which is the better phone under Rs 20,000?

HMD Crest is the first series to land in India from the company, including HMD Crest and HMD Crest Max. The Max variant is the top-of-the-line model in the HMD Crest family, retailing for Rs 16,499. 

In this price range, CMF launched its first phone, the CMF Phone 1, with a unique design and competitive hardware specifications. In this post, we will compare the HMD Crest Max with the CMF Phone 1 to find out which phone offers better value for the asking price. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: specs at a glance

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: price in India

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: design

The HMD Crest Max comes with a standard design, giving it a simple and sophisticated look. Its rear panel has a matte finish with a brand logo in the middle. The device has a rectangular island with a triple camera setup tucked in rings and an LED flash. At the front, it has a symmetrically thick bezel display with a punch-hole selfie camera at the top centre. The Crest Max also features repairable parts, like screen, battery, and charging port bending.

The CMF Phone 1, on the other hand, comes with interchangeable rear panels secured with screws and a rotating wheel, which can be used for attaching accessories. It has a metal pill-shaded camera module, housing a dual camera setup. It also features a centre-aligned punch-hole front camera at the top of the display with symmetrical bezels. 

Unlike the Crest Max which doesn’t have any IP rating, you get an IP52 protection against dust and water splashes with the CMF Phone 1, but it isn’t suitable for use in rain. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: display

While both phones have a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ display, the CMF Phone 1 features a better AMOLED panel and faster 120Hz refresh rate than the Crest Max’s 60Hz OLED screen. Thus, you can expect a superior and smoother viewing experience from the CMF Phone 1 than the HMD Crest Max. Moreover, the CMF Phone 1 features LTPS technology which consumes less power than the standard display and adjusts the refresh rate based on the content. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: performance

The CMF Phone 1 draws power from the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, which is significantly more powerful than the Unisoc T760 at the HMD Crest Max’s helm. The difference in these phones’ performance is pretty evident in their AnTuTu benchmark scores. The HMD Crest Max scored over 5,00,00 points, while the CMF Phone 1 secured more than 6,40,000 points on AnTuTu. 

Both phones offer up to 8GB RAM for smooth multi-tasking. However, the HMD Crest Max ships with more (256GB) storage than the CMF Phone 1 (128GB). You can, however, expand the storage up to 2TB with a microSD card on the Phone 1. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: cameras

The HMD Crest Max has the numbers in the camera department for both front and rear setup. You get a 50MP selfie shooter with the HMD Crest Max compared to the 16MP snapper of the Phone 1, which should result in more detailed pictures. The same goes for the rear cameras. The Crest Max has a 64MP primary shooter compared to the 50MP main snapper of the CMF Phone 1. 

Besides this, you get a 5MP ultrawide lens for wide-angle shots and a 2MP macro shooter for close-up snaps with the Crest Max. On the other hand, you only get a 2MP depth sensor that adds depth to the subject and a blurry effect to the image. Despite the higher megapixel sensor, the HMD Crest Max can only shoot videos at 1080p resolution at 30fps, while the Phone 1 can capture 4K videos at 30fps. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: battery and charging

Both CMF Phone 1 and HMD Crest Max come with the same battery and charging setup: a 5,000mAh battery and 33W fast charging support. While we haven’t tested the HMD Crest Max’s battery life, you can expect at least a day’s worth of backup, thanks to its huge battery capacity. In our testing, the CMF Phone 1 lasted more than 15 hours in the PCMark battery test and took around an hour to fully refuel the device. 

HMD Crest Max vs CMF Phone 1: software

Both HMD Crest Max and CMF Phone 1 run on the latest version of Android out of the box. However, the HMD Crest Max offers a stock Android experience, while the CMF Phone 1 gives the option between Android’s Material UI and NothingOS themes.

Besides this, the CMF Phone 1 will get two years of OS updates and three years of security patches, while the HMD Crest Max will only get two years of security releases. HMD hasn’t promised any Android updates for the Crest Max but they may announce it in the near future.

You will be able to update the CMF Phone 1 to Android 16, while the HMD Crest Max could be stuck on Android 14 forever, going by status quo. Moreover, you get ChatGPT integration with the CMF Phone 1, while Crest Max’s AI technology is limited to camera and photography features. 

Verdict

After taking a detailed look at every aspect of both HMD Crest Max and CMF Phone 1, it’s clear that both phones have their own perks. You get a better front and rear camera setup with the HMD Crest Max. However, the CMF Phone 1 offers a better display, SoC, and software support. Both phones feature similar battery and charging configurations and decent built quality for the asking price.