Nothing
CMF Buds 2a First Impressions: Stylish Design, Good Sound, and Strong Battery Life Under ₹2,200
CMF by Nothing has launched its new budget-friendly CMF Buds 2a in India, and we got our hands on them for an early impression. These are not full reviews, but here’s what we experienced after using them for a few days.
Clean Design with a Unique Touch
The CMF Buds 2a comes in a square case with rounded edges. It has a matte white finish, which feels premium and smooth to hold. The case is pocket-friendly, although some people may find it slightly large.
One interesting part of the design is a rotating circular dial on the case. It doesn’t serve any function but can be used to attach a lanyard.
Opening and closing the case is smooth and clicky, and the earbuds are easy to take out and place back inside. The stem-style buds are compact and offer a comfortable fit. The magnets are strong, and the buds won’t fall out even if the case is open.
Easy Connectivity and Dual Pairing
Connecting the CMF Buds 2a is very simple. It supports Google Fast Pair for quick connection. Just open the case and press the button outside, and it appears on your phone screen instantly.
For the best experience, it’s recommended to use the Nothing X app, where you can customize controls and settings. These buds also support dual device connection, allowing you to switch between two devices easily.
Sound Quality and Bass Performance
The buds come with a 12.4mm driver and are tuned by Dirac for a balanced audio experience. The sound quality is good for the price, with clear lows, mids, and highs.
The Ultra Bass Technology works well. Bass at level 2 or level 3 is punchy and enjoyable, especially if you love listening to music.
Calling and Mic Quality
Mic quality is decent during normal use. Your voice will sound clear on calls. However, in noisy environments like while riding a bike, the mic struggles — which is common in most TWS earbuds in this range.
Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency
The CMF Buds 2a support up to 42dB Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It reduces background noise effectively, though not as powerful as more expensive earbuds like Nothing Ear (a). There’s also a Transparency Mode, which works nicely by boosting surrounding sounds when needed.
One thing to note: there’s no support for LHDC or LDAC codecs, so you won’t get high-res audio playback.
Battery Life That Impresses
The case packs a 460mAh battery, and each bud has 43mAh. With ANC and Transparency enabled, the buds last around 4–5 hours on a single use. The case can recharge them multiple times, offering great battery backup overall.
Even after several sessions of music, watching series, and playing BGMI with low-lag mode, the user only had to charge them once after unboxing.
Charging & Indicators
There’s a USB Type-C port on the right side of the case for charging. A red LED on the case indicates low battery, and once fully charged, it turns white.
Pricing and Availability
The CMF Buds 2a is available on Flipkart for Rs. 2,199. If available for under Rs. 2,000 during offers or sales, these earbuds could be one of the best budget options for everyday use.
Final Words
The CMF Buds 2a offer a premium design, good audio quality, decent ANC, and strong battery life — all under Rs. 2,200. If you’re looking for budget TWS earbuds with modern features, these are worth checking out.
A full review will follow soon with detailed testing!
Nothing has officially announced the Closed Beta program for its upcoming operating system update — Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16. This early build is now available exclusively for Phone (3) users who want to test the latest features before the official rollout. The company is offering this early access as a way to thank its early supporters.
In this Closed Beta, Nothing is focusing on bringing Android 16’s core features along with a stronger and more consistent design system. The new UI changes are expected to lay the foundation for a more polished and cohesive user experience in the future versions of Nothing OS.
Since this is a beta version, users can expect bugs and certain features not working properly. Nothing encourages users to join this program and help them identify and fix issues before the Open Beta release in September 2025. It’s a chance for users to be part of the development process and shape the final software.
To be eligible, participants must use the Phone (3) as their daily device. They should also be willing to provide regular feedback to the Nothing team, maintain information security, and understand that this early build may be unstable. Testing is expected to run from August 2025 to early September.
Nothing also warns users that this Android 16 build is in its early stages of development. Some features may be missing or not function properly. It is strongly recommended to back up your device regularly while testing. More details and disclaimers can be found in the sign-up form.
If you’re interested in joining, you need to fill out the form linked below before 5 PM BST on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Selected users will be informed via email within a week, along with complete onboarding instructions.
Phone (3) Android 16 Closed Beta Sign-Up Form
Himanshu Tandon, the head of POCO India, has stepped down from his role and is likely to join the smartphone company Nothing in August. According to a report by Moneycontrol, he is expected to lead Nothing’s CMF division.
Tandon was part of the founding team of POCO and became the head of its India operations in 2022. He worked under Sandeep Singh Arora, Xiaomi India’s Chief Business Officer, who joined the company from Samsung earlier this year.
This is the second major leadership change at Xiaomi India in less than a year. Earlier, in November 2024, Xiaomi India’s President Muralikrishnan B also left the company.
Xiaomi Faces Market Challenges, POCO Shows Growth
Tandon’s exit comes as Xiaomi is facing tough times in India. In the second quarter of 2025, the company’s smartphone shipments dropped by 25% compared to last year, falling to 5 million units. Its market share also dropped from 18% to 13%.
Despite this, POCO performed well. It increased its share of Xiaomi’s shipments in India from 30% to 41%, with 2.03 million units sold. According to Canalys, POCO’s success came from targeting Gen Z users, offering gaming features, and growing offline sales through JioMart Digital.
Tandon Likely to Lead Nothing’s CMF Division
Tandon is expected to join Nothing’s affordable and design-focused brand CMF. The London-based company recently shifted its global marketing team to India.
Nothing’s CMF brand, led by company co-founder Akis Evangelidis in India, has seen fast growth — 229% in Q2 — thanks to products like the CMF Phone 2 Pro and Phone 3a series.
Both Xiaomi and Nothing are expected to officially announce Tandon’s move in the coming days.
A new app called NoVolume is gaining attention among Nothing Phone users for its clean, minimal design that matches the unique style of Nothing OS. If you’re bored of the default Android volume slider, this app might be the perfect upgrade.
The NoVolume app lets users slide to adjust the volume smoothly, swipe right to show the default Android volume panel, and even change the position and sensitivity of the slider. It works well with Nothing Phone (1), Phone (2), Phone (2a), Phone (2a), Phone (3a), Phone (3a) Pro, CMF Phone 1, CMF Phone 2 Pro, Nothing Phone (3) and even other Android phones.
What makes it stand out is its simple UI and customizability. It blends perfectly with the Nothing Phone’s transparent and minimal design language. Users can personalize how and where the slider appears, making it both functional and stylish.
You can download the NoVolume app from Google Play Store.
The best part? It doesn’t require root access. Just install it like any other app and start using it right away.
For those who love the Nothing OS aesthetic and want to add a new touch to their phone’s interface, the NoVolume app is worth checking out.