Asus has entered the highly lucrative Indian smartphone arena with the advantage of pricing its devices competitively hitting the market appropriately. It is clear that the devices in the Zenfone lineup are aimed at the low priced smartphones from the local as as well as global vendors. Lately, the Chinese vendor Xiami has come up with a slew of offerings including the Redmi Note. The sub Rs 10,000 price range of these handsets will surely make them successful in the market swarmed with price conscious consumers. Let us take a comparative look at the Zenfone 5 and Redmi Note to figure out which one is better.
Display and Processor
The Zenfone 5 comes with a 5 inch display, whereas the Redmi Note arrives with a larger 5.5 inch screen. Both these panels pack a HD screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels that will not make much difference in terms of pixel count. The Asus phone’s display has a scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coating and it has better readability with larger icons, font sizes and buttons that come as a part of the UI.
The Zenfone 5 gets a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor that makes it competent enough with a quad-core unit device as it can execute instructions faster with Hyper-threading technology. Going by comparison, the Redmi Note utilizes a 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor that is claimed to make use of all the eight cores for an optimal performance. However, this chipset can compete with those of the high-end offerings that are available in the market. Also, both the handsets include 2 GB of RAM to handle the multi-tasking department efficiently.
Camera and Internal Storage
At the back, the Zenfone 5 has an 8 MP camera coupled with a LED flash, while it is embellished with a 2 MP front-facing camera. The Redmi Note on the other hand features an amazing 13 MP camera at the back with auto focus and LED flash along with HDR shooting mode and FHD 1080p video recording capabilities. Redmi Note’s 13 MP shooter however isn’t very impressive and you can rate the camera performance as similar for both these phones.
In terms of storage,Asus scores more as the Zenfone 5 arrives in two options – 8 GB and 16 GB of native storage (12,999 INR) along with support for up to 64 GB of additional storage. On the other hand, the Xiaomi phone has only 8 GB of internal storage capacity besides the facility of expanding it up to 32 GB.
Battery and Features
The Redmi Note has a better battery than the Zenfone 5 as it packs a mightier 3,200 mAh battery under its hood as compared to the standard 2,110 mAh battery in its challenger. While the former is expected to last for over a day under moderate usage, we doubt the latter to last for a day.
On the software front, the Asus offering runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but it is upgradeable to v4.4 KitKat. In comparison, the Xiaomi Redmi Note comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with no word regarding any update. The Zen UI provides a break from the regular stock Android and you will definitely get to see something very different than usual. On the other hand, the easy-to-use MIUI v5 interface with the Lite Mode is a great option. However, it is a matter of personal choice and it depends on the user completely.
Key Specs
| Model | Asus Zenfone 5 | Xiaomi Redmi Note |
| Display | 5 inch, HD | 5.5 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2560 Dual Core | 1.7 GHz Octa Core MediaTek MT6592 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB/ 16 GB, Expandable up to 64 GB | 8 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB |
| OS | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean |
| Camera | 8 MP/ 2 MP | 13 MP/ 5 MP |
| Battery | 2,110 mAh | 3,200 mAh |
| Price | Rs 9,999, 12,999 INR | Rs 9,999 |
Price and Conclusion
Both the handsets are priced similarly at Rs 9,999 and hence, they are going to make any significant different as far as their pricing. Xiaomi Redmi Note is meant for those looking for a phablet sized display with a processor that can process all high end applications smoothly. If you are a moderate user willing to settle for a 5 inch display, Zenfone 5 will provide you better design, build quality and better display.
