Now that ASUS has made the ZenFone 5 official in the Philippines, it’s time to figure out how it stacks up against the Nokia 7 Plus, which also recently debuted locally.

Both midrange phones are reasonably priced, with the ASUS ZenFone 5 being the cheaper of the two, officially coming in at P19,995 (around $385). Preorders for the P21,990 ($423) Nokia 7 Plus began last week, and it’ll be available from April 27.

The case for the ASUS ZenFone 5

Besides a more palatable price tag, the latest hero device from ASUS gets a fancier outward appearance, having a glossy finish all around and a notch above the screen a la the Apple iPhone X. As a consequence of that finish, though, the ZenFone 5 is harder to keep looking clean as it ages.

In terms of handling, the ASUS phone’s smaller dimensions could mean an easier time using it for long periods, even if only a wee bit. At 6.2 inches, its screen is slightly larger, too; the wider aspect ratio, more suited for viewing content and playing games in landscape mode.

However, note that full notch support will only arrive once Android P (Popsicle?) is released and developers update their apps accordingly to make best use of the ASUS ZenFone 5’s irregular picture format.

The case of the Nokia 7 Plus

HMD Global’s premium mid-tier offering has a lot going for it, actually. And you don’t need to spend a small fortune for its feature set.

And while not quite the looker the ASUS ZenFone 5 is, the Nokia 7 Plus is built from a slab of solid aluminum with copper accents for added visual flair. Around the back, you’ll find two cameras with 12-megapixel sensors and Carl Zeiss lenses. The front-facing camera gets the 16-megapixel treatment and Zeiss optics as well.

We won’t comment on overall image quality pending real-world testing, but on paper at least, we imagine that the Nokia 7 Plus would be more capable of taking comparably better shots than any of the cameras on the ZenFone 5.

On a related note, the Nokia 7 Plus should be able to record clearer audio, thanks to Nokia’s Ozo technology. The tech deploys three microphones to capture the surrounding sound with little distortion.

SEE ALSO: ASUS ZenFone 5Q, ‘1st real quad-camera phone,’ debuts in the Philippines

On the inside, the Nokia 7 Plus comes with a faster, more gaming-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset. HMD pairs the processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage — the same configuration as the ASUS ZenFone 5 — but opts for a higher-capacity 3,800mAh cell. The latter bodes well for battery life.

Software-wise, both devices run up-to-date and secure Android Oreo, but it’s the Nokia 7 Plus that will reap the benefits of Google’s Android One program. As part of the program, the phone will receive consistent updates for a longer period, in addition to providing a fast and unbloated Android experience.

For a more detailed comparison, check out the chart below.

ASUS ZenFone 5 vs Nokia 7 Plus: Specs and price comparison

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Ramon Lopez

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Reviews Editor: Ramon "Monch" Lopez is an 18‑year media veteran who has helped shaped content for Yahoo and other top publications. He first dove into PR and marketing for an automobile brand, then ran the gadgets‑merchandising arm of a Philippine retail giant — proof he knows wheels and tech from the warehouse to the web. Now REVU's Reviews Editor, Monch balances his obsession with specs with a "quality over quantity" mindset, usually fueled by coffee, photography, videography, video games, basketball, and the occasional deadline chase.