Taiwanese Electronics Manufacturer, Asus recently launched their latest smartphone in the Zenfone Max series. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 packs a massive 5,000mAh battery and comes in at Rs. 10,999. This puts the Zenfone Max Pro M1 in direct competition with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Xiaomi with the Redmi Note series has dominated the budget smartphone segment. However, in our testing, the Zenfone proved to be giving a hard time to the Redmi. So, is the Zenfone Max Pro M1 really better than the Redmi Note 5?
Design
Both the phones sport a 5.99-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display with metal back and plastic parts at the back for antenna purposes. Both the devices have considerable bezels but less than what we are used to. Also, both the smartphones have a rear mounted fingerprint sensor. However, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a dual camera setup at the back while the Redmi Note 5 has a single one. Along with the Redmi Note 5 sports an IR Blaster while the Zenfone Max Pro M1 doesn't.
Both the devices look and feel premium in hand. Also, both the handsets sport an almost similar footprint.
Software
The Zenfone Max Pro M1 runs on stock Android 8.1.0 Oreo while the Redmi Note 5 runs on MIUI with Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box. In terms of software performance and stability, the Zenfone takes the lead. However, many MIUI fans will disagree as it carries a ton of useful features. If you are not an MIUI fan, you will love the stability and performance of stock Android on the ZenFone.
Performance
Performance is the major concern for any smartphone. The Xiaome Redmi Note 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC coupled with 3/4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of storage. While the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 635 SoC with 3/4GB of RAM along with 32/64GB storage. This instantly makes the Zenfone better than the Redmi on paper. However, not everything depends on specifications.
We ran our usual AnTuTu v7 and Geekbench 4 benchmarks in our reviews for the devices. That also proved the Zenfone is better in performance numbers than the Redmi. Just like the specifications, the real-life performance does not depend on these numbers. In real life usage, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of performance compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.
Also, the Redmi tended to run a little hot on heavy gaming while the Zenfone managed to remain cool. You can read more in your detailed reviews (Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1).
Display
Camera
The camera is something people care about these days. On paper the Zenfone sports a combination of a 13-megapixel and a 5-megapixel camera a the rear. While the Redmi only has a 12-megapixel camera at the rear. For the selfies, the Zenfone has an 8-megapixel sensor while the Redmi has a 5-megapixel sensor. Both of the devices sport a front led flash. This puts Zenfone ahead on paper.
In our testing, we found out that the Zenfone has a better colour accuracy than the Redmi. Also, the Redmi couldn't handle white balance well. You can check out the camera samples and detailed camera information in our full review of the device.
Battery
The Zenfone sports a 5,000mAh battery while the Redmi sports a 4,000mAh battery which gives an edge to the Zenfone at least on paper. In our testing, we found that the Zenfone lasts for almost 2 days while the Redmi only lasts a day and a half. This makes Zenfone a better smartphone for battery backup.
Conclusion
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is available at Rs. 10,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 starts at Rs. 9,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant. This makes the Zenfone slightly more expensive than the Redmi. However, you get a better battery life, better camera, better performance and the smoothness of stock Android. The Redmi Note 5, on the other hand, has an IR Blaster and the MIUI which is loved by many.
So the question still remains, where should you spend your money if you wanna buy a budget segment device? Well, the answer is clear, if you can't live without the IR Blaster or MIUI then its the Redmi Note 5. If you need a better camera and performance, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the choice.
