Asus launched its new Zenfone 5 series smartphone range at MWC in Barcelona. Right at the top is the flagship grade Zenfone 5Z, while the company also brought two other options in Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 5 Lite. Asus has implemented the iPhone X-like top-notch screen design for its Zenfone 5 series making it one of the hottest devices in mid-range series. However, the Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) will be facing serious competition from likes of Xiaomi which currently leads in sales for budget and mid-range segment. So let’s see how the Zenfone 5 stacks up against Xiaomi’s mid-ranger, the Redmi Note 5 Pro.
Design & Display
The Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) comes with almost bezel-less display design sporting a screen notch similar to iPhone X. The notch houses the front camera, earpiece and some sensors. Asus claims the notch on the Zenfone is 26% smaller than the one on iPhone X, making the device look far more attractive.
The rear is once again similar to iPhone X with vertically positioned dual camera setup on the top left corner. A LED flash sits below the sensors while a fingerprint sensor is centred on the back. The device packs a USB Type C port along with 3.5mm headphone jack. A glass and metal frame finishes the overall design theme of the phone.
In comparison, Xiaomi packs a conventional metallic design for its Redmi Note 5 Pro. While the device comes sporting the trendy 18:9 display, the phone still has noticeable borders on the sides and comparatively thicker ones on top and bottom. Unlike the Zenfone 5, the Redmi Note 5 Pro, however, doesn’t come with any top notch on display.
On the rear panel, the Redmi phone comes packing a dual camera setup and a fingerprint scanner. The handset comes with a micro USB charging port along with 3.5mm audio jack and the mono speaker at the bottom.
As for the display, Asus Zenfone 5 comes packed with a 6.2-inch full HD+ IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. Asus also has put Gorilla Glass on the phone for protection against scratches.
On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has a smaller 5.99-inch widescreen IPS LCD display and offers a resolution of 1080 × 2160 at 403 pixels per inch (PPI). The device comes with 2.5D glass on top with rounded display corners. Xiaomi boasts the display on the Note 5 Pro having a maximum brightness of 450 nits, which makes viewing the phone in direct sunlight rather easy.
Hardware
The Zenfone 5 (2018) is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 SoC which was first seen in the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The CPU is paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, while another variant offers 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
Likewise, the Redmi Note 5 Pro packs the Snapdragon 636 chipset and is also the first Redmi phone to come with 6GB RAM option. The base variant includes 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, while the top one packs 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. A hybrid SIM/microSD slot allows up to 128GB expansion of memory. Both devices, obviously, will offer same performance since they come with same hardware parameters.
As for the battery, the Asus Zenfone 5 is fuelled by a 3300mAh battery along with Fast Charging support. The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pro is backed by a 4000mAh battery that easily lasts for more than a day with average use for gaming, internet surfing and more.
Camera
The Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) gets a dual rear camera setup that combines a 12MP along with an 8MP sensor. The primary camera has an aperture of f/1.8 while the secondary camera gets by with an aperture of f/2.0. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera.
The Redmi Note 5 Pro packs a primary 12MP camera with 1.25-micron pixels on the sensor and a f/2.2 aperture along with a 5MP in-depth sensor. This allows shooting Portrait Mode effect photos. There’s also a 20MP selfie shooter which once again supports Portrait Mode.
Software & Price
The Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) runs Android 8.0 Oreo-based ZenUI out-of-the-box. The Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with Android Nougat 7.1.1 with MIUI 9 on top, but the phone has already been updated to Android Oreo.
For connectivity, both devices come with standard connectivity options such as hybrid dual-SIM slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio output. However, Asus claims that VoLTE can be active on its both SIMs at a time and as well brings NFC support to allow for wireless payment option. Both the phones lack Carrier Aggregation support.
As of now, Asus has not declared the price of the Zenfone 5 (2018) for the Indian market. However, reports have speculated that the price of the mid-range device would be around Rs 20000. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, on the other hand, goes for Rs 13999 for the 4GB RAM version while the 6GB version starts at Rs 16999.
Conclusion
Specifications wise, the Asus Zenfone 5 (2018) trumps over the Redmi Note 5 Pro, even though it is a really close call. This is because the Zenfone 5 edges ahead in terms of its body to screen ratio and its rear camera. The Redmi Note 5 Pro, however, offers a bigger battery and is available at a far affordable price. Price will be the key factor for Asus in India.
The Taiwanese brand surprised one and all by revealing the price of the Zenfone 5Z's base variant as 479 Euros, and if it does the same with the Zenfone 5 (2018), it will surely give a run to Xiaomi in the Indian market. The Zenfone 5 (2018) is expected to launch in India next month.
