Over the course of the last three years, Xiaomi went from a relatively unknown Chinese brand to India's largest smartphone manufacturer. It did so by introducing budget phones that offered great value for money, and eliminating common pain points. For instance, one of the areas Xiaomi focused on last year was battery life — it started rolling out phones with larger batteries and offering optimizations within MIUI to eke out the maximum battery life. As a result, Xiaomi's phones consistently lead the charts when it comes to battery life. The mixture of two-day battery life and decent specs allowed the Redmi Note 4 to become the best-selling phone in India last year, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro builds on that by offering beefier hardware and a better camera — while retaining the same great battery life. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines Xiaomi's ability to undercut its rivals is unmatched in the industry, and it does so not only in the phone segment, but also with its lifestyle products. That's why the launch of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is such a momentous occasion — ASUS is effectively beating Xiaomi at its own game, and that should be worrisome to India's leading smartphone brand. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 offers the same Snapdragon 636 chipset as the Redmi Note 5 Pro, but it comes with pure Android and retails at a lower price point. It's time to find out if ASUS' latest budget phone has what it takes to dethrone the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: Specs

Category ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Operating System Android 8.1 Oreo MIUI 9.2 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat Display 5.99-inch 18:9 FHD+

(2160x1080) IPS LCD panel

403ppi pixel density

450 nits brightness 5.99-inch 18:9 FHD+

(2160x1080) IPS LCD panel

403ppi pixel density

Gorilla Glass SoC Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636

Eight Kryo 260 cores up to 1.8GHz

14nm Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636

Eight Kryo 260 cores up to 1.8GHz

14nm GPU Adreno 509 Adreno 509 RAM 3GB/4GB/6GB 4GB/6GB Storage 32GB/64GB/64GB

microSD slot up to 2TB 64GB/64GB

microSD slot up to 128GB Rear camera 13MP Omnivision 16880 f/2.2 lens + 5MP f/2.4 lens

PDAF, LED flash

4K video recording 12MP f/2.2 lens + 5MP f/2.0 lens

PDAF, LED flash

1080p video recording Front shooter 8MP f/2.0

1080p video recording 20MP f/2.2 lens

LED Selfie light

1080p video recording

Beautify 4.0 Connectivity LTE with VoLTE

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 with AptX

GPS, GLONASS

Micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack LTE with VoLTE

Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0

GPS, GLONASS

Micro-USB, 3.5mm jack, IR blaster Networks LTE: 1/3/5/7/8/20/40 LTE: 1/3/5/40/41 Battery 5000mAh battery

Fast charging (5V/2A) 4000mAh battery

5V/2A over MicroUSB Fingerprint Rear fingerprint sensor Rear fingerprint sensor Dimensions 159 x 76 x 8.46mm 158.6 × 75.4 × 8.05mm Weight 180g 181g Colors Meteor Silver, Deepsea Black Gold, Rose Gold, Blue, Black

Where they're both equal

Both phones offer robust hardware in the form of a Snapdragon 636 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Xiaomi also sells a version with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and ASUS has mentioned that it will also offer a similar configuration of the M1 at a later date. Where ASUS has an advantage, though, is with the base variant of the Max Pro M1, which has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The base version costs just ₹10,999 ($165), which is an absolute steal when you consider the specs on offer. The only device that Xiaomi has at that price point is the standard Redmi Note 5, which is powered by the Snapdragon 625. Both devices also sport 5.99-inch IPS LCD displays with a resolution of 2160x1080, and the panels are identical. Both offer vibrant colors and great viewing angles, and although I faced issues with the ambient light sensor on the M1 initially, that particular issue was alleviated in a recent software update. Both the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro have 3.5mm jacks, and Xiaomi does one better by including an IR blaster — a mainstay on its phones for some years now. What the Redmi Note 5 Pro does better

Xiaomi hasn't really altered the design of its Redmi Note series for a few generations, instead opting to refine the aesthetic to differentiate the latest phones from their predecessors. That said, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is one of the most sturdily-built phones in this segment, and the fit and finish is top-notch.

You don't necessarily get the same feeling when you're using the ZenFone Max Pro M1. Although the device has a 5000mAh battery — 1000mAh more than the Redmi Note 5 Pro — it is 1g lighter than Xiaomi's phone, and that's likely due to the quality of the metals used in its construction. It certainly doesn't feel as sturdy, and there isn't a whole lot to get excited about on the design front in general. The Redmi Note 5 Pro has a much more refined design. Furthermore, the 5.99-inch screen on the M1 is devoid of any protection, so you'll have to pick up a screen protector. Xiaomi doesn't necessarily specify what version of Gorilla Glass it is using on the Redmi Note 5 Pro, but there's some sort of protection against tumbles. There isn't much to separate either phone in terms of the camera. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 has a slight edge when it comes to outdoor shots, and the Redmi Note 5 Pro wins out indoors. As for low-light shots, you get to see more details on the Redmi Note 5 Pro, but the colors are washed out.

ZenFone Max Pro M1 on the left, Redmi Note 5 Pro on the right.

I couldn't get the portrait mode to work reliably on the ZenFone Max Pro M1, and in this area the Redmi Note 5 Pro does better. Right now, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has the edge when it comes to the camera side of things. That said, my Max Pro M1 is running a non-final software build, and ASUS has stated that it will significantly alter the camera quality in the coming weeks. The stable build for the device is set to go live on April 29, and I'll revisit this section after the Max Pro M1 goes on sale to see if there's a tangible difference. What the ZenFone Max Pro M1 does better