CMF Phone 1 teardown reveals it’s not so easy to repair

2024-07-15

The CMF Phone 1 garnered high praise for its “modular design” but does that translate to easy repairability? PBKreviews is here to answer that question with his latest teardown video.

Unlike virtually all phones on the market, the back on the CMF Phone 1 is held in place by four flathead screws and one larger knob which Nothing calls the Accessory Point. Once all the screws are removed the plastic back can be popped off with a pry tool which reveals

The battery is hidden underneath a thin protective layer that peels off easily. Removing the plastic layer also voids your warranty so it’s not advisable.

Next up, the host removed 12 Phillips screws which also have tamper stickers to show if you’ve been meddling with the device and another way to void your warranty. The top half of the back plastic cover houses the camera lens covers and antennas

The next component is the motherboard which houses the back and front cameras, chipset, RAM, storage and sensors. Even then, the battery is still not easily removed due to a hidden screw below the Accessory Point.

Once the screw is removed the battery can be pulled out via the pull tabs.

Despite its “modular design” CMF Phone 1 earns a 6.5/10 repairability score with the battery removal being more complicated due to the hidden screw under the Accessory Point attachment. The plastic covers over the motherboard and speaker assembly are also harder to remove than on other phones.