Unremovable X-ray Abilities of CMF Phone 1 Persist
Update 07/18/24 at 5:11 p.m.ET: This post has been updated to outline the timing for the Phone 1 patch.
The budget-friendly sub-brand CMF has blockaded users from independently accessing the $200 Phone 1's depth sensor. While it's just a meager 2 MP lens and one of the two sensors on the phone's exterior, some users claimed it offered Superman-esque X-ray vision capabilities to peer through thin objects, such as plastic or bedsheets.
The CMF Phone 1 has gained favor among budget-conscious and DIY enthusiasts for its low price and customizable shell. The aesthetic of this phone is distinct from Nothing's other products, exhibiting elements found in Nothing's recent Phone (2a). It flaunts a high-resolution 50 MP primary camera, although two sensors reside on the phone's removable chassis. The secondary sensor serves as a depth sensor, but users are unable to access it individually. YouTube personality Maxwell Lu posted a video demonstrating the sensors' ability to see through the rear panel of his TV remote, a beanbag, and some bedsheets.
Nothing's co-founder and head of marketing, Akis Evangelidis, addressed the depth sensor's X-ray-like capabilities in a Twitter post. He explained that the depth sensor usually partners with the primary sensor to generate depth-of-field effects in Portrait Mode photos. Since the depth sensor lacks an infrared light filter, it can penetrate some semi-transparent materials best when contrasted against thin black plastic.
Evangelidis declared that an update was being rolled out to restrict third-party app access to the depth sensor. The patch was expected to drop sometime this week. In an email response, a spokesperson for Nothing confirmed that the update was already being distributed to some users. If all goes accordingly, some users' Phone 1s should already have received the patch.
Gizmodo could not independently verify Lu's claims regarding the sensor's functionality. He reportedly gained access to the sensor by running a third-party camera app in developer mode – a tactic similar to a similar controversy surrounding the OnePlus 8 Pro phone back in 2020. That device was equipped with an infrared camera filter like the CMF Phone 1's secondary sensor. Third-party app access to the camera filter on the OnePlus 8 Pro allowed users to see through thin plastic devices, such as TV remotes. While there was no possibility to use it for X-ray vision to peer through people's clothing, it was still an unintentional application for the phone.
In a tweet accompanying the update announcement, Evangelidis expressed frustration that "people are coming at us from all angles" because "they're not comfortable with our success." The CMF Phone 1 might not have been the vehicle for users to become the next generation of public peeping toms, but it does represent an unplanned facet of the phone.
- The CMF Phone 1, despite lacking an infrarred light filter in its depth sensor, has been found to purportedly exhibit X-ray-like capabilities in certain conditions, similar to a controversy surrounding the OnePlus 8 Pro.
- The budget-friendly sub-brand, CMF, has reportedly restricted users from independently accessing the depth sensor of the $200 Phone 1, opposed to what some users claimed offered Superman-esque X-ray vision capabilities.
- The update for the Phone 1, aiming to restrict third-party app access to the depth sensor, has been purportedly received by some users according to an email response from Nothing, the manufacturer.
- Akis Evangelidis, Nothing's co-founder and head of marketing, has expressed frustration with criticism towards the CMF Phone 1, claiming that people are not comfortable with the company's success.
