CMF’s decision to skip a new smartphone this year due to rising memory prices had left the Nothing sub-brand with a different focus for 2026. After confirming that it would not launch a successor to the CMF Phone 2 Pro, CMF has now teased its next product, the CMF Buds Neo, which will launch in India on August 20th at 12 noon IST. The teaser gives us an early look at the earbuds, including three possible colour options: blue, orange and black.
The teaser follows an earlier close-up image posted by CMF with the tagline “A hint of what’s next”, which showed a single earbud without revealing its name or launch date. CMF has now confirmed that the product is the Buds Neo and described it as the “most accessible entry point” to the CMF ecosystem.
CMF co-founder Akis Evangelidis had previously said the company was working on a successor to the CMF Phone 2 Pro but decided not to launch it this year because current memory prices made it difficult to deliver a genuine upgrade at a price that made sense. He also confirmed that CMF had several new products and entirely new categories planned for 2026. The Buds Neo appears to be one of those products.
CMF Buds Neo launch and design
The latest teaser shows the earbuds with possible blue, orange and black colour options. The earlier product image revealed a white stem, metallic-looking body and orange silicone ear tip on the showcased variant. At least two microphone openings are visible, while a circular section on the stem appears to be the touch-control area. The design retains some of the visual cues seen on previous CMF earbuds, although the company hasn’t confirmed the Buds Neo’s specifications.
The Buds Neo are expected to sit below the existing CMF Buds 2 range. The CMF Buds 2 launched in India at Rs 2,699 with 11mm drivers, up to 48dB hybrid ANC, Bluetooth 5.4, IP55 protection and Spatial Audio. The Buds 2 Plus, priced at Rs 3,299, adds 12mm LCP drivers, LDAC support and up to 50dB ANC.
CMF’s “most accessible” positioning suggests the Buds Neo could focus on essential features and come in below the Buds 2, although pricing remains unconfirmed. For buyers, the main thing to watch will be whether CMF can offer decent audio, battery life and microphone performance without pushing the price too close to its existing models. More details should arrive when the CMF Buds Neo launches. Considering the date is not too far away, those shopping for affordable audio products should wait it out.
