HMD rolled out its first two smartphones in India on July 25. This is the HMD Crest series that includes the Crest and the Crest Max. Both smartphones have been launched under Rs 20,000. But guess which other phone was launched under Rs 20,000 recently? The CMF Phone 1. Yes, this is also the first of its kind. The CMF Phone 1 is the first smartphone launched by CMF. In this article, we are comparing the HMD Crest Max and CMF Phone 1. If you are looking for a smartphone under Rs 20,000, you have come to the right place. Let’s begin!

Both can be dismantled at home but for different reasons

One major highlight of the HMD Crest series is that these phones are repairable at home. Yes, you don’t have to take them to the service centres and can repair them on your own if you want to. The HMD Crest and the HMD Crest Max are built to be easily repaired. You can swap out parts like the screen, battery, charging port, and back panel right at home.

On the other hand, Nothing is known for the unique designs of devices. With the CMF Phone 1 as well, Nothing tried something new in design. It comes with a removable back panel, which you can open with a screwdriver available in the box. What will happen with this? Well, as the brand name suggests, nothing! It is just a removable back that you can change if you want to see your phone in some other colour, something similar to changing the phone’s wallpapers. The brand has rolled out the back panels of the Phone 1 in various colours. Many people were confused initially that it was an attempt to follow the easy-to-repair design philosophy. But turns out, it was not.

Also read: Nothing CMF Phone 1 review: Game changing design

Display goes to CMF Phone 1

The HMD Crest Max is equipped with a 6.67-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution. This display only supports up to 90Hz refresh rate. Whereas, the CMF Phone 1 also has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution but there’s more. This display supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and has 2000 nits of claimed peak brightness.

CMF Phone 1 also beats HMD Crest Max in performance

The HMD Crest Max is powered by the Unisoc T760 processor, which has four big cores and four small cores. In comparison, the CMF Phone 1 features the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, also with four big cores and four small cores but is more powerful than the Crest Max. HMD claims an AnTuTu score of over 510,000 for the Crest Max, while the CMF Phone 1, according to Nothing, scores over 670,000 points on AnTuTu.

Apart from that, both phones offer up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and they run on the latest Android 14 OS. However, the Crest Max features the stock Android 14, whereas the CMF Phone 1 features both, stock Android 14 and Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.5.

For photography, HMD Crest Max is the one

The HMD Crest Max is equipped with a triple camera setup, holding a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. For selfies and video calls, it uses a 50-megapixel selfie shooter.

However, in the CMF Phone 1, you get a dual-camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, it has a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.

No difference in battery

Both smartphones are packed with a 5000mAh battery and support up to 33-watt fast charging.

Which one is better?

If you ask me, I would go with the CMF Phone 1. The only con with this smartphone is that it doesn’t have an ultrawide sensor. However, it is not a big problem as we are getting more power and better display with the CMF Phone 1. But, one thing I would like to give to the Crest Max is that you don’t have to waste your time going to service centres if your phone gets damaged.

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Mustafa Khan

Mustafa is new on the block and is a tech geek who is currently working with Digit as a News Writer. He tests the new gadgets that come on board and writes for the news desk. He has found his way with words and you can count on him when in need of tech advice. No judgement. He is based out of Delhi, he’s your person for good photos, good food recommendations, and to know about anything GenZ. View Full Profile