Asus has launched its latest flagship smartphone, called the ZenFone 3, in India. Priced at Rs. 27,999, it will compete with the OnePlus 3 smartphone. In this post, we have pitted the two flagship smartphones against each other to ascertain which is better. Scroll down to find out how Asus ZenFone 3 vs OnePlus 3 compare with each other in terms of design, camera, display, gaming, performance and more.

Asus ZenFone 3 vs OnePlus 3 Comparison

Device/Feature	Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL)	OnePlus 3
Price	Rs. 27,999	Rs. 27,999
Processor	octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625	2.15GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
GPU	Adreno 506	Adreno 530
Operating System	Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.0	Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Oxygen OS 3.1
Display	5.5-inch Full HD (1920×1080 pixels resolution. Corning Gorilla Glass)	5.5-inch Full HD Optic AMOLED (1920×1080 pixels resolution and 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 4)
RAM	4GB	6GB
ROM	64GB (expandable )	64GB (non expandable)
Rear Camera	16 mega pixel with OIS, dual tone LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 4k video	16 mega pixel with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, OIS, EIS, PDAF, Sony IMX298 sensor, 4K video recording
Front Camera	8 mega pixel with f/2.0 aperture	8 mega pixel with f/2.0 aperture, Sony IMX179 sensor
Battery	3000mAh	3000mAh with Dash Charge technology
Connectivity	4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type-C	Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C
Weight	155 grams	158 grams
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes

Design

Let’s talk about design of these phones first. Although both smartphones are made with metal yet, they look totally different from each other. Going beyond the Sandstone finish, OnePlus has opted for aluminum unibody design for its latest flagship smartphone. It has soft curves and sharp lines that offer comfortable grip.

Asus Zenfone 3 on the other hand, comes with glass and metal design and it is hard to deny that this phone really looks very premium. It sports 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panels at the front and rear, and has attractive metal frame around the edges. It flaunts concentric circle pattern at the back which looks premium.

The OnePlus 3 has side profile of 7.35mm while Zenfone 3 is slightly thicker with 7.7mm thickness. Both phones feel comfortable to hold.

Both smartphones have premium design. Both are well built phones that look elegant while holding in hand. But Zenfone 3 seems more premium, luxurious and ergonomic in terms of aesthetics. The design of the Zenfone 3 looks very classy and feels great to hold in hand. We are really impressed with its stunning design and how comfortable it feels to hold.

If we had to pick one out of these two based on design, we would go for Zenfone 3 due to its exquisite glass and metal design with striking concentric pattern. It has that wow factor that would entice anyone to buy it. This sleek and sophisticated phone certainly stands out and is one of the best looking phones we have come across so far.

Display

Next is display. Both phones feature 5.5-inch full HD displays with 1080p resolution and Corning Gorilla glass protection. The OnePlus 3 comes with optic AMOLED display. The screens of both phones are sharp and bright but when both phones are kept side by side, the screen OnePlus 3 looks more vibrant and rich. The viewing angles and sunlight legibility of screens of both phones are good.

So, screens of both phones are bright and sharp and are easily viewable even in bright sunlight.

Camera

Moving on to camera department, both phones sport a 16 mega pixel rear camera and an 8 mega pixel front facing camera. The primary camera of OnePlus 3 comes with single LED flash, (PDAF, OIS), and EIS). It also supports 4K video recording. As for camera quality and clarity. It takes great shots with both front and rear cameras. The detailing, clarity and color reproduction of images taken with OnePlus 3 is good.

The Zenfone 3 comes with dual LED flash, laser auto focus, Phase detection Auto Focus, OIS and EIS. Both OIS and EIS features ensure blur-free shots and videos. It comes with Sony IMX298 sensor, six-element Largan lens with a large f/2.0 aperture. All this is protected against scratches and damage by sapphire glass. It features Tri-tech or three focus technologies for variable distance and lighting that achieve fast focus in just 0.03 seconds. It also features PixelMaster 3.0 and comes with plethora of modes like beautification mode, super resolution mode, advanced light mode,  selfie panorama mode, HDR and more.

