Does the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro has a change against the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2? Comparison

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is genuinely one of the best smartphones that anyone can get in India, especially under Rs 15,000 price mark. The Redmi Note 6 Pro offers the best-in-class camera experience, a design that we all love and adore and a big battery, that can offer up to two days of battery life on a single charge.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro might face stiff competition from the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2, which was recently unveiled in Russia for a starting price of 17,990 rubles (Rs 19,000). Considering the Asus's price strategy, the Asus ZenFone Max Pro is expected to retail around Rs 15,000 price mark in India to compete against the likes of the Redmi Note 6 Pro.

Let us compare the features and specifications of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 to get a clear picture between the devices, and which one might suit your needs.

Design

The design of the Xiaomi Redmi series smartphones is almost at stale, where the company is following the concept "don't fix it if it ain't broke." The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is not a bad looking smartphone in any way, albeit, the device does not stand a chance against the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 with an all-glass design with premium Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection, which will prevent the screen from breaking with accidental drops. Both smartphones have an almost bezel-less design with a notch cut out, where the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 has a slightly smaller notch compared to the Note 6 Pro.

Processor, RAM, and storage

Both smartphones offer 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage on the base variant with an option to expand storage using a microSD card. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, whereas the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 runs on Snapdragon 660 AIE Mobile Solution.

The Snapdragon 660 AIE offers improved CPU, GPU, networking, and also provides better image processing compared to the Snapdragon 636. Again, the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 has the edge over the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro.

Battery

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with a 4000 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick charging via micro USB port, and the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 comes with a slightly bigger 5000 mAh battery with support for Quick Charging support, which also has a micro USB port.

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 yet again has a bigger battery, which results in better battery life compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro.

Camera

Both smartphones offer a dual camera setup with a 12 MP primary sensor and a 5 MP depth sensor. On paper, it seems that both smartphones have a similar camera setup. However, they use different camera sensor and different ISP (image sensing processor).

The ZenFone Max Pro has a 13 MP selfie camera on the front, whereas the Note 6 Pro has a dual camera setup with a 20 MP primary sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro has impressed us with the camera, and we are yet to test the Max Pro M2's camera. We can only pick the best amongst the two after testing the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2's camera in the coming days.

OS

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with a different approach. The Redmi Note 6 Pro has a custom skin on top of Android (MIUI 10), whereas the Max Pro M2 comes with stock Android OS.

From the last few years, we have been using different Xiaomi devices and MIUI has grown over me. Similarly, with the stock Android OS, you will be familiar with the layout and the features offered, which will be similar to other Android One or Google Pixel devices.

It really depends on a user to choose between the MIUI 10 and stock Android. MIUI 10 is a feature-rich custom skin, whereas the same features can be achieved on stock Android by installing apps from the Play Store.

Verdict

We have compared the most look out feature on a mid-tier smartphone, and the ZenFone Max Pro M2 is clearly stealing the show by a large margin. Once again, the Indian pricing will make a lot of difference. If the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is priced around Rs 15,000, then Redmi Note 6 Pro will have fierce competition.