The modular design of the CMF Phone 1 did not live up to expectations: it will not be so easy to repair the smartphone

One of the main features of Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 is its removable back cover. One would expect that this would have a positive impact on the maintainability of the gadget. Disassembling the smartphone showed that this is not the case – some components, including the battery, are difficult to access due to hidden screws.

Image source: PBKreviews/YouTube

The popular YouTube channel PBKreviews, specializing in disassembling and assessing the maintainability of electronic devices, published a video with a detailed analysis of the CMF Phone 1 smartphone. Despite the “modular design” declared by the manufacturer, the device received an ambiguous assessment from an expert.

The channel’s host began disassembling the back panel, which, unlike most modern smartphones, is secured with four flat-head screws and one large screw, called the “Accessory Point” by the manufacturer. After removing the screws, the plastic cover can be easily removed using a special tool.

Under the cover was a battery protected by a thin layer of plastic. However, the expert warns that removing this protective layer voids the warranty and does not recommend removing the protection.

The next step was the removal of 12 Phillips screws, also protected with special stickers indicating the fact that the device had been tampered with. The upper part of the rear plastic cover contains the protective glass of the cameras and antennas.

Next, the expert got to the motherboard, on which the main and front cameras, hardware platform, RAM and flash memory, and sensors are located. However, even at this stage, removing the battery proved difficult due to the hidden screw under the Accessory Point.

Image source: PBKreviews/YouTube

Despite the stated modular design, the Nothing CMF Phone 1 smartphone received a repairability rating of 6.5 out of 10 points. The expert named the main disadvantages as the difficulty of removing the battery due to the hidden screw, as well as the more labor-intensive process, compared to other smartphones, of removing the plastic covers over the motherboard and speaker unit.