HMD Fusion vs CMF Phone 1: The Battle Of Modular Phones

Winter brings together festive cheer and chilly weather. But before the festive season fully sets in, smartphone brands are still rolling out new devices. 

The increasing competition among brands is always a win for consumers as it pushes companies to offer the best features at reasonable prices. HMD Global is no exception, stepping up with the introduction of its latest offering—the HMD Fusion.

For some, smartphones are not just communication or entertainment devices; they’re also a canvas for personal expression. Many users customise their devices with wraps, personalised covers, wallpapers, themes and home screens. While some brands overlook this aspect, HMD caters to these preferences. After previously introducing a phone with self-repair capabilities, the company is now taking customisation to the next level with its innovative “Smart Outfit” feature, delivering a personalised smartphone experience.

Human Mobile Device (HMD) has introduced the Fusion with special outfits, advanced camera capabilities, a 108-megapixel rear camera, a 50-megapixel front sensor and Gen 2 repairability for user-friendly maintenance. However, the main highlight of the smartphone is its attachable Smart Outfits. These include a casual outfit, a flashy outfit and even a gaming outfit.

On the other hand, Nothing launched a new phone under its CMF sub-brand, the CMF Phone 1, with a modular back panel held in place by a few screws. The back panel is not just for changing the phone’s look but also to add more features. For example, one back panel comes with a volume rocker whereas another comes with a magnetic wallet case and another with a kickstand.

CMF and HMD Global have brought back a classic feature with their smartphones by adding removable back covers. However, the two phones are quite different in performance and overall usability. Here are the main differences between these smartphones:

HMD Fusion Vs CMF Phone 1

Display

The HMD Crest Max has a 6.56-inch HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate while the CMF Phone 1 has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. HMD's screen has a peak brightness of 600 nits while the CMF Phone 1 can go up to 2,000 nits.

Since the CMF Phone 1 has an AMOLED display, it also features an under-display fingerprint scanner. This feature is missing in the HMD phone because of its LCD screen.

Camera

The HMD Fusion features a dual rear camera setup with a 108-megapixel electronically stabilised main sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It also has a 50-megapixel front camera.

On the other hand, the CMF Phone 1 has a 50-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor on the back, along with a 16-megapixel front camera. The HMD Fusion’s rear camera can record only Full HD videos while the CMF Phone 1 can record up to 4K resolution videos.

Chipset and software

The HMD Fusion is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC built on a 4nm architecture. It is an octa-core processor with two performance cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six cores at 2.0GHz. The CMF Phone 1 uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC which is also built on the 4nm architecture. It has an octa-core processor with four performance cores clocked at 2.5GHz and four cores at 2.0GHz.

The base model of the CMF Phone 1 has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, with another variant offering 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The HMD Fusion comes in a single variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Both phones run on Android 14 and promise two years of Android updates and three years of security updates.

Battery and charging

The HMD Fusion and CMF Phone 1 come with a 5,000mAh battery and support 33W charging. Hence, there's nothing to distinguish between these two.

Customisation

Most budget phones offer software-based customisation but HMD and CMF focus on hardware customisation. Users can change the back panel of the CMF Phone 1 to make it more functional or stylish.

The HMD Fusion also supports extra accessories like a gaming controller, LED ring light for photography and a couple of modern stylish back panels. HMD includes these extras in the box but for the CMF Phone 1, you need to buy the panels separately.

Right to repair

The HMD Fusion supports Right to Repair Gen 2, letting users replace the display, charging port and battery with just a screwdriver. This helps reduce e-waste and increases the phone’s lifespan. The CMF Phone 1 does not offer this feature.

Pricing and availability

The HMD Fusion is priced at INR 17,999 and comes in a single 8GB+256GB variant. The CMF Phone 1 starts at INR 15,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant and goes up to INR 17,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant.

HMD also claims to include accessories worth INR 5,999, like a gaming controller and a selfie light, for free in the box.

Conclusion

The CMF Phone 1 focuses more on design and customisation while the HMD Fusion leans towards practicality with its modular accessories and repairability. The CMF Phone 1 stands out with its AMOLED display and under-display fingerprint scanner, but the HMD Fusion offers better cameras on paper and the Right to Repair feature. Both phones bring unique features that set them apart from other smartphones in this price range.

For most people leaning towards better value-for-money approach, the CMF Phone 1 is a good starting point. However, since the HMD Fusion is available in only one variant, you’ll need to expand your budget to experience it.