Nothing's sub-brand CMF has made an honest decision: it will not launch a new phone in 2026.
Fans hoping for a successor to the popular CMF Phone 2 Pro will have to wait longer.
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The main reason is the sharp rise in memory prices.
Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis confirmed that the team had been working on a follow-up, but increasing costs for DRAM and storage made it difficult to offer a meaningful upgrade without raising the price significantly.
That would go against CMF's budget-friendly identity.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro, launched in 2025, was praised for its value: a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, a 120Hz AMOLED display, decent cameras, and solid battery life, all for around €259 or ₹18,999.
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However, memory prices jumped over 90% in early 2026, largely due to massive demand from AI data centers, making the numbers not add up.
Evangelidis stated: “We’d rather be upfront about that than ship something we’re not proud of.” This transparency is rare in an industry that often rushes out half-baked updates.
The issue is not limited to CMF. Nothing's main brand is also feeling the pressure.
CEO Carl Pei has mentioned that memory costs have nearly doubled, affecting phones like the Phone (4a).
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Across the board, brands are slowing down launches or rethinking entry-level and mid-range plans to keep prices affordable.
CMF is not going quiet. They have teased new products and completely new categories coming later in 2026.
Tipster Yogesh Brar has hinted that the shelved project might resurface as a “Nothing Phone (4a) Lite,” possibly launching as soon as next month.
That could offer more pricing flexibility in the mid-range, around ₹25,000 and above.
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For now, the current CMF Phone 2 Pro may remain a strong recommendation for longer than expected.
