OnePlus 6T vs Asus Zenfone 5Z: Should You Pay More?

The latest OnePlus flagship finally arrived last month, and the smartphone is already making a lot of hype. Launched at an increased starting price of Rs 37,999, the latest OnePlus 6T packs in a number of new features.

On the other side of the world, the next Asus flagship, the Zenfone 6 first prototype is out.

While the Asus Zenfone 5Z is still in the market, it’s closest rival OnePlus 6 has been pulled off the shelves. So, here’s an in-depth comparison between the latest OnePlus 6T and Asus Zenfone 5Z.

OnePlus 6T vs Asus Zenfone 5Z: In-Depth Comparison

Does Asus Zenfone 5Z still has it in itself to put up a good fight against OnePlus 6T?

Let’s find out.

Design & Build

Both OnePlus 6T and Asus Zenfone 5Z feature a front and back glass sandwich design. OnePlus 6T has no headphone jack and physical fingerprint sensor, while Asus Zenfone 5Z has both of them.

Both are almost the same in terms of build quality. We will give the physical fingerprint sensor and headphone jack on 5Z a thumbs up.

So, in terms of design, Asus Zenfone 5Z has an upper hand in terms of convenience.

Display

OnePlus 6T has a bigger 6.4-inch full HD+ display in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a tear-drop notch on top. While Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2-inch full HD+ panel in a 19:9 aspect ratio with a standard notch on top.

Both the displays are quite vibrant. But, OnePlus 6T will have a little edge with smaller bezels and higher screen space.

But again the Zenfone 5Z display comes with uses machine learning. It learns your behavior and tunes itself to the condition accordingly. This is something the OnePlus 6T misses out on.

Hardware

Both OnePlus 6T and Asus Zenfone 5Z come with the latest Qualcomm flagship processor: Snapdragon 845 SoC. OnePlus 6T is currently the second-fastest Android smartphone in the world, so obviously, the OnePlus flagship will stay ahead.

But both the smartphones perform equally good coming to daily use, heavy applications or high-end games.

Software

The Asus Zenfone 5Z comes with Zen UI while OnePlus 6T has Oxygen OS taking up the job. Both the platforms have their own bloatware and distinctions, but have a clear interface enough to help your daily tasks with no unnecessary layers.

Still, OnePlus 6T will be up ahead running the latest Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.

We are expecting the Android 9 Pie on 5Z by the end of the year.

Storage

The new OnePlus 6T has ditched the 64GB variant this time and is only available in two storage versions of 128GB and 256GB with 6GB and 8GB RAM respectively and three memory combinations (with no 64GB). On the other hand, Asus Zenfone 5Z has three storage options available 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB with 6GB/8GB RAM variants.

OnePlus 6T doesn’t support additional storage, but all the versions of Asus Zenfone 5Z support expandable storage of up to 2TB, available via a hybrid micro SD card slot.

Asus Zenfone 5Z has a hughhi number of storage versions to choose from, and at the same time, you have the option to expand the storage as well.

Cameras

The Asus Zenfone 5Z can take great pictures with a dual camera system backed by a 12-megapixel primary f/1.8 lens paired with an 8 megapixel secondary f/2.2 wide-angle lens. The smartphone has a four-axis OIS and EIS rear sensor helping to take great shots.

OnePlus 6T on the other hand comes with a rear dual camera setup comprising of a 16-megapixel f/1.7 sensor backed by OIS coupled with a 20-megapixel f/1.7 secondary sensor. The 6T takes some awesome pictures as well, especially in low light with better post-processing compared to our Asus Zenfone 5Z.

Upfront, OnePlus 6T has a 16-megapixel snapper and Asus Zenfone 5Z has an 8-megapixel front shooter. Both the smartphones can take decent selfies.

OnePlus 6T has the better overall camera performance if both of them are put against each other head to head.

Battery

The Asus Zenfone 5Z comes with a 3,300mAh unit while the OnePlus 6T comes with a bigger 3,700mAh unit this time, an upgrade over the 3,300mAh battery on OnePlus 6.

Both Zenfone 5Z and OnePlus 6T support ultra-fast smartphone charging.

Pricing & Availability

Asus Zenfone 5Z has three variants available in the country in two color options of Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver:

• 64GB: Rs 29,999
• 128GB: Rs 32,999
• 256GB: Rs 36,999

The smartphone is available exclusively via Flipkart.

OnePlus 6T has been launched in three storage combinations in India in three color options of Mirror Black, Midnight Black and the newly launched Purple Thunder:

• 128GB/6GB: Rs 37,999
• 128GB/8GB: Rs 41,999
• 256GB/8GB: Rs 45,999

The smartphone is available exclusively via Amazon India, OnePlus online and offline stores, Croma stores, and Reliance Digital stores.

OnePlus 6T vs Asus Zenfone 5Z: Which One Should You Pick?

To sum up, both OnePlus 6T and Asus Zenfone 5Z are great phones offering value for money. But given the scenario of daily use and convenience, we will pick Asus Zenfone 5Z over OnePlus 6T for its excellent performance at the price.

OnePlus is slowly now exiting the entry-premium flagship range to enter the premium category.

OnePlus 6T starts retailing at Rs 37,999, while the base variant of Asus Zenfone 5Z costs 8,000 less at Rs 29,999. OnePlus 6T may stand a tad ahead given the performance, camera and new technology it has been updated with, but offering the right value for the money you spend on a smartphone matters the most.

Now some would argue then why not pay 8,000 less and buy Xiaomi Poco F1 at Rs 20,999.

See, Asus Zenfone 5Z is actually a flagship with some great specs and performance. Yes, Poco F1 has SD 845, but it still is yet to prove its worth as a true flagship. To conclude, Asus Zenfone 5Z can offer a true flagship experience at under 30,000 rupees, with no huge reason to spend another 8,000 bucks for a OnePlus 6T.