A new smartphone, the CMF Phone 1 by Nothing, has caused a stir online after a tech enthusiast discovered its potential to act as an X-ray camera. The discovery was made by Maxwell, a content creator, who downloaded a third-party app to access the phone’s secondary camera. This camera, designed for depth sensing, was found to see through certain objects, revealing internal structures not visible to the naked eye.
Maxwell demonstrated the camera’s capabilities in a video, showing it could see through the back of a TV remote to reveal the batteries inside, as well as through a black bin bag and a grey T-shirt. The video quickly went viral, prompting mixed reactions from the online community. Some viewers joked about the possibilities of the camera, while others expressed concern about privacy and security implications.
Following the video’s viral spread, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis addressed the situation. He explained that the camera’s depth sensor lacks an infrared light filter, enhancing its light-capturing ability and allowing it to see through thin or semi-transparent objects. Evangelidis assured users that access to this sensor via third-party apps would be restricted in an upcoming software update to mitigate any concerns.
The incident has highlighted both the innovative potential and the unintended consequences of modern smartphone technology. While the depth-sensing capabilities are intended for creating portrait mode effects, their unexpected use as an X-ray camera raises important questions about user privacy and the responsibilities of tech companies in safeguarding their products’ functionalities.
