Head-to-Head: ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom vs Huawei GR5 2017

Head-to-Head: ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom vs Huawei GR5 2017

Now that we’ve finally gotten our hands on the new ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom and given it an intial go, it’s time to compare it to other players in the market to see how it stacks up. This time we’re going to pit it against the Huawei GR5 2017, or the Huawei Honor 6X as it’s also known in other markets. The GR5 2017 also sports a dual camera setup like the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom, so it will be interesting to see the spec match up on paper, along with its design, and additional features they both might have.

Huawei GR5 2017 specs

  • 2.1GHz Kirin 655 octa-core processor
  • 3GB/4GB of RAM
  • 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 32GB/64GB of expandable storage
  • 12-megapixel rear camera with 2-megapixel secondary camera
  • 8-megapixel front camera
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner
  • 3,340mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow, EMUI 4.1

ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor
  • 3GB/4GB of RAM
  • 5.5-inch, full HD Super AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 32GB/64GB expandable storage
  • Twin 12-megapixel rear cameras, Sony IMX362 image sensor, f/1.7 aperture, 1x, 2.3x optical zoom, laser AF, PDAF, EIS, OIS, 4K video recording
  • 13-megapixel front camera, Sony IMX214, f/2.0 aperture
  • Dual SIM
  • 3G, LTE
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C
  • 5000mAh battery
  • Android 6 Marshmallow, ZenUI

Curved Metal Bodies; Different Camera Orientation

In terms of its design, the Huawei GR5 2017 and the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom don’t differ too greatly. Both have metal bodies that have gentle curves and round corners with the display covered in 2.5D arc glass to make the phone feel good in the hand. Button layout for both phones are pretty much the same with the volume rocker and power button situated on the right side of the device, and the SIM trays on the left. USB ports and speaker grilles are found on the bottom of both phones, but the Zenfone 3 Zoom has its 3.5mm jack on the bottom and the GR5 2017 has it up on top.

Bezels on the top and bottom of the Huawei GR 2017 are a little slimmer thanks to the on screen navigation buttons, while the Zenfone 3 Zoom has its capacitive keys on its chin. Moving along to the back of both devices, we can see that both its fingerprint scanners can easily be accessed by using ones index finger. While phones that have a dual camera setup usually have then in a horizontal configuration, much like the setup found on the Zoom, the one on the GR5 2017 are stacked on top of each other with its LED flash off to its side.

The Zoom Takes the Battle of Dual Cameras

Speaking of the cameras on these phones, the spec sheet clearly has this skewed in favor of the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom that has twin 12-megapixel rear cameras, as opposed to the GR5 2017’s  12-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear camera; if that wasn’t enough, the Zoom is also equipped with laser autofocus, PDAF, OIS, EIS as well as 4K video recording capabilities. That means — on paper, at least — the Zenfone 3 Zoom clearly wins out. We wish we could give you a side-by-side comparison of their photos, but we’re pretty much working off of spec sheets and press renders for the Huawei GR5 2017. If we do get our hands on a unit, expect to see camera samples in our full review for the device.

More Battery Life with the Zenfone 3 Zoom Makes it a Winner

In terms of performance, it’s also give a more accurate comparison between two phones while we haven’t the pleasure of using one of them. The Kirin 655 does have a slight edge in CPU clock speeds, but it’s really hard to tell how phones will perform just by looking at a spec sheet nowadays. It’s pretty much a tie in terms of RAM and storage, but since ASUS is known having a ton of bloatware pre-installed in their devices, we thnk we’ll give a slight edge to the GR5. Where the ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom definitely wins out in the hardware category is definitely its battery capacity. While the Zenfone 3 Zoom has a 5000mAh Battery, the Huawei GR5 2017 only has a 3340mAh battery; still pretty good seeing as some phones go below the 3000mAh mark, but that’s still pretty big difference in battery capacity.

And that’s pretty much for this comparison between the Huawei GR5 2017 and the newly released ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom. Make sure you guys check out our other comparison that pits the Zoom against other smartphones in the market as well as our hands-on and initial review for the device.

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