Marques Brownlee Likes This $200 Budget Phone By Nothing, Why Does The Tech YouTuber Approve Of The 'Set of Trade-Offs' They Made?

Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, popularly known as MKBHD, has reviewed the CMF Phone 1 by Nothing, a budget sub-brand that is making waves in the $200 Android phone market.

What Happened: In his YouTube video that was posted earlier this week, Brownlee spoke about the CMF Phone 1’s unique design and software focus, which sets it apart in the crowded budget phone market.

Brownlee started the video by saying, “Love it or hate it, this is one of the most interesting new phones in the world at the moment,” adding, “On paper doesn’t really stand out specs-wise in the sea of other $200 Android phones that you can get
but it absolutely does stand out with its software and design.”

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The CMF Phone 1 features a removable and replaceable plastic back, available in multiple colors. The YouTuber said that while the battery isn't removable and the back cover feels cheap and flexible, once attached it becomes quite sturdy.

He said that it’s exciting to have the option to change the color, and it serves as a convenient upsell for the company.

There’s also a unique knob at the bottom corner for attaching accessories that comes with the phone: a kickstand, a cardholder wallet, and a lanyard. “It’s one more useful thing to separate it from other phones at 200 bucks in the design department.”

Powered by Nothing OS 2.6, the CMF Phone 1 offers a similar user experience to other Nothing phones. It features a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G chip, a 5000mAh battery, and a 50-megapixel primary camera sensor that takes “serviceable photos.”

However, the phone lacks NFC and wireless charging, and the plastic back makes it less water-resistant, said Brownlee.

Despite these trade-offs, Brownlee commended the phone for its design and software. “Budget phones make sacrifices,
that’s not a new concept here. But I like the set of trade-offs that they made with this one.”

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Photo Courtesy: Marques Brownlee via Wikimedia

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.