Nothing says CMF Phone 1 update coming after unexpected ‘see-through’ camera discovery

The CMF Phone 1 just launched and it has been getting a fair amount of praise for being a fun and affordable Android handset. Although it has only been days since it has been out, users have already discovered something a bit shocking about the device. It appears that the depth sensor can be used to see through certain objects.

To make CMF by Nothing’s first phone as affordable as it is, the company made some compromises. One of those compromises is the rear camera setup which includes a 50MP main camera and an undisclosed depth sensor instead of a proper secondary camera. CMF has made it so that this depth sensor can’t be accessed by normal means. However, one crafty user managed to find a workaround to gain access to it.

By using a third-party app in developer mode, the user in question was able to access the depth sensor’s output. At first glance, it simply seemed to be a low-resolution monochrome camera, but things changed when they pointed the camera at the back of a TV remote. The depth sensor was somehow able to see the batteries in the remote despite the cover still being on.

After the video went viral, Akis Evangelidis, co-founder of Nothing, went on X (formerly Twitter) to explain what’s happening here. According to Evangelidis, the depth sensor in their new handset doesn’t have an infrared light filter and this IR light can sometimes “reveal the internal structure of thin or semi-transparent objects.”

While some see this as a pretty cool feature to have on a $200 phone, others see it as a privacy concern. Out of an abundance of caution, Evangelidis announced that they will restrict third-party apps from accessing this depth sensor’s output going forward. The adjustment is expected to be made “within a week” through a software update.

When asked why the company is deciding to restrict access, Evangelidis agreed it would be a cool feature to leave in. He then followed that up by saying, “Some people are trying to come as us from every angle my man. They aren’t comfortable with our success. Therefore, we’ve to play it safe.”