Nothing Phone (3a)vsCMF Phone 1
SETTLEDUpdated September 8, 2026
Nothing Phone (3a) wins
Verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins 3 of 5 categories — our overall pick
Nothing Phone (3a) is the overall winner, 3 / 5 — camera is its standout. It costs USD 379 — USD 180 more than the CMF Phone 1. Pay the premium if camera is your priority.
- Too close to call between Nothing Phone (3a) and CMF Phone 1.
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Display — led by peak brightness (3,000 nits).
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Camera — led by telephoto (Yes).
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Battery — led by charging speed (50 W).
- CMF Phone 1 takes Price — led by price (199 USD).
Scores follow our published methodology · v2026.09
In plain English
Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want…
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a faster phone for apps and games — 700,000 pts vs 650,000 pts.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a bigger screen — 6.77 in vs 6.67 in.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a screen you can read in sunlight — 3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want sharper selfies — 32 MP vs 16 MP.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want true optical zoom — Yes vs No.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want better video quality — 87 pts vs 83 pts.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a better camera — 126 pts vs 114 pts.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want faster charging — 50 W vs 33 W.
Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want…
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a sharper screen — 395 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- Choose CMF Phone 1 if you want a lower price — 199 USD vs 379 USD.
At a glance
- Nothing Phone (3a)
- CMF Phone 1
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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?
Nothing Phone (3a)
Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if camera matters most — it wins the most categories overall. It costs USD 379.
CMF Phone 1
Choose CMF Phone 1 if price matters most. It costs USD 199, the lowest price in this group.
Pros & cons
Nothing Phone (3a)
- Unique Glyph design
- 3x telephoto
- Clean software
- Mid-range chipset
- 50 W charging
- Average selfies
CMF Phone 1
- Swappable back design
- 120 Hz AMOLED
- Very affordable
- Slow charging
- Average cameras
- No NFC in some markets