Verdict
A bold design couple on with a unique software personality sees Nothing ’s CMF Watch Pro 2 instantly become one of the best budget smartwatches of 2024.It mostly skip in - depth perceptivity and heavyweight feature , but tweaks to sleep monitoring and natural process trailing check it punch well above its weight and becomes an incredibly easy vigil to advocate .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The entry - level smartwatch market place has long been plagued by a of the essence trade - off : affordability at the disbursal of pattern .
Brands have spent the last few years churning out near - indistinguishable square devices , heavily barrack by theApple Watchand often sacrificing originality to meet the down Mary Leontyne Price point . The Nothing CMF Watch 2 Pro changes this .
While the brand ’s original Watch Pro did provide a bit of an court to Apple ’s smartwatch , the Watch 2 Pro sweep up the substance force of Nothing ’s bomber - steel : a committal to unequaled design language .
The solution is a $ 69/£69 smartwatch blow a distinct looking at and sense . Of course , some compromise are inevitable at this Mary Leontyne Price detail , but Nothing has packed the CMF Watch 2 Pro with feature thatreallydefy its low damage tag and make it one of thebest smartwatchesat this price .
Design and Screen
ditch the square case of the first - gen watch , Nothing has hug a classical rotary design with a sleek Al body this time .
The 1.32 - inchAMOLEDdisplay is sharp and vibrant , with a in full functional digital crown a very welcome addition . Unlike the original , this change ensures you could scroll through the app dock and screens much more easily .
The sizing also sense just right – neither too bulky for low wrists nor too minor for larger ones , unlike some competitors . And from a sodding ‘ feel ’ perspective , the $ 69/£69 price tag end is knockout to fathom .
Though admittedly a middling unscientific examination , I asked friends and mob to guess the damage of the Watch 2 Pro during examination . None got secretive to right gauge that price tag .
It ’s not that the Watch Pro 2 feel insurance premium – it does n’t – but it does ooze out a fun style that mean you do n’t expect it to , either .
Our only minor beef is the make etching on the bezel , which total across as slightly trashy . Even when you perform the lookout ’s clever party caper – changing out the bezel – it ’s still there .
Initially , I was a bit questioning about the theme of blending casing colours with a different bezel , but the two - whole tone end - result termination of swap it out really exercise .
The leather straps are also interchangeable , too , though the pin buckle design feel less convenient compared to the chute - and - lock mechanisms found on pricier watches .
The 44 g weight is barely detectable during exercise , and the 14 mm depth ( though not the thinnest ) allows it to sit well under clothing without snagging . My examination , which included plenty of gymnasium school term and put on during DIY projects , has n’t result in any clams – a testament to the watch ’s work up caliber .
The display itself is also a succeeder . The 466 x 466 - pixel settlement translates with safe clarity , while the refresh rate bump ( to 60fps , from last - gen ’s 50fps ) ensure noticeably smoother scrolling . With a peak brightness of 650 nits ( and car - adjustment capabilities ) , legibility in bright sunlight is a non - issue .
However , while the display boast telling lucidness and reactivity , I did encounter a slight drawback – its susceptibility to fingerprints . The Watch Pro 2 can become a moment of a smudge - fest after a few hours of vesture , with the lack of a strong-arm back button ensuring you ’ll have to interact with the touchscreen frequently .
I spent more time than usual during testing pass over this one clean and jerk . And while it ’s not a dealbreaker , the CMF Watch 2 Pro could have done with an additional button to help reduce touchscreen time .
Software
Last year ’s CMF Watch Pro was hit with a few software bug – single that reminded you this was still very much a budget smartwatch . gratefully , though , thing have been round up this time around .
I still run across a syncing exit on Android a twosome of times – yet , with pre - release update seem to have addressed it , this is one I would be surprised to see survive to final building block .
On the sentinel , the software is both visceral and stylish . The swipeable ( and editable ) widgets offer a neat way to catch up with the necessary , and a salubrious set of original watch font insure the overall feel is n’t as derivative as rival budget watches .
It is all quite canonic ( smarts extend to weather update and wise assistant support ) , with advanced smartwatch features like contactless payment , cellular connectivity , and a full app store are all absent . still , these are n’t the features expected at this terms range .
Instead , the Watch Pro 2 ’s software package charm lies in its distinguishable personality . Unlike many generic smartwatch interface , it feels like a measured and singular creation .
This focus on design also extends to the splendid companion app . Featuring Nothing ’s key signature orange , “ NDOT ” baptismal font , and digital - style icons , the app supply a seamless user experience .
significantly , like the watch itself , it also deal to mostly void the frustrations often associated with similarly price option , or else becoming a weapons platform you actually discover yourself spending time in rather than trying to fend off at all cost .
Activity Tracking
If the Watch Pro 1 ’s fitness trailing left elbow room for improvement , the Watch Pro 2 takes a decent step towards addressing some of the primary issues while also impart some neat new feature article .
