The CMF Phone 1 brought a new breath to the world of mobile phones. The sector has reached such maturity that it is difficult to find innovation in terms of design and it is appreciated that from time to time a brand opts for something different. In the case of Nothing’s sub-brand CMF, this bet is to return to the past with a twist: a mobile phone with a removable cover. Since it couldn’t be any other way, the community has already started inventing to further expand the customization options.

Let me see the cover explain it to you. The CMF Phone 1 is a terminal for around 230 euros that combines plastic and aluminum. The back cover is made of plastic, the button panel and the camera module are made of aluminum, and the screws that connect the cover to the case are made of stainless steel. By removing the screws (four in particular) we can change the back cover and add another one in a different color to personalize the mobile phone.

good old timesGone are the days of phones where you could take the cover off and put another one in any color or theme. I remember my LG G3 with a 6,000mAh battery that I had on the cover; or the BlackBerry 8520s that everyone in my high school had. There were people who dedicated themselves to buying tapas and reselling them at the playground. It was rare to have a BlackBerry that wasn’t personalized.

But the industry decided to get rid of the removable cover in an attempt to make phones that are thinner, more stylish, made of more noble materials, and resistant to water and dust. This increased the “premium feel” of the phones, but reduced customization to two things: the color of the back and the case. And the most curious thing is that you either choose the color of the back or the cover, but not both. The case covers the back, unless it’s transparent, in which case it’s likely to yellow over time.

CMF Phone 1 | Image: Xataka

Removable cover = customizable cover. So it is admirable that from time to time a brand gives us a space to personalize its mobile phone. So much so that in the case of the CMF Phone 1, the maker community was quick to make their own backs, each more extravagant. Aware of what having a community can do for brand awareness, the company encouraged this by publishing the STL and STP files on Printables (Prusa repository) under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Anyone can take these files and print their own covers. Not only that, but thanks to the license, any user can use these files as the basis to create their own offerings, even commercially (as long as the branding is removed, of course).

Official 3D model of the CMF Phone 1 cover | Image: Xataka

And users have embraced itYou can find all kinds of cases over at Printables, from some personalized Pokémon cases to a stand for using your phone vertically, a Mac Pro-inspired stand, a wallet, a fidget spinner that slots into the screw in the bottom right corner, and a mount to attach your phone to your IKEA Skadis.

There are also some really crazy things at MakerWorld (the BambuLab repository), like a replica of Motorola’s Dynatac 8000x to even store the charger, a bag compatible with LEGO pieces, one with a cover to block the camera, another with a built-in fan, one with a dart launcher, one with a camera mount, and my favorites: one with a four-in-line game and its own chips, and another with a modular one that hides, mind you, a comb, a coin holder, a slot for microSD cards, and a bottle opener.

Problem: 3D printer. This is obvious. All of this is great, but it’s useless if we don’t have a 3D printer that can print the covers. Also, those with moving parts require a machine with good tolerances. If we’re talking about multi-color printing, although it can be done with a single machine if we’re patient, a module like BambuLab’s AMS Lite could actually be useful, but it’s already a minimum of 500 euros. And of course, filament.

Cover image | Xataka

At Xataka | I wish I had known this before I stepped into the world of 3D printing.