Between the CMF Phone 1 and Pixel 9a, the CMF Phone 1 comes out ahead in wired charging and front camera, while the Pixel 9a wins on antutu and weight. Overall, the CMF Phone 1 scores 61.4 and the Pixel 9a scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.4 vs 63.2). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's 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 wired charging, front camera, screen size, among others.
Pick the Pixel 9a if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are antutu, weight, pixel density, among others.
Both ship with comparable ram, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Nothing - CMF Phone 1 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 43.48% more. 33 W vs 23 W.
- ▲Front camera — 23.08% more. 16 MP vs 13 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 5.87% more. 6.67 " vs 6.3 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Why Google - Pixel 9a wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 121.43% more. 1240000 vs 560000.
- ▲Weight — 11.00 g less. 186 vs 197.
- ▲Pixel density — 6.84% more. 422 ppi vs 395 ppi.
- ▲Battery capacity — 2.00% more. 5100 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Has Optical image stabilization.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP52).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 7 (vs 2).
- ▲Wireless charging: 7.5 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 197 g | 186 glead |
| Thickness | 8.2 mmlead | 8.9 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP52 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.67 "lead | 6.3 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 395 ppi | 422 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2700 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 16 MPlead | 13 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 5100 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 33 Wlead | 23 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 7.5 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | truelead | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Google - Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 2 years | 7 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, CMF Phone 1 or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a has 2.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 5100 mAh.
Which is lighter, CMF Phone 1 or Pixel 9a?+
Pixel 9a is 11g lighter — 197g vs 186g.
Is CMF Phone 1 waterproof?+
CMF Phone 1 has an IP52 rating.
Does Pixel 9a support 5G?+
Yes, Pixel 9a supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, CMF Phone 1 or Pixel 9a?+
CMF Phone 1 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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