Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro – The Fight Is On!

The launch of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has spurred a new war in the mid-budget flagship segment. Currently, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the leader in the segment. But with the arrival of Zenfone Max Pro M1 with better specifications at a lower price, it will be a direct threat to Xiaomi’s current bestselling Redmi Note 5 Pro.

After dominating the market in the period between 2012-2015, Asus lost its position in the Indian budget smartphone market to the newer Chinese smartphone makers. The Zenfone Max Pro will be a re-entry for the Taiwanese handset maker into the budget smartphone segment in 2018.

Redmi Note 5 Pro vs. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

Both the smartphones come with more or less similar specifications. But there are differences which are mainly in the build quality and the software experience. Ultimately, the price will be the determining factor.

Design

The Redmi Note 5 Pro and Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 come wrapped inside a metal body. Both have a similar iPhone-8-like vertical placement of the rear dual-cameras along with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Both the devices support fingerprint scanning and face recognition feature.

Verdict – Tie

Display

Both the devices come with similar 5.99-inch full HD+ widescreen 18:9 displays with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The displays on both the smartphones have rounded corners and are surrounded by minimal bezels.

Verdict – Tie

Hardware

Again, both Max Pro M1 and Note 5 Pro are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The Snapdragon 636 chipset comes with Kyro processing technology, which has been built with a similar process as Snapdragon 800-series. While the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is available in 3GB and 4GB RAM variants, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants. The Asus Zenfone is expected to get a 6GB version sometime in the future, but for now, there’s only 3GB and 4GB RAM variants.

Verdict – Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Software

The Zenfone Max Pro runs the latest stock Android 8.1 Oreo. It is the first Asus smartphone to opt out of the Zenfone UI ecosystem and take up stock Android OS. On the other hand, Redmi Note 5 Pro still runs Android 7.1 Nougat with the latest MIUI 9 skin on top. While MIUI has many handy customisations built-in, stock Android has speed and timely updates.

Verdict – Asus Zenfone Max Pro.

Storage

Asus Zenfone Pro is available in two versions – 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage. The company will also launch a 6GB RAM+64GB internal storage model later with a better camera. The Zenfone Max Pro supports expandable storage up to 2 TB with a dedicated MicroSD card slot.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro also has two storage versions – 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM with 64GB internal storage. The Redmi Note 5 Pro supports expandable storage up to 128 GB via a hybrid SIM slot.

Verdict – Asus Zenfone Pro.

Rear Camera

Note 5 Pro comes with a dual camera setup at the back featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor coupled with a 5-megapixel secondary sensor and a dual-LED flash. Whereas, the Zenfone Max Pro comes with a pair of 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor.

Both the devices support Portrait Mode, PDAF and auto-focus with background-blurring effect feature.

Verdict – Tie

Front Camera

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a 20-megapixel selfie camera equipped with AI-based Beautify 4.0 algorithm. It also comes with a dedicated selfie-flash. Zenfone Max Pro M1 whereas feature an 8-megapixel selfie camera with a f/2.0 aperture and a front LED flash.

Verdict – Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Battery

ZenFone Max Pro M1 comes with a huge 5,000mAh battery, which 1,000 mAh more than the Redmi Note 5 Pro’s battery. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro packs in a 4,000mAh battery. None of these smartphones supports fast-charging.

Verdict – Asus Zenfone Max Pro.

Pricing

Redmi Note 5 Pro costs;

1. Rs 13,999/- for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.
2. Rs 16,999/- for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.

Whereas, the ZenFone Max Pro will cost;

1. Rs 10,999/- for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant.
2. Rs 12,999/- for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant.

Verdict – Asus Zenfone Max Pro.

Redmi Note 5 Pro Vs Zenfone Max Pro M1 – Full Comparison

	Redmi Note 5 Pro	Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
Display	5.99 inch full HD+ widescreen 18:9 display	5.99 inch full HD+ widescreen 18:9 display
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
Front Camera	20MP	8MP
Rear Camera	12MP+5MP	13MP+5MP
Software	Android 7.1.1 Nougat (with MIUI 9)	Android 8.1 Oreo (stock version)
Storage	64GB	32GB/64GB
RAM	4GB/6GB	3GB/4GB
Battery	4,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Color Variants	Four (Black, Gold, Rose Gold and Blue)	Two (Meteor Silver and Deepsea Black)
Price	Rs 13,999/- (4GB + 64GB) Rs. 16,999/- (6GB + 64GB)	Rs 10,999/- (3GB + 32GB) Rs 12,999/- (4GB + 64GB)