Nothing CMF Phone 1’s accidental X-ray camera feature explained and blocked The Nothing CMF Phone 1, priced at just $199 / £179 / AU$399, packs a host of features typically found in higher-priced models. These include a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, a 50MP main camera, MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, a 5,000mAh battery, and a swappable back cover. Interestingly, YouTuber @purely_maxwell discovered an unadvertised capability: the phone’s 2MP depth sensor can function akin to an X-ray camera, revealing objects like batteries inside a remote control.
This feature isn’t officially supported by Nothing, as the depth sensor cannot be used independently without a third-party app. However, it’s a novel capability that caught the attention of Nothing, prompting co-founder Akis Evangelidis to clarify the technology. Evangelidis explained on X that the depth sensor lacks an infrared light filter to enhance light capture, inadvertently allowing it to function like an infrared camera. This enables the sensor to sometimes reveal internal structures of thin or semi-transparent objects, particularly those made of black acrylic material.
Accidental and soon-to-be disabled
However, this functionality was never intended to be accessible, hence the need for a third-party app. Unfortunately, the company will soon “restrict third-party apps from accessing the depth sensor output through a software update expected within a week.” Consequently, this feature will no longer be available even with a third-party workaround.
It’s disappointing that Nothing is blocking such an entertaining feature, but the decision stems from the company’s awareness that the feature could “raise some concerns.” Therefore, if you own a Nothing CMF Phone 1 and want to experiment with this camera trick, you’ll need to act quickly before the update rolls out.