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!
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Nothing has teased another Pokémon on its official X account and Nothing Community, hinting that a new product could be on the way. This time, the company has shared Kingdra, Pokémon #230 in the National Pokédex.
Kingdra is a Water/Dragon-type Pokémon introduced in Generation II. The teaser features the Pokémon alongside a cryptic description about sleeping deep on the ocean floor to build energy and causing tornadoes when it wakes up.
What Could Nothing Be Launching Next?
Nothing has not revealed which product the new Pokémon teaser refers to. However, the company has previously used Pokémon-themed teasers to build anticipation for upcoming devices, making this latest post worth watching.
An audio product, such as new Nothing Ear earbuds or headphones, could be one possibility. A new smartphone or another product category cannot be ruled out either.
For now, the product name, specifications, pricing and launch date remain unknown. More details may emerge through future teasers from the company.
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Nothing has started rolling out the Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta update for the Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (2a) Plus, bringing Android 17 along with a refreshed user interface, new customisation options, camera improvements and several other features. The update started rolling out on October 21, 2026, with a reported download size of 3.14GB.
One of the biggest surprises in this update is the addition of the translucent theme and Micrographics clock face, giving users more ways to personalise their devices.
Nothing OS 5.0 Brings Translucent Theme and Micrographics Clock
The Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (2a) Plus receives the new translucent theme as part of the Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta. The updated design introduces translucent elements and wallpaper-inspired accent colours, offering a refreshed look across the interface.
The update also brings the Micrographics clock face, along with additional lock screen customisation options, including the ability to change the clock colour and choose a new clock design.
Other New Features in Nothing OS 5.0
Apart from the visual changes, the update introduces several new features and improvements:
- Separate Quick Settings and Notifications: Users can enable a split layout for easier access to notifications and system controls.
- New Glyph app: A dedicated app provides quicker access to Glyph Interface features.
- Home screen improvements: Users can arrange multiple app icons at once.
- New status indicators: Three-colour indicators show sensitive access, location and AI processing activity.
- New widgets: Collector, Away Time and Glyph Timer widgets expand home screen functionality.
- Updated system design: The Geist typeface, refreshed Settings interface and redesigned status bar icons improve the overall appearance.
- Smoother animations: Updated transitions improve the experience across widgets and recent tasks.
Camera Improvements
Nothing OS 5.0 brings several camera enhancements to the Nothing Phone (2a). These include Tuning with seven adjustable effects and a reset option, improved Presets editing, richer preset cards and Playground integration.
The update also introduces a new 2×2 camera widget and support for Filters and Tuning during video creation. Other improvements include video recording, zoom, close-up shooting, QR scanning, Google Lens and Motion Photo playback, alongside refinements to the camera interface, controls and animations.
Dark Theme, HDR and Other Improvements
The update expands Dark Theme support to many apps that do not offer a native dark mode. Users can also customise Enhanced HDR Brightness to adjust the intensity of HDR content.
Depth wallpapers now support pinch-to-shrink, while Live Updates receive an improved status bar experience. The update also adds Noto 3D Emoji support in Gboard, improves lock screen shortcut interactions and enables one-tap Bluetooth connection or disconnection through Quick Settings.
Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta: How to Update
Nothing Phone (2a) and Phoen (2a) Plus users can check for the update through the software update section in Settings. The rollout is happening in stages, so it may take some time to appear on all eligible devices.
As this is a beta release, users should back up their important data before installing it. Beta software may contain bugs and could temporarily cause increased battery consumption or heating.
What do you think of the new Nothing OS 5.0 design? Let us know in the comments.
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Nothing has started rolling out the stable Nothing OS 5.0 update for the Nothing Phone (3). The new update is based on Android 17 and brings a refreshed user interface, new customisation options, improved widgets, camera enhancements, and several system improvements.
