Nothing Open-Sources CMF Phone 1's Back Cover for 3D Printing & I'm Excited (2024)

Very recently, the CMF Phone 1 slid into the market in style, thanks to its back panel customizations. While the phone officially landed in the Black, Blue (India-Exclusive), Light Green, and Orange colors, I couldn’t help but think about the infinite possibilities that this back panel change presented. Now, Nothing has publicly released the CAD renders for the phone’s panel, making this Build-A-Phone project all too real, and I’m stoked!

Rob Godwin, Nothing’s Community Manager, took to the official community forum to go public with the CMF Phone 1’s documentation. Right off the bat, he clears that,

Replaceable back covers, accessories, standard screw types – CMF Phone 1 is an awesome creative platform for designers, makers, 3D printers and more.

Get STL Files for CMF Phone 1’s Back Cover

We see in-depth documentation of the CMF Phone 1, detailing the physical dimensions of the CMF Phone 1 itself. In addition, we also get to see the renders for the screws and accessory point (modular dial), basic rear case and screw placements. Check out the list of all CMF Phone 1 accessories.

For all you 3D printing enthusiasts out there, Nothing also released a .stl file of the rear panel for you to play around with. Nothing is really covering all the bases with this one, and that’s great.

You can download the CMF Phone 1 Back cover stl file here.

Rob also states how this render can be 3D printed as is, thanks to the findings of some early testers. He also banks on the fact that “we’ll see some optimized files for printing emerge very soon.”

X and Nothing Community hasn’t been quiet ever since, and I’m constantly seeing these cool new design ideas pop up in every corner. For starters, the Poke nerd in me loved the Pokemon trading card holder case that one of the Nothing Community Moderators came up with:

Then, we see Ali Fakhrudding take to X to reveal the cool creativity-on-the-go idea of having an E-Ink display at the back of the phone.

Fakhruddin is also the mastermind behind the Nothing-inspired dialer that took the internet by storm a while ago.

These ideas just don’t stop coming, and we see Rob shower a couple of ideas himself, stating,

An ergonomic camera grip? A card wallet? An embossed rear cover? A lens attachment? – you’re only limited by your imagination!

Making Phones Interesting Again

All this instantly took me back to those days when interchangeable back panels were a common characteristic feature of phones. The OG Moto E would be a great example, which brought nine changeable panels along with it. Then comes the OnePlus 2’s StyleSwap, the Moto Z’s Style Shells, and who knows how many more such forgotten customizable masterpieces.

While the CMF Phone 1 may not be an extraordinary device, software-wise, it certainly brings back the excitement of budget smartphones. Most importantly, this will push brands to take customization seriously and bring back interchangeable panels. I’m so hoping and rooting for that.

With ideas already flooding in from every corner of the world, I hope we soon see an exciting third-party ecosystem develop around the CMF Phone 1, making it all the more an interesting fashionista in the budget world.

What about you? What do you think about this move by Nothing? Do let me know in the comments down below! While you’re at it, do share some of your cool ideas on how you think the back panel customization on the phone should be utilized.