Nothing's latest camera phone can see through objects, or at least it could

There's yet another new phone brand on the scene, and it's called CMF, or to be precise, 'CMF by Nothing'. Yes, the former upstart phone company with its distinctive brand name and phone styling has now come of age and spawned its own sub-brand. CMF, named after the design philosophy of Color, Material, and Finish, is focussed on making stylish, good quality camera phones accessible to all. Consequently, its first phone, the CMF Phone 1, is priced at just $199 / £209 / AU$399, yet its modular design looks like nothing else, especially at this price point.

But it's not just the funky styling that's set the CMF Phone 1 apart from the competition. With the aid of a custom app, YouTuber @purely_maxwell managed to unlock the otherwise off-limits depth-sensing module so it could be directly accessed and used as a standalone 2MP monochrome camera. At least, that's how it looks when composing most shots. But point the phone at certain objects (in this case, a TV remote control) and the depth camera is actually able to see inside them, much like an X-ray would. It's a trick that really needs to be seen to be believed, so do check out the video showing the effect in action:

the cmf phone 1 has a see through camera? #cmf #cmfphone1 - YouTube

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For reference, a depth-sensing camera is intended to be used primarily for subject detection and isolation, in order to separate subject from background to effectively apply shallow depth of field effects in portrait mode. As for how a regular depth camera can actually see through seemingly solid objects? Well, Nothing's co-founder Akis Evangelidis explains:

"Unlike typical cameras, our depth sensor doesn't have an infrared light filter, enhancing its light-capturing ability. By definition, this includes infrared light, which can sometimes reveal the internal structure of thin or semi-transparent objects, especially when it's black acrylic material."

This explains why the effect is so pronounced when the camera is pointed at the black acrylic casing of a TV remote. Although @purely_maxwell does show the camera 'seeing through' other objects like a bag and t-shirt, the actual 'X-ray' potential of the phone's depth camera is likely quite limited. Thin synthetic materials would be the most susceptible substances to being penetrated by an infrared depth camera, though this does raise concerns about whether such a camera hack could be used for nefarious ends, so it's no surprise that CMF/Nothing has been quick to block third-party app access to the CMF Phone 1's depth camera.

Unless this restriction can be circumvented, it's doubtful other CMF Phone 1 owners will be able to replicate the phone's secret X-ray capabilities. It also means certain unscrupulous individuals with a dirty mind will have to go back to using good old imagination (or maybe a smooth chat-up line) to see under someone's clothing.