The Indian smartphone industry has grown quite competitive in the last few days. When brands like Xiaomi, Motorola, Nokia and others are setting an example out of value-for-money smartphones, Asus isn't the one to stand by and watch. Hence the company recently launched Zenfone Max Pro M1 to bite into the growing price-conscious smartphone market.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 was launched last week and its first sale in India is scheduled for May 3, exclusively on Flipkart. The handset comes in two variants – 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM and 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM – priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 12,999, respectively.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is in direct competition with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, which has a 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM model priced at Rs 14,999. If buyers are confused which smartphone they should buy then here's a comparison of both smartphones.
Design & display
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro boasts an exquisite design, complete with a high-grade metallic back, vertically-aligned dual cameras at the back and an overall premium look. There's a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with FullView screen having 18:9 aspect ratio.
If we have to pit it against the Zenfone Max Pro M1, there are some similarities. There's a 6-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio, a metal chassis and a metal back with plastic caps on the top and bottom.
Both phones have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and lack a notch, which is becoming the new trend in most phones these days.
Camera
Dual cameras have become standard in premium mid-range smartphones and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 are no different.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro sports 12MP and 5MP sensors at the back with dual-tone flash and a 20MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture and a dedicated LED flash. The front camera also enables face unlocking capabilities as an alternate mode of authentication.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, on the other hand, comes with 13MP + 5MP rear cameras with soft LED flash and an 8MP front shooter for selfies. The handset has also received its first software update to support face unlock feature to match the Redmi Note 5 Pro's alternate authentication.
Performance
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is powered by a 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core chipset, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB expandable storage. The microSD card is a hybrid slot, which can be used as a secondary SIM card slot. The handset runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based MIUI 9.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 also uses the same processor and RAM configuration as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The handset runs the latest Android 8.1 Oreo with a few Asus apps running out-of-the-box.
Battery
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is powered by a 4,000mAh battery but the Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a bigger 5,000mAh battery. Both phones do not support fast charging.
Verdict
Both smartphones are quite competitive, creating confusion for shoppers. In comparison, Asus Zenfone Pro M1 is a cheaper alternative to the Redmi Note 5 Pro and pack almost similar specs and features, but the Redmi Note 5 Pro packs the better camera and Asus smartphone has a battery life advantage.
