Nothing Announces CMF Sub-Brand in Community Update, Carl Pei Teases Launch of Smartwatch and Earbuds

Nothing has announced the launch of a new sub-brand — CMF by Nothing. The UK startup, led by OnePlus Co-Founder Carl Pei, is aiming to reach more consumers and will provide access to more affordable devices, starting with a smartwatch and a pair of earphones. The announcement comes a month after the company unveiled its second smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2, that is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and features a reworked version of its unique Glyph Interface.

In a community update posted to YouTube on Thursday, Pei announced the launch of CMF by Nothing, a sub-brand that is aimed at "making a new range of products that make better design more accessible". Stating that the value segment doesn't have a lot of devices to "get excited about", Pei says that the sub-brand will have a design-led organisation like Nothing, but doesn't mention whether CMF devices will feature Nothing's unique transparent design.

According to Pei, Nothing and CMF will have distinct roles to play. The former will continue to create premium, design-focussed products that feature the latest technology, while CMF by Nothing will make devices that are accessibly priced, to get more users to access Nothing's ecosystem.

The CMF by Nothing sub-brand will be run by a separate team that will operate within the UK startup, according to Pei — a decision that was taken to prevent any "distraction from our main products". He also teased the launch of a pair of wireless earphones and a smartwatch, which will debut later this year. Other details, including availability in markets like India, are yet to be revealed.

It appears that Nothing's new sub brand will compete with affordable products from competitors like OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, and other brands that offer devices that are cheaper than its Nothing Ear 2 and Nothing Ear Stick truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. These products are priced at Rs. 8,999 and Rs. 4,999, respectively.

The announcement of the CMF by Nothing sub-brand comes a month after the company announced the launch of the Nothing Phone 2, a smartphone with notable upgrades over its first-generation handset. The phone is powered by last year's flagship-grade Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and features a 50-megapixel dual rear camera setup. It also sports a redesigned version of the LED-based Glyph Interface on the rear panel that has been updated with support for displaying progress bars from third party apps.