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!
London-based tech company Nothing, led by co-founder and CEO Carl Pei, is making big plans for India. During his visit to the country, Pei met with Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, to discuss the company’s future.
After the meeting, Pei shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Nothing will invest about $100 million (around Rs 860 crores) in India over the next three years. This investment will also create more than 1,800 new jobs. As part of the plan, Nothing is setting up a joint manufacturing venture with Optiemus, a well-known Indian electronics manufacturer.
What About CMF by Nothing, Nothing’s Sub-Brand?
Nothing also confirmed changes for its budget-friendly sub-brand CMF by Nothing. The company said CMF will now function as an independent subsidiary in India, with its global operations, R&D, and manufacturing shifting to the country.
Carl Pei called CMF a “success in India” and said the brand aims to become the first truly global smartphone brand from India. Optiemus Executive Chairman Ashok Gupta added that this collaboration reflects the strength of the Indian tech ecosystem and supports the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.
What’s Next for Nothing?
Nothing has been growing rapidly, recently reaching a $1.3 billion valuation. The company also raised $200 million in a Series C funding round. Looking ahead, Nothing is preparing to enter the AI race next year, with plans to launch AI-powered devices designed to change how people use AI on their smartphones.
With this new investment and expansion, India is set to become a major hub for Nothing’s manufacturing, exports, and innovation.
Nothing has released a new software update for the Nothing Phone (3) this September. The update comes with the build number Nothing OS V3.5-250911-2112 and has a size of 280 MB. It brings multiple improvements to the camera, system performance, and overall user experience.
Camera Enhancements
The new update focuses heavily on improving the camera experience. The exposure slider is now smoother and easier to control, while a tint issue that caused unnatural colours has been fixed for more balanced results.
The AI SuperRes Zoom has also been updated, making text appear sharper. Action Mode now produces less noise, and third-party apps benefit from better camera clarity. Videos also look better with improved contrast, reduced haze, and more vibrant colours.
General Improvements and Fixes
Along with the camera, the update brings many system-level enhancements. The Glyph Matrix display for Always-on Glyph Toys now works better in multi-user mode. A bug that showed duplicated contact avatars in Essential Notifications has been fixed, and haptic feedback issues while previewing Generative mode have also been resolved.
For Arabic users, the title alignment in the “About phone” section has been improved. The Bluetooth device recording UI has been redesigned and can be found in Settings > Sound & Vibration.
The update also focuses on better performance—battery consumption has been optimised, heating issues in certain scenarios have been reduced, and Wi-Fi connectivity is now more stable. Overall system stability and speed have also been improved.
With this update, the Nothing Phone (3) promises a smoother performance and an improved camera setup, making it more reliable for daily use and photography. Users are advised to download the update for the best experience.
Nothing has launched its latest true wireless earphones, the Nothing Ear (3). The new earbuds bring a fresh design, better sound, longer battery life, and an all-new Super Mic feature for clearer calls.
Improved Design with Aluminum
For the first time, the Ear (3) uses aluminum parts in its case, giving it a premium look while keeping the brand’s signature transparent design.
Super Mic for Clearer Calls
The highlight of the Ear (3) is the Super Mic system built into the case. It is a dual-mic setup that can reduce up to 95 dB of noise, activated with a new ‘Talk’ button. This feature improves call clarity and can also be used for recording voice notes on both Android and iOS.
Each earbud also has a three-mic system with bone-conduction technology for better voice pickup. The earbuds support adaptive noise cancellation up to 45 dB for an improved listening experience.
Better Sound and Features
The Ear (3) comes with 12mm dynamic drivers, tuned for stronger bass and a wider soundstage. It supports Spatial Audio (static) and audio codecs like AAC, SBC, and LDAC.
Other features include:
- Bluetooth 5.4 with dual-device connection
- In-ear detection
- Low-lag mode
- Hi-Res certification
- IP54 rating for both earbuds and case
Battery Life and Charging
Each earbud has a 55 mAh battery, while the case houses a 500 mAh cell. With ANC on, the Ear (3) lasts up to 5.5 hours, and up to 10 hours without ANC. The charging case provides an extra 38 hours. The case also supports fast charging and wireless charging.
Price and Availability
The Nothing Ear (3) will be available in White and Black colors, priced at $179 / €179. Sales will begin on September 25. Currently, I have no idea when it will be coming to India.