CMF Watch Pro Review: Just a WATCH

It was hard for Nothing to sell budget products as they’re trying to create a premium brand, so they created a new brand called CMF which stands for Color, Material, and Finish.

That being said, we have the first smartwatch from CMF which is the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro. Yes, they can’t drop the Nothing Brand otherwise, the watch won’t sell. 

The CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is priced at Rs 4,499 in India and $69 in the USA. It comes in two colors; orange and dark gray.

CMF by Nothing Watch Pro Review

Yes, the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is worth buying because it offers everything from built-in GPS, Bluetooth calling, the latest Bluetooth 5.3, metal build, smooth software, and a well-made application while the Rs 4,499 price is good for what CMF by Nothing is offering.

Keep in mind, that this is not a proper smartwatch, it neither has a Play Store nor even eSIM support. This is just a fitness tracker with a bigger display, nothing else.

The biggest highlight of the watch is the software, it’s the same as other budget smartwatches but CMF by Nothing Watch Pro software feels smooth and it’s more polished compared to others.

Related: 5 Best Smartwatches Under Rs 5,000

The watch runs on both Android as well as on iPhone, you just need to download the CMF Watch App and you’re good to go.

Now, let’s take a deep dive and find out what Nothing or should I say CMF has to offer at Rs 4,449 or $69. (USA price looks and feels good).

CMF by Nothing Watch Pro Specifications:

• Display: 1.96-inch 58Hz AMOLED display and resolution of 410 x 502.
• Build: ALUMINUM ALLOY and Plastic Back
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth Version 5.3
• Sensors: GPS, Accelerometer, Heart Rate Sensor, SpO2 Sensor
• Microphone and Speaker: Yes
• Other Features: 110 Sports Mode, Built-in GPS, Sleep Tracking, Heart rate monitoring, SpO2,  and Smart Notifications.
• Compatible Device:  Android 5 or Above Devices and iOS 5 or Above 
• Battery: 340mAh (0% to 100% in 2.50 hours)
• Weight: 32 grams
• Smartwatch Range: 10 m
• Colors: Orange and Dark Gray

Display

The CMF by Nothing Watch Pro comes with a 1.96-inches 58Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 410 x 502 and a peak brightness of 600 nits. It also has always on display which is customizable within the watch.

The watch does have bezels all around it but they are equal which looks great but yes, the bezels are there. 

The screen brightness is good too, there won’t be any sort of problems while seeing the time or even looking at the workout numbers under the sunlight.

The touch response is solid too. Also, the watch UI is smooth which makes the AMOLED display more beautiful than what it is.

The only problem is, that the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is only available in one size which means that if you have a small wrist then this will feel and look bigger in your hands.

Now, this does feel like Nothing has imported everything from China and added their logo on top but I’m not so sure about it.

Overall, the display is solid and there is nothing to complain about.

Build and Comfort

The frames are made out of ALUMINUM ALLOY while the back has plastic which is totally fine because this is what other brands are doing in the budget segment. 

Keep in mind that the Dark Grey color has a matt finish while the Orange color has a glossy finish. If you ask me, the Dark gray color looks premium.

The watch has 32 grams of weight which is acceptable. So yes, if you’re planning to wear the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro all day all night then the weight won’t be a huge problem.

CMF by Nothing has also added 1 microphone and 1 speaker and they’re good. Now, wait for the Bluetooth call, we will talk in-depth in a minute.

In short, the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is comfortable to wear, and the build quality is solid for the price it comes.

Accuracy

It has built-in GPS with support for 5 satellite positioning systems, IP68 rating, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, SpO2 monitoring, step counting, and 110 sports modes.

I have said many times that don’t rely on budget smartwatches for SpO2 or even heart rate because most of them offer optical heart rate sensors.

The optical heart rate sensor is good but it’s not the best if you have some serious health problems. 

Of course, the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro provides close to accurate data and they’re comparable to other budget smartwatches and even pulse oximeters.

