Nothing Removes CMF Phone 1’s X-Ray Capabilities

Nothing’s ultra-cheap subbrand CMF is restricting users’ autarkic entree to the $200 Phone 1’s extent sensor. It’s a specified 2 MP lens and 1 of lone 2 sensors connected the phone’s exterior, but immoderate users claimed it gave them Superman-like X-ray imaginativeness to spot done bladed integrative oregon adjacent immoderate bedsheets. 

The CMF Phone 1 has proved popular with the budget-conscious and DIY assemblage for the phone’s debased terms and easy customizable shell. It has a overmuch much constrained look than Nothing’s different products; it features immoderate of the aforesaid bundle featured connected Nothing’s caller Phone (2a). It sports a 50 MP superior camera, though 2 sensors are connected the phone’s screw-on chassis. The 2nd is simply a extent sensor, though it’s not thing users tin physically entree connected their own. One YouTuber named Maxwell Lu posted a video purportedly showing however the sensor could spot done the rear sheet of his TV remote, a beanbag, and immoderate bedsheets.

Nothing’s co-founder and caput of marketing, Akis Evangelidis, took to Twitter to corroborate the extent sensor’s see-through capabilities. He claimed the extent sensor usually works with the main sensor to make ample depth-of-field effects erstwhile taking photos successful Portrait Mode. Since this sensor doesn’t person an infrared airy filter, it could spot done immoderate semi-transparent objects. This works champion against bladed achromatic plastic, though it tin spot done immoderate different synthetic materials.

Evangelidis said they were updating its phones to region entree to the extent sensor via third-party apps. That was expected to travel successful an update sometime this week. Gizmodo reached retired to Nothing to corroborate if the update has deed users’ phones, and we’ll update this station if we larn more.

Gizmodo could not independently corroborate whether this worked arsenic shown. Lu claimed helium managed to entree the sensor by moving a third-party camera app successful developer mode. This is very, precise akin to a similar controversy with the OnePlus 8 Pro telephone backmost successful 2020. That instrumentality besides had an infrared camera filter diagnostic akin to the CMF Phone 1’s secondary sensor. 

Accessing that camera filter done a third-party app enabled it to spot done immoderate bladed integrative devices, specified arsenic TV remotes. However, it wasn’t imaginable to bash X-ray imaginativeness to look done people’s apparel unless you held them precise adjacent and they were wearing precise bladed garments made with immoderate genuinely off-brand materials.

So it’s not similar anybody with a CMF Phone 1 was ever susceptible of utilizing the extent sensor to go the adjacent breed of nationalist creep, but it was an unintended usage for the phone. In that aforesaid Twitter thread, Evangelidis complained that “people are trying to travel arsenic america from each angle” due to the fact that “they aren’t comfy with our success.”