CMF by Nothing introduced its first smartphone, the CMF Phone 1. This unique smartphone in the segment has a customisable rear panel and interchangeable cases. CMF by Nothing is the first in India to launch a smartphone with the latest MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC manufactured on a 4nm process.
The CMF Phone 1 will rival the iQOO Z9 5G, launched in March 2024, with the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC. The smartphone flaunts a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The iQOO Z9 5G boasts a large 5,000mAh battery with 44W wired Flash Charge support.
If you are confused between the CMF Phone 1 and the iQOO Z9 5G, we have you covered. Here, we will compare both devices to help you decide which is a better fit.
The CMF Phone 1 is more affordable than the iQOO Z9 5G, where the 8GB + 128GB variant is concerned. CMF by Nothing offers an instant bank discount of Rs 1,000 on Axis Bank and HDFC Bank debit and credit card transactions. The CMF Phone 1 will be available starting July 12 on Flipkart.
The readers must remember that customers purchasing the CMF Phone 1 will need to purchase the adaptor for Rs 1,299. iQOO offers an instant discount of Rs 3,000 on ICICI Bank and SBI credit card transactions on Amazon. ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank customers will be eligible for a similar discount on the iQOO India e-Store. So overall
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Design and Build
The CMF Phone 1 comes in Black, Blue, Light Green and Orange shades, which can be replaced by removing the screws on the rear with the tool provided to users within the box, which also acts as a SIM card tray remover tool. CMF by Nothing equips the Light Green and Orange shades with a vegan leather design. All of these have an IP52 dust and splash resistance rating. The CMF Phone 1 has a thickness of 8mm and 9mm and a weight of 197 grams and 202 grams for the standard and vegan leather editions, respectively.
The iQOO Z9 5G is available in Graphene Blue and Brushed Green shades, is 7.83 mm thick, and weighs 188 grams. The smartphone has a textured pattern design on the rear and an IP54 rating to protect it from water splashes.
The CMF Phone 1 has a unique, customisable panel on the rear, supporting vegan leather options. The device has options for multiple accessories on the rear, including a fold-out stand, a cardholder, and more. But then these accessories also mean an additional cost.
However, the iQOO Z9 5G is thinner and lighter than the CMF Phone 1. iQOO also debuts the iQOO Z9 5G with an IP54 rating, which is slightly better than the IP52 rating on the CMF Phone 1.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Display
The CMF Phone 1 sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The display has an Ultra HDR+ with a 1000000:1 contrast ratio, 2000 nits peak brightness, 700 nits typical brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 960Hz PWM frequency.
The iQOO Z9 5G flaunts a similar-sized 6.67-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. iQOO equips the smartphone with 1800 nits of peak brightness, a 6000000:1 contrast ratio, an SGS Eye Care display, DT-Star2 Plus glass protection, and a 91.9% screen-to-body ratio.
Both the CMF Phone 1 and the iQOO Z9 5G sport similar-sized 6.67-inch AMOLED displays with similar specifications. However, the iQOO Z9 5G has a slight advantage due to smaller bezels and chins on the bottom and top. CMF by Nothing and iQOO also have smartphones with a centred punch hole cutout to house the selfie cameras.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Processor
The CMF Phone 1 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC, with up to 8GB of RAM and 8GB of virtual RAM. The SoC is fabricated on TSMC’s 4nm process and features four Cortex A78 cores at 2.5GHz, four Cortex A55 cores at 2.0GHz, and a Mali-G615 MP2 GPU.
The iQOO Z9 5G features the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC, manufactured on a 4nm process. It has two Cortex A715 cores, six Cortex A510 cores, and a Mali G610 MP4 GPU. iQOO also supports virtual RAM expansion up to 8GB.
iQOO Z9
725,780
CMF Phone 1
642,898
AnTuTu Overall benchmark score analysis
iQOO Z9
1,182
CMF Phone 1
1,015
Geekbench single-core benchmark score analysis
CMF Phone 1
2,867
iQOO Z9
2,644
Geekbench multi-core benchmark score analysis
The iQOO Z9 5G outperforms the CMF Phone 1 with its better MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC 5G. The Dimensity 7200 5G SoC scores better on all benchmarking platforms, displaying its faster CPU and GPU.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Software
The CMF Phone 1 runs on Nothing OS 2.6, based on Android 14. It is eligible for two major Android updates and three years of security patch updates.
The iQOO Z9 5G comes with Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14 and will get two major Android updates and a three-year security patch update.
The CMF Phone 1 has a slight advantage over its competitor with its simple and customisable user interface. CMF by Nothing has also equipped the device with ChatGPT support for audio devices by Nothing.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Cameras
The CMF Phone 1 flaunts a dual camera setup with a 50MP Sony IMX 882 primary camera with f/1.8 aperture and 79º field of view and is paired with a secondary portrait camera. The device sports a 16MP selfie camera.
The iQOO Z9 5G sports a dual camera setup inside a rectangular island with rounded edges. The setup includes a 50MP Sony IMX 882 primary camera with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture paired with a 2MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. The smartphone has a 16MP shooter on the front with an f/2.0 aperture.
The iQOO Z9 5G is equipped with a 50MP Sony IMX 882 primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. Including OIS gives the iQOO Z9 5G an advantage in capturing better photos in low-light situations.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Battery and Charging
The CMF Phone 1 has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging and 5W reverse wired charging tech. CMF by Nothing claims the smartphone can charge from 0 to 50% in 20 minutes. However, CMF by Nothing doesn’t ship the smartphone with an adapter in the box.
The iQOO Z9 5G sports a 5,000mAh battery with 44W fast charging tech support. iQOO is shipping the smartphone with a 44W adapter, resulting in no additional costs for the customers.
The iQOO Z9 5G has an advantage over the CMF Phone 1 due to its faster charging technology and the inclusion of an adaptor within the box. iQOO also claims that the iQOO Z9 5G can maintain its battery health up to 80% for 4 years.
CMF Phone 1 vs iQOO Z9 5G: Verdict
The CMF Phone 1 is an ideal choice for users who prefer a unique smartphone that will attract attention from the general public. Its specifications, regarding display, battery, and cameras, are similar to those of the iQOO Z9 5G. The CMF Phone 1 stands out because of the unique design approach, although it also has a slightly higher cost if one buys the accessories.
If one goes by previous benchmarks, the iQOO Z9 5G has a clear performance advantage over the CMF Phone 1. The iQOO Z9 5 G’s MediaTek Dimensity 7200 SoC performs better than the CMF Phone 1’s MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC. However, stay tuned for our full review of the CMF Phone 1 to know how it performs in daily usage and testing.
