iPhone 6 Runs the Gauntlet: ASUS Zenfone 5

Our quest to pit the iPhone 6 to various midrange smartphones continues. Next up on the roster is the Asus Zenfone 5. It’s currently one of the more popular midrange smartphones in the market and for good reason. The Zenfone 5 is packed with decent hardware and unobtrusive software wrapped in a very stylish body.

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Going into the Android side of things, Asus has really done a great job of producing a high-output device at a very affordable price point. The Zenphone 5 outclasses most phones in its price class. Let’s see how she fares in a match-up against the giant from Apple.

Size
When it comes to size, the Zenfone 5 is taller, wider, thicker, and heavier than Apple’s flagship by a significant margin. This has a lot to do with aesthetics and display. The Zenfone 5 comes with a 5-inch IPS display (versus the iPhone 6’s 4.7 inches) and Asus’ signature “concentric circle finish” (like the Zenbook, the brand’s laptop line). Showing these two factors off makes it tower over the iPhone 6 by about 10 millimeters. The display also gives the Zenfone a wider waistline compared to Apple’s device by about 5 millimeters. Cramming hardware into the phone also made it thicker compared to the iPhone by about 4 millimeters.

Performance
For processing power, the Zenfone relies on Intel’s dual-core hyperthreaded 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2560 chip backed by a PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics card. Don’t let the number of cores fool you, as the hyperthreading technology provided by Intel means that the processor can output the equivalent of four cores. However, the tech from the Zenfone falls short when it comes to the A8 engine designed by Apple. But for the price, specs, and class the Zenfone finds itself in, its processor is a full head above the rest of the crowd.

Battery Life
Zenfone users will be a little dismayed at the 2,110 mAh capacity of the Zenfone 5’s battery, but it’s actually enough to power the device for around 8-10 hours depending on use. Considering how much processing power it outputs, we feel that battery life is an acceptable trade-off in a world of power banks. That said, it definitely gets a leg up over the iPhone 6’s 1,810 mAh battery, energy-saving processor technology be damned.

User Interface
Android phones are a dime a dozen, with each brand wanting their own unique UI and apps on top of the operating system. Asus has done a good job with their UI combined with the hardware in the phone to deliver a smooth, intuitive, and informative system that doesn’t need much tinkering. The iPhone 6 has the standard Apple iOS UI that’s proven to do the job as well, so in this category, we feel that both phones are pretty much on even ground.

Image Quality
Both phones have 8 megapixels for their rear shooters, and this is where the comparison gets exciting. On the one hand, Apple’s cameras are always reliable in delivering good quality photos that need very little post production manipulation. However, the Zenfone’s camera is equipped with PixelMaster technology, delivering superb quality in low light situations. The iPhone 6 delivers great snaps overall, but if you’re a night owl, then the Zenfone’s low light shooter might be a better choice.

Storage

The Zenfone only goes up to 64 GB, with full memory card extensions. While the iPhone 6 is not expandable, its 128 GB of storage space is more than enough even more the hardiest of users.

Durability
Both phones’ outer shells have metal as the base, but the Zenfone 5 has a rubber-plastic hybrid for a back panel that’s painted to match the rest of the body. This isn’t a just something Asus did to save money, but actually helps one’s grip on the phone. The iPhone 6 has aluminum all the way to the back, and while it may be bump-resilient, it does not add anything to grip, especially to people with smaller hands.

Price

We think around a P20,000 difference blows the iPhone 6 out of the water. Enough said.

Verdict

If you want the ultimate bang for your buck, go for the Zenfone 5. At its price tag for the specs it carries, we’re confident in saying the ASUS Zenfone 5 walks out of this scuffle alive. It hasn’t come away without a few scratches. It was a hard fought battle, but since the price and value for money is our ultimate factor, the ASUS Zenfone 5 walks away with its head held high.