The stable update is now rolling out to Phone (3) users who participated in the Open Beta programme. For beta users, the update size is 1.68 GB. The rollout is happening in phases, so it may take some time to reach every device.
Nothing OS 5.0 Update Details
- Device: Nothing Phone (3)
- Software version: Nothing OS 5.0
- Android version: Android 17
- Update size: 1.68 GB for beta users
- Update type: Stable update
New Translucent Theme Brings a Fresh Look
One of the biggest highlights of Nothing OS 5.0 is the new Translucent Theme. It brings a frosted-glass look to the Launcher, giving the interface a fresh and modern appearance.
The theme also uses subtle accent colours inspired by the current wallpaper. Users can enable it by going to Settings > Customisation > Theme & Style > Translucent.
Nothing has also refined the status bar icons, updated the Settings interface, and introduced the new Geist typeface. These changes make the overall interface look more consistent.
Two New Lock Screen Clock Styles
Nothing OS 5.0 brings two new clock faces to the lock screen: Gooey and Micrographics. While Gooey was already available in the Open Beta, the stable update introduces Micrographics as another option for users.
Gooey offers a bold and playful look with fluid shapes, giving the lock screen a unique appearance.
Micrographics takes inspiration from the graphic design of Nothing’s hardware. It brings the date, time, weather, and upcoming meetings together in one glanceable view, making it easier to check important information directly from the lock screen.
Users can also customise the clock colour to match their preferred style. Along with these new clock faces, Nothing OS 5.0 updates the wallpaper gallery and improves the overall customisation experience.
New Glyph App and Separate Quick Settings
The update introduces a dedicated Glyph app that makes it easier to access and manage Glyph Interface settings.
Another major change is the option to separate Quick Settings and Notifications into different panels. Users can enable this option through the system settings.
Nothing OS 5.0 also allows users to arrange multiple home screen app icons in bulk, making it easier to organise the home screen without moving every icon individually. A new three-colour status bar indicator also helps users identify sensitive access, location, and AI processing activity.
New Widgets and Camera Improvements
Nothing OS 5.0 brings several new widgets, including Collector widgets that let users decorate their home screens with photos. The Away Time widget helps users track time spent away from their phones, while Glyph Timer adds another useful option to the widget drawer.
The Camera app also receives multiple improvements. Users get a new Tuning feature with seven adjustable effects, improved Presets editing, and a new 2×2 Presets widget.
Video recording has also been enhanced with Filters and Tuning support, Dual-view Video, and H.265 encoding. Nothing has also improved several camera functions, including zoom, close-up shooting, QR scanning, Google Lens, and Motion Photo playback.
Other Improvements in Nothing OS 5.0
Apart from the visual changes, the update includes several useful system improvements:
- Expanded Dark Theme support for more apps.
- Adjustable HDR brightness intensity.
- Faster Essential Voice transcription.
- Improved lock screen shortcut interactions.
- One-tap Bluetooth connection and disconnection from Quick Settings.
- Improved Live Updates.
- Noto 3D Emoji support in Gboard.
- Better transition animations and interface refinements.
These additions aim to improve the everyday experience of using the Nothing Phone (3).
How to Download Nothing OS 5.0 Stable Update
Nothing Phone (3) users can manually check for the update by following these steps:
- Open Settings on your phone.
- Go to System.
- Tap System Update.
- Check for the latest update and download it if available.
- Install the update and restart your phone if required.
Since the update is rolling out in phases, it may not be available to everyone immediately. .
Final Words
Nothing OS 5.0 is a major update for the Nothing Phone (3), bringing Android 17 along with a new Translucent Theme, fresh lock screen clocks, new widgets, Glyph improvements, and camera enhancements.
The new design and clock styles are among the most noticeable changes, while the additional system features make the update more useful for everyday users. If you own a Nothing Phone (3), check your phone’s system settings to see whether the stable update is available.
What do you think about the new Translucent Theme in Nothing OS 5.0? Let us know in the comments.
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