The app presentation has find out some major glitch fixes , with GPS data now displaying aright after physical exertion . I did run into the odd blank graphical record in the Android test app , though .
GPS lock - on times are also still a weak point . Even in open surface area , it takes minutes to gain a signal , though the collected data is amazingly accurate compare to aGarmin gimmick . It only underreported distance by a few hundred meter on my test running and walks .
While look to get the gullible lightness from the GPS , I also enjoyed a new accession to the Watch Pro 2 : guided workout warm - ups . If you ’ve selected an outdoor function exercise , for example , you could choose to take part in a 12 - step warm - up modus operandi demonstrated by an on - concealment avatar .
gist rate trailing ( which now includes HR zone ) is also improved , as my initial examination shows an underreporting of only 2 - 3 BPM compared to Garmin and Whoop . antecedently , CMF ’s sensing element was well off , overreporting by as much as 10 - 15BPM .
It ’s what also make the new in - profundity grooming datum enticing . While often half - baked by firebrand delivering budget watches , the Watch Pro 2 ’s estimations of training loading , recovery prison term , and workout effectiveness are all presented neatly .
The data for these metric all align well with a Garmin gimmick – which is pretty unbelievable for a watch this cheap . While unexampled Strava , Apple Health , and Google Health Connect integrations permit for more elaborated analytic thinking and reach if you crave it .
Health and Sleep Tracking
While the ultra - budget price shred of the Watch Pro 2 excludes it from extend advanced health features likeECGreadings or skin temperature analytic thinking , it does bring some canonic functionality .
Nothing provides on - demand blood atomic number 8 saturation and stress readings here , along with a uncomplicated app for basic breathing exercises . In testing , these features perform reliably – even with 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring enabled , I did n’t encounter the sub-95 % version common with some budget smartwatches . The strain mark ( 1 - 100 ) also loosely aligned with a mellow - endGarmin Epix Pro ( Gen 2)throughout the day .
exchangeable to fittingness trailing , Nothing claim an improved rest monitoring algorithm for the second - gen spotter . This is a welcome change , as the original Watch Pro was notorious for inaccurate sleep duration ( sometimes overvalue by an time of day ) and importantly underreporting bass sleep compared to other tracker .
While implicit in limitations survive in sleep level assessments , these core military issue with sopor tracking have been resolved in the Pro 2 .
My test social unit mate fall - asleep and heat - up time precisely with Garmin , Oura , and Whoop devices – a feat seldom seen in entry - level smartwatches .
However , like with the set of feature article , the Watch Pro 2 does fall curt of top - tier up wellness tracker in the insights department . The demonstration of what is tracked is solid , but the vigil does lack features like quietus scores , retrieval insights , and tenacious - term trend analysis , meaning the overall experience feel operational and polished but not in any way in - deepness .
There is at least hertz trailing for women this fourth dimension around . pick up it include at all is a convinced sign , given this is an arena often passed over in budget gadget .
Battery Life
Nothing advertises an 11 - day bombardment life for the Watch Pro 2 – a little decrease from the original mannequin ’s 13 twenty-four hour period . However , it ’s important to note this frame is based on the brand ’s “ typical use ” , which involve rick off features like the always - on display ( AOD ) .
In testing , I push the Watch Pro 2 closer to its demarcation . I had the AOD fighting from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM , the sentinel coiffe to automatic cleverness , and continuous blood oxygen tracking and stress monitoring enabled , reach around 4 - 5 24-hour interval of battery life . It ’s a very decorous exhibit , even if not course of study - leading .
In a quick test incapacitate the AOD and advanced trailing feature , the battery still drained at a quicker rate than a watch like theAmazfit Active , though 10 - 12 days is achievable here – especially with a power saving mode also at your disposal .
Whichever way you slice up it , the Watch Pro 2 also far surpasses the lineament - robust smartwatches from Apple , Samsung , and Google . So , while the Watch Pro 2 ’s barrage fire life is n’t exceptional , it remain a exculpated advantage over pricier watches .
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Should you buy it?
Boasting exact data , a playfulness design , and upstanding battery life , this is an excellent pick for those on a tight budget .
While offer up some smart feature and a refined platform , the CMF Watch Pro 2 lacks ‘ proper smartwatch ’ features like contactless payments , third - political party apps , and LTE .
Final Thoughts
With its unique design , clean software , and accurate trailing , the CMF Watch 2 Pro gets my seal of approval as arguably thebest smartwatchat this price .
It may not deliver in - depth health or activity insights , but it ’s very much a budget smartwatch that ca n’t be beat on economic value .
Trusted Score
How we test
We thoroughly test every smartwatch we reexamine . We apply industry - standard testing to equate feature article decently and we use the watch as our main machine over the followup period . We ’ll always say you what we see and we never , ever , accept money to reexamine a product .
FAQs
Yes , this vigil knead with both IOS and Android gimmick .
