Zenfone Max Pro M1 vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Which smartphone is worth your money?

Things have not been this exciting in the mid-range smartphone segment for quite some time now. We finally have someone challenging Xiaomi's dominance in the India market, and it's Asus. With a track record of overpricing its smartphones to the  extent that it becomes counter-productive, Asus surely is trying to turn a new page with its Zenfone Max Pro M1, which is so competitively priced that it has the mid-range king Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro sweating bullets.

Both Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Redmi Note 5 Pro are trying to target India's fastest growing smartphone segement, the segment that took Xiaomi from being a Chinese smartphone start-up to a brand with the biggest market share in the country.

In the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, we have a mid-range smartphone with the latest Snapdragon 636 chipset, a FullView 1080p display, a dual camera setup, massive 5,000mAh battery, and stock Android 8.1 Oreo. While these specifications seem good on paper, it remains to be seen how they size up against the Redmi Note 5 Pro in day-to-day usage.

Here is a head-to-head comparison of the two devices that will go against each other for the top spot of the Indian mid-range segment.

The 3GB variant of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 costs Rs 10,999, whereas the 4GB variant has been priced at Rs 12,999. The 6GB variant will be available a few weeks later for a price of Rs 14,999. On the other hand, the 4GB variant of Redmi Note 5 Pro now costs Rs 14,999 and the 6GB variant costs Rs 16,999 after a Rs 1000 price hike.

While both are available at Flipkart, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is available only through flash sales. Pre-orders for the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 began last week and as expected the phone is also going out of stock pretty quick, even during the pre-order sales. The next sale for the Max Pro will be conducted on May 10.