With the Super Resolution Mode, users can create a super-high resolution 64 mega pixel photos with exceptional clarity and detailing and less noise. The low light mode comes for aid in dim and dark conditions by producing impressively clear shots.

Another talking point of ZenFone 3 optics is Sony DTI or Deep Trench Isolation technology that produces very fine and clear photo details. Also onboard is Color Correction sensor that produces images with natural and accurate colors. The rear camera of this phone supports 4K video recording and the front camera has 1080p video recording capabilities.

The rear camera of ZenFone 3 takes excellent shots in well lit as well as low lighting conditions. The color reproduction as well as detailing of the images are commendable. The front cameras also does a great job in capturing selfies with good detailing and clarity.

In terms of clarity and quality of images, both phones perform really well. They produce very detailed and crisp images and compete head to head with each other. But ZenFone 3 does have a slight edge as it offers more advanced camera tech with tonnes of modes and features. Here are some samples taken with cameras of both phones:

OnePlus 3

Asus Zenfone 3

Hardware & Performance

Now hardware and performance. OnePlus 3 is powered by a 64-bit 2.15GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor paired with Adreno 530 and massive 6GB of RAM. It houses 64GB of internal memory but lacks expandable storage. Multitasking experience is smooth and it plays moderate to heavy games with ease and shows no signs of lags or stutters.

The Zenfone 3 packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 coupled with Adreno 506 GPU and 4GB of RAM. It has 64GB of internal memory and also supports expandable storage using microSD card. It handles gaming with ease and there were no signs of lags, stutters or heating issues.

Overall performance of both phones is very impressive. Both phones handle day to day tasks, multitasking and gaming seamlessly.

Software

On software front, the OnePlus 3 runs Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 operating system wrapped under Oxygen OS 3.1.

The OnePlus 3 comes with features like OnePlus Shelf feature, Doze mode and app permissions to name a few. It offers several features like screen-off gestures and customizable buttons that give users more control to personalize their smartphone experience.

The ZenFone 3 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.0. It comes with a Mobile Manager, which clears the RAM and provides other features as well to maintain a proper balance of power efficiency and performance. Besides there are a lot of modes and features that ZenUI 3.0 offers. It comes with Easy mode which provides intuitive interface with simplified layout and core functions and Kids mode that provides a safe interface during the use of the phone by kids.

There is a Theme store that has a collection of hundreds of themes. Users can also create their own theme. The Zen UI 3.0 also offers parallax motion effect that constructs wallpaper in multiple layers for vivid visual experience. The booster feature allows users broadcast their game-play live via YouTube or Twitch. It also comes with numerous gesture based sensors or ZenMotion gestures like double tap to turn off screen, double tap to wake up screen, draw alphabets to open different apps and more.

The interface of both phones is clean and user friendly. Yet, Zenfone 3 seems more feature rich. It comes with tonnes of themes and customization options and feels more intuitive.

Battery & Connectivity

Now  let’s talk about battery Both phones pack batteries with 3000mAh capacities which survive for up to 1 day on moderate usage. The OnePlus 3 also supports Dash charge technology which is claimed to charge the phone up to 60 percent in just 30 minutes.

Fingerprint Sensor

Both phones come with fingerprint sensors for additional security. The OnePlus 3 has its fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button while the Zenfone 3 has it on its rear. The fingerprint sensors of both phones are very quick and accurate.

Price

Both phones carry  price tag of Rs. 27,999.

Verdict

The price tags of both phones are identical, their specifications look very similar on paper and their real life performances also match closely. Both devices perform extremely well in every department. Both phones are excellent high-end smartphones that offer premium design, rich display, great camera combination, long lasting battery and more.

But if I had to pick one out of these two, I am likely to go for the Asus Zenfone 3 as it looks more premium, offers expandable storage support, a great camera combination and has highly efficient UI with tonnes of modes and customization options. Without a doubt, ZenFone 3 is one of the best looking smartphone we have come across till date. We are impressed with the premium build quality and striking design of this phone which feels very luxurious to hold. If you are someone who appreciates beautifully crafted devices, then you are certainly going to like this exquisite phone.

Also Read: Asus ZenBook 3, Transformer 3 Pro Launched in India: Price & Specifications