Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| Wired charging | 33 W | 45 W |
| Front camera | 16 MP | 12 MP |
| AnTuTu | 560000 | 640000 |
| Pixel density | 395 ppi | 385 ppi |
| Weight | 197 g | 195 g |
| Optical image stabilization | false | true |
Between the CMF Phone 1 and Galaxy A36, the CMF Phone 1 comes out ahead in front camera / pixel density, while the Galaxy A36 wins on wired charging / antutu. Overall, the CMF Phone 1 scores 61.2 and the Galaxy A36 scores 63 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.2 vs 63). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the CMF Phone 1 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are front camera, pixel density. The single most decisive one: Front camera — 33.33% more. 16 MP vs 12 MP.
Pick the Galaxy A36 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are wired charging, antutu, weight, among others. The single most decisive one: Wired charging — 36.36% more. 45 W vs 33 W.
Both ship with comparable battery capacity, ram, main camera, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Nothing - CMF Phone 1 or Samsung - Galaxy A36?
Samsung - Galaxy A36 leads the current Mars Score by 1.8 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, pixel density against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Nothing - CMF Phone 1 if…
Nothing - CMF Phone 1 has the measurable edge on front cam mp, pixel density ppi.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy A36 if…
Samsung - Galaxy A36 has the measurable edge on wired charging w, antutu score, weight g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Nothing - CMF Phone 1 wins
- ▲Front camera — 33.33% more. 16 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 2.60% more. 395 ppi vs 385 ppi.
Why Samsung - Galaxy A36 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 36.36% more. 45 W vs 33 W.
- ▲AnTuTu — 14.29% more. 640000 vs 560000.
- ▲Weight — 2.00 g less. 195 vs 197.
- ▲Has Optical image stabilization.
- ▲Water resistance: IP67 (vs IP52).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 2).
- ▲Screen size — 0.45% more. 6.7 " vs 6.67 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 197 g | 195 glead |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm | 7.4 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP52 | IP67lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.67 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 395 ppilead | 385 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nitslead | 1900 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 256 GBlead | 128 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 560000 | 640000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 9.0 GHzlead | 8.4 GHz |
Cameras
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 16 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 33 W | 45 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | truelead | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Samsung - Galaxy A36 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 2 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, CMF Phone 1 or Galaxy A36?+
Galaxy A36 has 0.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, CMF Phone 1 or Galaxy A36?+
Galaxy A36 is 2g lighter — 197g vs 195g.
Is CMF Phone 1 waterproof?+
CMF Phone 1 has an IP52 rating.
Does Galaxy A36 support 5G?+
Yes, Galaxy A36 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, CMF Phone 1 or Galaxy A36?+
Galaxy A36 has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.