Still, when you’re tracking your heart rate or even SpO2, keep the error of margin about 5% to be on the safer side.

I have noticed this with most of the budget smartwatches, sometimes, they provide the same data as pulse oximeter but sometimes they’re not even close.

For example, if you have walked about 1000 steps then sometimes, the watch will show you about 900 steps and sometimes 1050. Still, I feel, Nothing has done a good job as they’re working on the software side.

Also, this is the first watch from Nothing, this was bound to happen.

Because of this, the accuracy will get better. This is what they did with Nothing Phone 1 and I’m the same for the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro.

Also, take SpO2 numbers with a grain of salt. The same goes for heart rate as well.

The built-GPS is a great Add-on but it takes more than 20 seconds to figure out the current location which is kind of odd. It should have been faster as it has 5 satellite positioning systems.

With time, the watch will get better. Still, accuracy is better compared to other Indian Wearable Brands.

Software 

I love what Nothing has done with CMF by Nothing Watch Pro software, it’s clean and smooth. It feels perfect but yes, there is room for improvement.

By the way, the watch doesn’t have an auto-brightness sensor, you need to manually adjust the brightness.

Also, you can’t expand the workout data or even sleep data, you need to use an app which is not cool at all. It would have been better If I could see my heart rate graph when I was doing exercise or went for a run.

The plus point is, a clean app and watch UI. It feels premium because of the software experience.

One more thing, you can’t expand the text on the watch, you can only see who messaged you but for some reason, you won’t able to see more details.

Nothing just need to add a few extra features.

Bluetooth Calling

Nothing new about Bluetooth calling here, it’s the same as other watches, 1 mic and 1 speaker. You can also trigger the assistant whether it’s Siri or Google.

Let’s keep it simple, 

For example, you’re in a public place where people are talking to each other, bikes are running around, or there is noise from cows and even dogs. 

In this kind of environment, another person on call will have a hard time hearing your voice and the same goes for you as well.

So yes, don’t expect that Nothing has solved this problem. It was there for a long time in other budget smartwatches and it is still present in CMF by Nothing Smartwatch Pro.

This is a generic smartwatch with Nothing Name on top.

Now, if you’re at home then there won’t be any sort of problem, everything will be normal and another person will be able to hear you clearly.

By the way, you can receive and hang up the call directly from the watch. You can even any dial the number if the watch is connected to your smartphone.

Overall, the CMF by Nothing Watch Pro has solid call quality. Nothing extraordinary but good for the price it comes.

Battery Life

The CMF by Nothing Watch Pro has a 340mAh battery which CMF by Nothing claims to last for 13 days which is not true, obviously.

If you’re not gonna use features like Bluetooth calling and even 24/7 heart rate tracking expect the battery to last between 7 to 10 days.

However, if you’re gonna use Bluetooth calling for 1 to 2 hours, 24/7 heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and even SpO2 monitoring then expect the battery to last between 3 to 5 days.

This is what I got. The number might be different for you but it will be almost similar to what I got.

By the way, the  CMF by Nothing Watch Pro will take 2.50 hours to charge from 0% to 100%.

CMF by Nothing Watch Pro Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Beautiful smooth AMOLED Panel	Built-in GPS is bit Slower
Solid Build Quality	Nothing needs to add basic features in the watch UI
Clean and smooth Watch UI
Well-Made Application
Built-in GPS
Decent Brightness
Not too Pricey
IP68 Rated
Bluetooth Calling Support
Long Lasting Battery Life

Verdict 

CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is the first smartwatch from CMF by Nothing and it’s Nothing new, it’s a generic smartwatch that can make and receive calls with the help of Bluetooth while heart tracking is hit or miss. Nonetheless, Rs 4,499 ($69) is the justifiable price for what Nothing is offering.

Still, if you have any sort of questions then feel free to drop a comment. I would love to help you out, see you there or you can also chat with me on Telegram.

By the way, we also have a WhatsApp Channel, so feel free to join the channel. And yes, it’s FREE…

Images by beebom/yt