – only then will the concept of an open ecosystem become a reality. Because using two apps for two products by the same brand is a little annoying to me.
The CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is also a fairly expensive basic smartwatch. RM399 for a watch like this is not very affordable compared to realme Watch, DIZO or Amazfit who have years of experience in the wearable device arena. Because watches by this brand that have more interesting functions and better sensors can be found at cheaper prices.
POWER 65W GAN
Charger Type GaN – Gallium Nitride
2x USB-C Connection Ports
1x USB-A
Charging Standard PD3.0, QC4.0+/3.0/2.0
SCP, FCP, PPS, AFC
Apple 2.4A, Samsung 9V2A
DCP
Input Power 100-240V
1.7A
USB C1/C2 Output Power – 15W, 27W, 36W, 45W, 65W
USB A – 15W, 27W, 36W
PPS: 25W-55W, 16.25W-65W
Selling Price RM 189
Power 65W GaN is the most affordable CMF by Nothing product because it costs RM189. This is their product that in my opinion is the most worth having. This is because there are not many 65W fast chargers with gallium nitride technology sold at a price of RM189 with a compact and thin design like this.
Nothing chose to use a dark gray color with a dull finish. It's a bit disappointing that they don't offer as many color options as their Buds Pro and Watch Pro. This is because even though this charger uses a dark color, it is very easy to get dirty and scratched. Even so, this charger is very good because firstly it is indeed marketed for Malaysia using a UK plug. Then the arrangement of each port is organized and friendly with various cables.
CMF by Nothing also supports many charging standards as most GaN chargers are universal and compatible with many devices. First of all, both USB-C ports support Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply that can change power from 25W to 55W and 16.25W to 65W and the second is the USB-A port that supports charging from 15W to 36W.
During my month of use, this charger had no problem charging the Huawei Matebook 14s laptop, Nothing Phone (2) and CMF by Nothing Watch Pro simultaneously at high speed. This charger is also able to ensure that the device does not heat up during charging because it itself absorbs heat to its body. Priced at RM189, this is one of Malaysia's good official set GaN fast chargers and should be owned by everyone.
CONCLUSION
After using these three products, I can say that CMF by Nothing managed to give me a good usage experience. Buds Pro is an acceptable basic TWS for those with a budget of less than RM300, while Watch Pro is an expensive basic watch but has a watch face with beautiful and user-friendly apps. Finally Power 65W GaN is the best fast charger I have ever used for the official one sold in Malaysia at a fairly competitive price.
PROS AND ADVANTAGES
An introduction to the good Nothing ecosystem.
Suitable for first-time users of TWS, smartwatches and GaN chargers.
Beautiful and user-friendly app design on Nothing X and CMF Watch.
Interesting color options for Watch Pro and Buds Pro.
Unique and different product packaging.
CONS AND ADVANTAGES
There is no color option for the Power 65W GaN and it scratches easily.
Buds Pro does not have the interesting features and functions of LHDC compared to competitors at the same price.
Watch Pro has a notification problem that is inconsistent and not friendly to all user skins.
Requires two applications for products in the same ecosystem.
The Buds Pro and Watch Pro are quite expensive compared to the competition.