In this episode of specs comparison, two of the most talked smartphones of this year will be put side-by-side to see which one has the upper-hand in each key aspect. Place your bets and read on to see which one won this matchup!
The Nokia 7 Plus was released last February at MWC in Barcelona. It has a 6-inch 18:9 IPS LCD display with 2160 x 1080 resolution, Snapdragon 660 processor, 64GB internal storage, 4GB RAM, 12MP + 12MP dual rear cameras, 16MP front camera, 3,800mAh battery with fast charging.
The ASUS Zenfone 5 (ZE620KL) is one of the three smartphones that was released by ASUS this year, it’s part of their revitalization of the ZenFone 5 generation. It has a 6.2-inch 19:9 IPS display with 2246 x 1080 resolution, Snapdragon 636 processor, 64GB internal storage, 4GB/6GB RAM, 12MP + 8MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera, 3,300mAh battery with Smart Charging.
Here are their detailed specs:
| Nokia 7 Plus | ASUS Zenfone 5 (ZE620KL) |
|---|---|
| 6-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display @ 2160 x 1080px, 403ppi | 6.2-inch 19:9 FHD+ IPS display @ 2246 x 1080px, 402ppi |
| Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz octa-core | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz Octa-core |
| Adreno 512 GPU | Adreno 509 GPU |
| 64GB internal storage | 64GB internal storage |
| 4GB RAM | 4GB/6GB RAM |
| Dual-SIM card slot (nano, hybrid) | Dual-SIM card slot (nano, hybrid) |
| expandable up to 256GB via microSD (uses SIM 2) | expandable up to 2TB via microSD card |
| 12 MP (f/1.75) + 12 MP (f/2.6), Gyro EIS, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash | 12MP Sony IMX363 w/ f/1.8 Night HDR, OIS/EIS, PDAF main 8MP 120-degrees wide-angle secondary |
| 16 MP (f/2.0, 1.0 µm), Carl Zeiss optics front camera | 8MP f/2.0 front camera |
| 4K video recording | 4K video recording (RAW file support) |
| Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| NFC | NFC |
| FM Radio | FM Radio |
| Nokia OZO audio (w/ 3 mics) | Dual speakers with Smart Amp Audio Wizard |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Fingerprint Scanner | Fingerprint Scanner |
| Face detection sensor | Face Recognition |
| Android One (Android 8.0 Oreo) | Zen UI 5.0 (Android 8.0 Oreo) |
| 3,800mAh battery with fast charging | 3,300mAh battery with BoostMaster & Smart Charging S |
| 158.4mm x 75.6mm x 8mm | 153 x 75.7 x 7.9 mm |
| 183 g | 155 g |
Here are the advantages of each smartphone:
Nokia 7 Plus
+ Better performing CPU
+ Better performing GPU
+ Slightly wider main camera aperture
+ Higher secondary rear camera resolution
+ Higher front camera resolution
+ 3 microphones
+ Stock Android
+ Higher battery capacity
+ Fast charging
ASUS Zenfone 5 (ZE620KL)
+ Larger screen size
+ Higher horizontal screen resolution
+ Multi-core AI
+ Has 6GB RAM variant
+ expandable up to 2TB
+ Lighter mass
The Zenfone 5 has a better viewing experience for users due to its larger screen size and aspect ratio. The Nokia 7 Plus’s display is above average but the former is just a little step higher in this aspect.
Basing on the naming scheme of Qualcomm with its processors, a chipset with a higher number has a more powerful performance. In this case, the Snapdragon 660 is better performing than the Snapdragon 636. This is also evident if we look at the processors’ individual core clock speeds. In terms of gaming potential, the Nokia 7 Plus has the upper-hand over the Zenfone 5. So if users want to have a smartphone that has a better overall performance, the former is the right choice.
Both smartphones have a specialization with their camera specs. The Nokia 7 Plus has a higher secondary rear camera that has a 2x optical zoom and dual pixel phase detection autofocus while the Zenfone 5 has 120-degree wide-angle secondary shooter. We’ll take a closer look at the image quality that they produce once we get our hands on both of the devices.
The Nokia 7 Plus has a larger battery capacity with fast charging while the Zenfone 5 only has a Smart Charging S technology. ASUS’ offering doesn’t really have fast charging but it can adapt the charging speeds of the device making it slightly faster than usual. We’ll update this article once we test their battery performance.
In summary, if users want to experience Stock Android, fast charging tech, and a device with better overall performance, the Nokia 7 Plus is the right pick. If they want to have a more viable travel companion (lightweight) with a better viewing experience, then the Zenfone 5 is the right choice.
The Nokia 7 Plus is priced at €399(~Php25,000) Php21,990 while the ASUS Zenfone 5 is priced at Php19,995 and is now available nationwide. Users may also choose the flagship Nokia 8 as one of their alternatives since it has the same price as the former.
What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Nokia 7 plus vs Sony Xperia Xa2 Ultra, which is the better phablet?
good question. give this man a cookie.
I go for a Nokia 7..a name with a proven device and quality..nothing to be compared in mid range phone..?
The Nokia will get Android P and Q and three years of security updates because it’s an Android One device. Even if all other specs were the same, that alone is worth the 10% price premium over the ASUS, but the SD660 is more powerful to boot.
asus is the way to go for price ratio.it is a safer bet, even for resale value, saw them in a mall this looks solid than the lesser china counter parts.. instead of buying the oppo notch or vivo go for this one if its cash basis some retailer cut 1k of the price , camera has 4k which is the last remaining high end that we can ask for a middle ground for mid end device, also has better optics . oppo and vivo feed on the masses with beauty ai aor whatever to appeal the boat ..invest on something a little bit better.
at 2K php more, you can get SD 660 which is clearly step ahead of 636 and its GPU. nokia 7 plus nailed all camera test versus ZF5. as for vivo and oppo, you are right.
Nokia 7 plus is priced locally at 22k. Did you even research before making this comparison?
We’ve added the srp :) What you’ve seen was the converted price from euros. Thanks for the feedback though!
Hey Vaughn Chua, the article is posted today, and Nokia 7 Plus already had an official SRP in the Philippines: Php 21,990. It might be that the article was written way, way before yet still, your editors must have reviewed updates first before officially posting this one.
Hi, thanks for the feedback! We’ve added the SRP in the article :)