Between the CMF Phone 1 and iPhone 17 Air, the CMF Phone 1 comes out ahead in battery capacity and wired charging, while the iPhone 17 Air wins on antutu and weight. Overall, the CMF Phone 1 scores 61.4 and the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.4 vs 60.3). 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 your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery capacity, wired charging, front camera, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air 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
- ▲Battery capacity — 72.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲Wired charging — 65.00% more. 33 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Front camera — 33.33% more. 16 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 1.06% more. 6.67 " vs 6.6 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 250.00% more. 1960000 vs 560000.
- ▲Weight — 51.00 g less. 146 vs 197.
- ▲Pixel density — 16.46% more. 460 ppi vs 395 ppi.
- ▲Has Optical image stabilization.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP52).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 2).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 197 g | 146 glead |
| Thickness | 8.2 mm | 5.6 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP52 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.67 "lead | 6.6 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 395 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 16 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 2900 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 33 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 15 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | truelead | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 2 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Air?+
CMF Phone 1 has 72.4% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
Which is lighter, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Air?+
iPhone 17 Air is 51g lighter — 197g vs 146g.
Is CMF Phone 1 waterproof?+
CMF Phone 1 has an IP52 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Air support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Air supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Air?+
CMF Phone 1 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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