Once again, ostentatious aesthetics meet you right at the gate, with a bad surprise in tow. Nothing offers the CMF Buds in three colors: white, black, and orange. I checked out the white trim at a store and they look and feel fantastic, punching way higher above their market worth. We got the signature orange version for review, which is dazzling, but in a subjectively garish fashion.
Everything here’s an all-plastic affair, but the quality is admirable, and so is the attention to detail. The pebble-shaped case has a USB-C port and a large circular power button that gets the earbuds into pairing mode. I’m glad there is no hit-or-miss touch-and-hold system at play here involving the earbuds.
The standout element, however, is the rotating silver wheel. Depending on how much your hyperactivity loathes a fidget spinner, you’ll either like it or hate. But it looks unlike anything, and in a good way. It also disguises a pair of holes to latch a lanyard, which is once again a rare trait to see on earbuds.
What’s interesting is that Nothing has enough cash to put an aluminum alloy dial on the CMF Buds that only exists as an exquisite design element.
Also unexpected — in a bad way — is the lack of USB-C cable in the retail package. Carl Pei has been vocal about how he holds Apple in high regard and also loves to take potshots at the brand from time to time. Yet, Apple — which more or less started the trend of yanking accessories of the retail package — offers a cable in the AirPods box.
