The iQOO Z9s series launched in India, including the vanilla iQOO Z9s and the iQOO Z9s Pro. These devices come with remarkable hardware configuration under the hood and some camera-related AI features. The standard model starts under Rs 20,000 and competes with the recently launched CMF Phone 1 in the same segment. In this article, we will compare the iQOO Z9s with the CMF Phone 1 to check which device among the two is worth the asking price.
Table of Contents
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Specs at the glance
Specs | iQOO Z9s | CMF Phone 1 |
Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 1,800 nits, 387ppi, 1080×2392 resolution, Scott Glass protection | 6.67-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED LTPS, 120Hz refresh rate, 2,000 nits, 395ppi, 1080×2400 resolution |
Dimensions | 163.7 x 75 x 7.4 mm | 164 x 77 x 8.2 mm |
Weight | 180/182g | 197/202g |
Software | Android 14-based Funtouch OS 14 | Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.6 |
Rear camera | 50MP primary OIS + EIS, 2MP bokeh | 50MP primary EIS, 2MP depth |
Selfie camera | 16MP snapper | 16MP shooter |
Video | 4K at 30fps | 4K at 30fps |
SoC | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
Battery & charging | 5,500mAh battery, 44W charging | 5,000mAh battery, 33W charging |
Storage | 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB stroage | 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB storage |
Colours | Titanium Matte, Onyx Green | Orange, Light Green, Blue, Black |
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Price in India
iQOO Z9s | CMF Phone 1 |
Rs 19,999 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage | Rs 15,999 for 6GB RAM and 128GB storage |
Rs 21,999 for 8GB RAM and 256GB storage | Rs 17,999 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage |
Rs 23,999 for 12GB RAM and 256GB storage | – |
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Design
The iQOO Z9s has a plastic body and a 3D curved display. The rear panel comes in two shades, each with a different finish. With the Onyx Green, you get a glossy finish with marble-like patterns in a green colourway, while the Titanium Matte has a matte finish in brown colour. The device comes with an IP64 rating offering protection against water spills and dust, but we don’t recommend using it in rain.
The CMF Phone 1 has a plastic body with a twist: you can swap the rear panel or attach accessories to it. There are a few colour options available for the swappable rear panel and for accessories, you can attach a kickstand, a card holder, or a lanyard. However, the device only has IP52 protection and won’t withstand anything more than dust particles and water splashes.
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Display
You get a different display type with both phones. The iQOO Z9s has a 3D curved display, prone to accidental touches, while the CMF Phone 1 (review) has a flat display with symmetric bezels. With the iQOO Z9s, you get Schott α glass protection against scratches, while the CMF Phone 1 doesn’t have any protective layer on the top.
Moreover, the CMF Phone 1 comes with LTPS technology that adjusts the refresh rate as per the content on the screen for better power consumption. Besides this, both phones offer a similar viewing experience as they have identical FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and screen size.
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Performance
Both phones draw power from the same MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC paired with Mali-G615 MP6 GPU. However, the CMF Phone 1 maxes out at 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, while the iQOO Z9s ships with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. These differences in RAM and storage options will be noticeable while multitasking or saving more data on the phone.
As far as the performance in general, you can expect similar results from both devices. In our testing, the CMF Phone 1 scored 6,42,187 points on AnTuTu, and on Geekbench, it secured 1,015 points in the single-core test and 2,867 points in the multi-core test.
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Cameras
Both phones ship with similar camera configurations for both front and rear setup: 16MP selfie snapper, 50MP primary and 2MP secondary shooters. They both even use the same Sony IMX882 sensor. However, the iQOO Z9s has an advantage with OIS support compared to EIS support on the CMF Phone 1.
With the secondary 2MP sensor, you can add depth to the subject and a blurry effect to the rest of the photo. Moreover, you get a few camera-related AI features with both devices. But, the iQOO Z9s also offers AI photo editing features such as AI Photo Enhance to make blurry images clearer and AI Erase to remove unwanted objects from a photo.
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Battery and charging
In the battery department, the iQOO Z9s has the numbers. The iQOO Z9s has a bigger 5,500mAh battery capacity and faster 44W charging support than the CMF Phone 1’s 5,000mAh cell and 33W charging support.
While we haven’t tested the battery backup and charging speed of the iQOO Z9s, the CMF Phone 1 delivered remarkable results. It lasted 15 hours and 11 minutes and took 63 minutes to fully charge the device from 20 percent to 100 percent.
iQOO Z9s vs CMF Phone 1: Software
Both devices run on the latest version of Android out of the box and will get two years of major OS releases and three years of security patches. However, the iQOO Z9s boots on Funtouch OS based on Android 14, while the CMF Phone 1 uses Android 14-based Nothing OS, which gives you options between Android’s Material UI and NothingOS themes.
Moreover, the CMF Phone 1 comes with ChatGPT integration, while you don’t get any additional AI tools besides photography-related features with the iQOO Z9s.
Verdict
Both smartphones offer remarkable specifications under the hood. However, the decision between the two may come down to personal tastes and needs. If you want better IP protection, camera stability, photo editing features, a bigger battery with faster charging, and display protection, the iQOO Z9s is a better pick among the two.
However, the CMF Phone 1 is cheaper and has better display technology, more UI customisation options, and advanced AI features than the iQOO Z9s. Apart from this, both phones offer similar performance and experience as they have identical specifications. However, the iQOO Z9s is slightly costlier, while the CMF Phone offers pretty much the same things at a much lower price.
CMF Phone 1 Images
