That depends on a few things
The reader
The phone
The chip and its form factor
MY OPINION
Broad statement here, but I would say, Yes, phone is a “better” reader than a HID reader.
However, this is ONLY because the readers are made to operate with Full sized cards or worst case a key fob.
So they (HID and other wall readers) dont care how deep their antennas sit, so.long as they can read those form factors.
Whereas, your phone is made to be as a slim form factor, which means the NFC antenna is generally just below the surface.
The biggest difference between the 2, is the power output.
A phone can’t compete with a wall reader, but I would suggest, the odds are still in the phones favour, because there is still some power, and the antenna is simply closer.
this may be of interest