CMF Phone 1vsitel S25 Ultra
SETTLEDUpdated September 8, 2026
CMF Phone 1 wins
Verdict
CMF Phone 1 wins 3 of 5 categories — our overall pick
CMF Phone 1 is the overall winner, 3 / 5 — price is its standout. It costs USD 199 — USD 40 more than the itel S25 Ultra. Pay the premium if price is your priority.
- Too close to call between CMF Phone 1 and itel S25 Ultra.
- CMF Phone 1 takes Display — led by peak brightness (2,000 nits).
- CMF Phone 1 takes Camera — led by video score (83 pts).
- CMF Phone 1 takes Battery — led by charging speed (33 W).
- Too close to call between CMF Phone 1 and itel S25 Ultra.
Scores follow our published methodology · v2026.09
In plain English
Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want…
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a faster phone for apps and games — 650,000 pts vs 320,000 pts.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a sharper screen — 395 ppi vs 393 ppi.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a screen you can read in sunlight — 2,000 nits vs 550 nits.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want better video quality — 83 pts vs 44 pts.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a better camera — 114 pts vs 72 pts.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want faster charging — 33 W vs 18 W.
Choose itel S25 Ultra if you want…
- Choose itel S25 Ultra if you want more room for photos and apps — 256 GB vs 128 GB.
- Choose itel S25 Ultra if you want a bigger screen — 6.78 in vs 6.67 in.
- Choose itel S25 Ultra if you want sharper selfies — 32 MP vs 16 MP.
At a glance
- CMF Phone 1
- itel S25 Ultra
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Best price now
The cheap alternative
Full record
Every spec, side by side — winners get a check and a proportional bar. Ties share the badge.
Performance score
Approximate benchmark score of the chipset — higher is faster for apps, games and AI.
Chipset
The processor inside — shown for reference, never decides a winner.
RAM
More RAM keeps more apps alive in the background.
Storage
Base onboard storage for photos, apps and media.
Screen size
Diagonal screen size — bigger is better for media, smaller is easier to hold.
Pixel density
Sharpness of the screen — above ~400 ppi looks crisp.
Refresh rate
How smooth scrolling and motion feel. 120 Hz is the modern standard.
Peak brightness
Peak brightness in sunlight — higher stays readable outdoors.
Main camera
Resolution of the primary rear camera — photo quality is judged by the Camera quality score, not megapixels.
Selfie camera
Resolution of the front camera.
Telephoto
A dedicated zoom lens for distant subjects without quality loss.
Video score
Composite video rating — stabilisation, 4K/8K support and colour.
Camera score
Composite camera quality from independent testing — how good the photos actually are.
Battery
Battery capacity — higher generally lasts longer.
Charging speed
Wired charging speed — higher refills faster.
Wireless charging
Whether the phone charges wirelessly.
Price
Typical MSRP in US dollars — lower is better value.
Which one should you buy?
CMF Phone 1
Choose CMF Phone 1 if price matters most — it wins the most categories overall. It costs USD 199.
itel S25 Ultra
Choose itel S25 Ultra if price matters most. It costs USD 159, the lowest price in this group.
Pros & cons
CMF Phone 1
- Swappable back design
- 120 Hz AMOLED
- Very affordable
- Slow charging
- Average cameras
- No NFC in some markets
itel S25 Ultra
- Curved AMOLED 120 Hz
- Big 6.78-inch screen
- 256 GB storage
- Unisoc chip is slow
- 18 W charging
- Average camera