Asus Zenfone 5Z price in India could spell trouble for OnePlus 6

Asus is a key player in the global smartphone market and its presence in India has been hard to ignore. Even though the company had a few misses of late, the new premium smartphones are going to rejuvenate their stance against the likes of OnePlus, Honor and others in India.

Asus Zenfone 5Z is going to be launched in India on July 4, and the phone's leaked pricing on Flipkart has made it clear that Asus is going after the OnePlus 6 and all smartphones in the sub-Rs 40,000 price range. If Asus Zenfone 5Z price in India leaked by Flipkart holds any water, it could spell serious trouble for OnePlus 6, which managed to sell 1 million units in just 22 days.

As per the listing, Asus Zenfone 5Z, which was launched at MWC 2018 earlier this year, will be launched in 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations. While the 6GB variant will have 64GB onboard storage, the 8GB RAM model will come with 128GB and 256GB storage. All three variants will have a microSD card supporting an additional 2TB storage, which is something even the OnePlus 6 fails to offer.

Below is the Zenfone 5Z pricing with which Asus plans to compete against its rivals in India:

• 6GB + 64GB – Rs 29,999
• 8GB + 128GB – Rs 32,999
• 8GB + 256GB – Rs 36,999

In contrast, OnePlus also comes in similar configurations. The 6GB+64GB variant of OnePlus 6 is priced at Rs 34,999 and the 8GB+128GB model costs Rs 39,999. OnePlus had a special Marvel Avengers edition with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage available in India for a limited period and it was priced at Rs 44,999 and it recently launched the high-end variant in Midnight Black at Rs 43,999.

In all comparisons, Asus Zenfone 5Z trumps OnePlus 6. While we've reviewed the OnePlus 6 in our office, we can vouch for its competitiveness and worthiness for the price, but the latest leaked pricing of the Zenfone 5Z could force us to revisit our recommendation. Of course, this will be done only after getting our hands on the Asus smartphone.

Since we already know the features of the Zenfone 5Z, we have a fair idea of what to expect from the upcoming smartphone.

Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, the Zenfone 5Z sports a 6.2-inch Full HD+ notched display with 19:9 aspect ratio. There's a dual camera setup at the back, comprising 12MP (f/1.8) and 8MP (f/2.2) sensors. On the front, there's an 8MP snapper with f/2.0 aperture and 84-degree Field of View lens. Like the OnePlus 6, the Zenfone 5Z also comes with Face Unlock and a fingerprint scanner that is mounted at the back panel.

Under the hood, there's a 3,300mAh battery that comes with AI-backed fast charging technology, which we are keen to test. Other features include a USB Type-C port for charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, 4G VoLTE and NFC support along with all other standard connectivity options.

We would be compelled to give OnePlus 6 a thumbs up on the camera and battery compartment, but the Zenfone 5Z would fair far behind in all the aspects, including the camera. For a thorough comparison, stay tuned for our review of the Zenfone 5Z soon.