In-Depth Review: Nothing CMF 2 Pro 5G (8GB RAM, 128GB) — Best Phone Under ₹20,000

CMF Phone 2 Pro is one of the top choices in the sub-₹20,000 smartphone segment in India, offering premium-feeling features at an affordable price. Designed by Nothing, the phone combines a clean software experience, a high-quality AMOLED display, capable performance, and a versatile camera setup.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro by Nothing has quickly become one of the top choices in the sub-₹20,000 segment in India, offering premium-feeling features at an affordable price. Here’s a complete breakdown you can use for your blog article — from design and performance to cameras, battery, and real-world impressions.

Overview

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a budget-friendly 5G smartphone that brings flagship-inspired features to the ₹15k–₹20k price bracket. It runs. Nothing’s clean Nothing OS 3.2 is based on Android 15 with a long-term update promise.

Price (India)

  • 8GB + 128GB variant: ~₹18,999 (often available around ₹18,453)
  • 8GB + 256GB variant: ~₹20,000+ depending on offers and retailers
    (Prices vary with sales and bank offers.)

Design & Display

Display:

  • 6.77-inch Flexible AMOLED panel
  • FHD+ resolution (1080×2392)
  • 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate and HDR10+
  • Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness for vivid outdoor visibility

This vibrant, colour-rich screen is one of the standout features in this price range, making it great for videos, browsing, and gaming.

Build & Design:

  • Slim body (~7.8 mm) and lightweight (~185 g)
  • Panda Glass protection on front
  • IP54 dust and splash resistance adds durability without making the phone bulky.

Read our detailed Realme Narzo 90x review for a comparison with other budget 5G phones.

Performance

Under the hood, the phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chipset — a capable 4 nm octa-core processor paired with 8 GB RAM.

✔ Daily Use: Smooth for social apps, web browsing, and multimedia.
✔ Gaming: Handles popular games like BGMI reasonably well at medium settings; claims 120 FPS support, but real-world performance is closer to a stable 60–90 FPS depending on software updates and optimisation.

The software is clean, near-stock Android, with a promised 3 major OS updates and 6 years of security patches — a rare promise in this budget segment.

Camera Capabilities

Rear Cameras:

  • 50 MP main sensor with EIS (electronic image stabilization)
  • 50 MP telephoto lens with 2× optical zoom & up to 20× digital zoom
  • 8 MP ultra-wide lens
  • Front: 16 MP selfie camera

The telephoto camera is especially noteworthy since optical zoom is uncommon in this price tier.
However, the ultra-wide lens and low-light shots can be average compared to flagship phones — typical for this segment.

You can also explore our detailed coverage of Samsung smartphones to understand how the Galaxy S25 lineup fits into the brand’s clean software philosophy and long-term update strategy.

Battery & Charging

Battery: 5,000 mAh — strong all-day battery life with 6–7 hours+ screen-on time under mixed usage.
Charging: 33 W fast charging — decent but not class-leading; a full charge takes roughly 1 hr 15 min-1 hr 30 min.

This setup reliably gets you through a day even with heavy usage.

Audio & Connectivity

  • Mono speaker — adequate but not the loudest or richest in sound quality.
  • 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 for future-proof connectivity.
  • The under-display fingerprint sensor works well for secure unlocking.

Note for Indian users: The Indian variant reportedly does not include NFC, which may affect contactless payments for some. If you’re comparing battery endurance, display quality, and everyday performance, don’t miss our Poco M8 5G review.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Superb 120 Hz AMOLED display with high brightness.
  • Triple camera setup with rare telephoto zoom for this price.
  • Clean software experience with extended updates.
  • Good battery endurance and 5G support.

Cons

  • Mono speaker quality is average.
  • The ultra-wide camera is underwhelming.
  • Charging speed is not class-leading.
  • Some users report occasional UI quirks and software bugs in real-world use.

Final Verdict — Should You Buy It?

The CMF Phone 2 Pro is one of the best value-for-money phones under ₹20,000 in 2025 if your priorities are display quality, cameras with optical zoom, a clean software experience, and reliable daily performance. It’s especially compelling for media consumption and everyday use, though power gamers and audio enthusiasts might prefer alternatives with faster charging or stereo speakers.

You can also check out our Honour X80 review to see how it compares with other premium-feeling smartphones.

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