CMF, Nothing’s budget sub-brand, has launched the Buds Neo in India. These are the most affordable TWS earbuds in their lineup, featuring noise cancellation up to 35 dB and a total battery life of up to 52 hours with the charging case. They’re launching at ₹1999, roughly $21, which the brand explicitly states is an “exclusive launch price for a limited time.” The regular price hasn’t been announced yet.
Sales are happening in two waves: first at Nothing’s flagship store in Bangalore starting August 22, and then nationwide through Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, and Vijay Sales from August 26. There’s no product page on the brand’s main website yet; CMF published the announcement with all the specs on its Nothing Community platform.
What the brand confirmed:
- They feature a 12.4mm dynamic driver with a PET dome and titanium coating, plus a PEEK + PU suspension.
- Noise cancellation goes up to 35 dB with three distinct levels. There’s also an adaptive mode that automatically adjusts the level.
- For calls, you get four HD microphones (two per earbud) and Clear Voice Technology.
- You can get up to 11 hours of playback from the earbuds alone, and up to 52 hours with the charging case, assuming noise cancellation is off. With noise cancellation enabled, that drops to up to 30 hours total.
- A quick ten-minute charge gives you up to 5.5 hours of playback. A full charge via USB-C takes about 70 minutes.
- The earbuds house 45 mAh batteries, while the charging case has a 460 mAh battery.
- You get Static Spatial Audio, six EQ presets, and the ability to create a custom preset within the Nothing X app.
- There’s a Bass Enhancement feature with two levels (50% and 100%), or you can turn it off.
- They come in three colors: black, white, and dark blue. The case includes a strap hole.
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The disc on the case is just a disc for now. CMF describes it as a “tactile circular element” that’s nice to fidget with and offers a color contrast. The brand hasn’t announced any controls for it, unlike the CMF Clip Pro and Buds Pro 2, where the wheel on the case actually controlled the sound. It’s too early to expect those functions on the Neo.
Buds Neo — ₹1999
- 12.4mm driver
- ANC up to 35 dB, three levels
- Up to 52 hrs with case
- Disc on case — no controls
CMF Buds Pro 2 are older in the lineup
- Wheel on case controls sound
- Positioned above the Neo
- The brand is calling the Neo the most affordable option in their lineup.
That 52-hour figure is without noise cancellation. With it on, the brand claims up to 30 hours total, and up to 11 hours from the earbuds themselves. The difference between the headline number and the actual usage is exactly why you should read the fine print.
Here’s what the brand hasn’t announced yet. The official announcement is missing the Bluetooth version, supported codecs, weight, and water resistance rating. The publication Gizmochina reports Bluetooth 6.0, a Game Mode with 120ms latency, dual-device connection, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and customizable gesture controls in Nothing X — but this information comes from the publication, not directly from CMF.
Would you pick up the CMF Buds Neo for $21, or is that price point where you shouldn’t expect miracles? Let me know in the comments.
Source: official CMF announcement
