Nothing Cancels Its Next CMF Phone for 2026 as RAM Costs Soar

Nothing has confirmed that it will not launch a new CMF smartphone in 2026, with rising memory prices making it difficult to produce a meaningful upgrade while maintaining the brand's affordable positioning.

Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis said the company had been developing a successor to the CMF Phone 2 Pro but ultimately decided not to release it this year.

"We were working on a successor but with memory prices where they are right now, we can't build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF," Evangelidis explained.

While the unannounced device has widely been referred. to as the CMF phone 3 Pro, Nothing never officially confirmed that name.

The Same CMF Phone Would Cost Around 50% More Today

According to Evangelidis, producing a smartphone with the same specifications as the CMF Phone 2 Pro would cost roughly 50% more under current market conditions.

That leaves Nothing with two unattractive options: raise the price enough to move the device beyond CMF's budget--focused market or reduced its specifications and release a successor that does not provide a worthwhile upgrade.

The company has instead chosen to skip a new CMF phone entirely in 2026. Nothing has. not provided a replacement launch window, so it is unclear whether the range will return in 2027 or remain on hold for longer.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei recently offered additional context on the scale of the problem. Pei said memory costs for the Nothing Phone 4a doubled between the point at which the company decided to build the phone and its eventual launch, before doubling again afterwards.

He also claimed that memory has become the most expensive component inside a smartphone and can now accouint for more than half of the total hardware bill.

The effect is particularly severe for budget devices, where manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs without increasing retail prices or cutting features.

CMF Will Still Launch Other Products in 2026

The decision does not mean CMF is going quiet for the rest of the year. Evangelidis said the brand still has several products scheduled to launch, including devices in entirely new categories.

He also indicated that Nothing’s wider smartphone launch season is not finished, suggesting more phones carrying the main Nothing branding are still planned.

For now, however, the CMF Phone 2 Pro will remain the newest smartphone in the company’s budget range. There will be no direct successor in 2026, and Nothing has not announced when another CMF phone might arrive.

FAQ

Will Nothing release a CMF Phone 3 Pro in 2026?

No. Nothing has confirmed that it will not launch any new CMF smartphone during 2026. The CMF Phone 3 Pro name was never officially announced, but it was expected to be the successor to the CMF Phone 2 Pro.

Why was the next CMF phone cancelled?

Nothing says rising RAM and memory costs made it impossible to create a meaningful upgrade at a price appropriate for the budget-focused CMF brand.

How much more would a CMF phone cost to produce today?

Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis said a phone with the same specifications as the CMF Phone 2 Pro would cost approximately 50% more under current market conditions.

Will CMF launch any other products in 2026?

Yes. CMF still plans to release several other products during 2026, including entries in new product categories. However, the company has not revealed all of them yet.

Source basis: Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis’ announcement, supporting reporting on current component costs, and Nothing’s official CMF Phone 2 Pro specifications. Draft structured according to the supplied Tbreak News brief.

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