CMF Watch 2 Pro

Nothing recently kick-started their budget-orientated CMF sub-brand, and we initially reviewed the key new launch, the CMF Phone 1. But this has happened alongside a new wearable that also has the potential to set fire to a long, long line of competitors that have been getting away with selling cheap but ultimately disappointing rectangular fitness smartwatches for far too long. This is the CMF Watch 2 Pro.

We'll start again with the price, and it's £69 in the UK. That's cheap. It's well over a quarter of an Apple Watch SE, close to a third of what Huawei charges for their otherwise fairly cheap Watch Fit 3, and it's a full third of OnePlus' Watch 2. So this is cheap - really cheap. The CMF Watch 2 Pro is really in competition with so-called 'Smart Bands' from the likes of Xiaomi, Redmi, Amazfit and Samsung, small rectangular fitness options that do little more than copy Apple's training routines.

That's why unboxing the CMD Watch 2 Pro is pretty wild, to say the least. Because this feels like anything but something that's been put together to hit a certain budget target. The gorgeous display may be circular, but the matte finish around the circles, the included orange strap that is surprisingly well constructed, and the packaging itself is gorgeous. Sure, it's CMF, but it's also Nothing, and they've already cracked the code of quality feel with limited resources.

The CMF Watch 2 Pro has endless character right out of the gate, but now that specs matter too, let's take a look at them here. You get a 1.32" AMOLED display in 466x466, which actually performs over 620 NITS in 60Hz. While it's extremely difficult to figure out exactly which SoC is under the hood, CMF's proprietary OS is quite lightweight, and in part resembles a sort of Nothing interpretation of Samsung's Tizen. In other words, there are over 100 workout modes, surprisingly deep integration with notification centres across phone brands, plenty of customisable watchfaces and something like a week of battery life.

There's even official IP68 certification, an interchangeable bezel, the ring that sits around the watch face, and it uses standardised 22 millimetre straps. The crown can be used to navigate the simple software and the accompanying app is both stylish in typical Nothing style and functional, if not a little simple. But you could easily argue that you'd spend more on a watch.

What you're forced to live with is a proprietary UI, and that means there's a lack of broader functionality that only apps can provide, and there are no apps at all. It's not a larger ecosystem, like on an Apple Watch, or a Pixel Watch. But even with that in mind, this is an excellent alternative to the cheapest smartwatches, which have far more style, identity and matching functionality.