Between the CMF Phone 1 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the CMF Phone 1 comes out ahead in front camera and weight, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max wins on antutu and ram. Overall, the CMF Phone 1 scores 61.4 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 67.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max edges ahead on the Mars Score (61.4 vs 67.5), but the 6.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
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, weight, wired charging, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max 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, ram, pixel density, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, headphone jack, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Nothing - CMF Phone 1 wins
- ▲Front camera — 33.33% more. 16 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Weight — 30.00 g less. 197 vs 227.
- ▲Wired charging — 10.00% more. 33 W vs 30 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 6.72% more. 5000 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 275.00% more. 2100000 vs 560000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Pixel density — 16.46% more. 460 ppi vs 395 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 3.45% more. 6.9 " vs 6.67 ".
- ▲Has Optical image stabilization.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP52).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 2).
- ▲Wireless charging: 25 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 197 glead | 227 g |
| Thickness | 8.2 mmlead | 8.3 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP52 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.67 " | 6.9 "lead |
| 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 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAhlead | 4685 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 33 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 25 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | truelead | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - CMF Phone 1 | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 2 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
CMF Phone 1 has 6.7% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
Which is lighter, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
CMF Phone 1 is 30g lighter — 197g vs 227g.
Is CMF Phone 1 waterproof?+
CMF Phone 1 has an IP52 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Pro Max support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Pro Max supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, CMF Phone 1 or iPhone 17 Pro Max?+
CMF Phone 1 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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