CMF Phone 1, the first device from Nothing's design-focused sub-brand, came out not too long ago, and it shocked me with its great value for its very low price. Sure, it did have some notable corners which were cut, such as no NFC or OIS, but for the most part, it is a great phone.
The phone is going through a little bit of a scandal right now though, as it has been found that the second sensor on the back, which is said to be a “depth sensor”, seems to be able to see a bit too deep. Accessing the sensor with some software tricks shows that it can actually see through some objects.
The CMF Phone 1's Depth Sensor Has The Power To See Through Certain Objects
When the CMF Phone 1 came out and I saw the rear camera setup, I was quite surprised as I assumed it might have been able to fit an ultrawide or macro unit as the second sensor. Unfortunately, it was the dreaded case of the (likely 2MP) depth sensor, which is a trend that I have hoped will die. I think a lot of devices are better off focusing all their energy on a single camera; the first few Pixels have amazing image quality with a single lens.
In the case of the CMF Phone 1, it might have been better if they had heeded my unsolicited advice and kept the depth sensor out of the mix, as that extra camera has now put them in slightly hot water. The depth sensor on the CMF Phone augments image, especially in portrait mode, from the main camera, so you can't typically access the depth sensor on its own; even though it is a full-blown camera.
Well, with some software trickery in a third-party camera application, YouTuber Purely_Maxwell was able to access this sensor and see what it sees. First off, it doesn't seem to have color, so it is a black-and-white camera. However, the most shocking thing about it was the fact this user was able to demonstrate how it can see through certain solid objects. For instance, it could see through a remote control to expose the batteries inside it.
X-Ray Vision, But Not For Long; Nothing Is Preparing An Update To Block Third-Party Access To That Camera
Now, if you're wondering why a camera is able to see through certain objects, Akis Evangelidis, one of the Nothing co-founders, has spoken up to give some technical basis to this discovery (no, the camera is not superpowered). According to him, the depth sensor happens to lack an infrared light filter like most cameras have, and because of this, IR light can sometimes shows what is behind thin or somewhat translucent objects.
This should mean you shouldn't worry about the phone being able to glare straight through a wall; though it might still be able to look through clothing to a degree, which is problematic.
It's not something you'll need to worry about for long though. An update is coming out in about a week to stop third-party apps from being able to access the depth sensor. The company prefers to play safe than sorry, and we get it.
