Horizon

The best new tech heading your way

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1 CMF PHONE 2 PRO From £219, nothing.tech

While there probably isn’t enough evidence out there to come to a proper scientific conclusion, our hypothesis is that Nothing is being very deliberate with its releases: first a mainline phone, then a mid-range version of that, then a budget CMF edition to cap off the series. Design innovation in every one, of course, but very little lost as the tech trickles down.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro will look familiar to fans of the Phone 1, clinging on as it does to so many of its predecessor's design notes. It'll also feel rather familiar if you've looked at the Nothing Phone 3a, given that much of its hardware makeup is pretty much the same as its elder sibling. And still, Nothing plays with what a phone is supposed to be, with an unusual but not unattractive arrangement of camera lenses, the return of the Phone 1's dial, a super-slim 7.8mm body and 185g weight, a more colourful 120Hz adaptive FHD+ AMOLED display, all in a sustainable package which should keep kicking for a long time.

It’s not going to set the world alight in terms of power or performance, and as with everything else in the CMF range Nothing is doing the best it can considering a non-premium asking price. But this once again redefines the value of a budget phone - there's no need to make do with something boring or underwhelming when a little money could buy you an object you love a lot.

2 FOCAL BATHYS MG £999, focal.​com