Nokia 7.1 vs ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 specs comparison

Recently, the new Nokia 7.1 smartphone was made official, so I want to see how it would fare with another device carrying the same processor. Thus, I’ve matched it with the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1. Do you want to see which one would come out on top in this specs comparison? Keep reading below to find out. Let’s start!

Author’s Note: I’ve chosen the 4GB + 64GB variants of both smartphones to match their performance.

Nokia 7.1 can be easily seen as the younger sibling of the Nokia 7 Plus. It comes with a 5.84-inch display with 2280 x 1080 resolution, an HDR 10, a Snapdragon 636 processor, a 4GB RAM, a 64GB internal storage, a 12MP + 5MP dual rear cameras, an 8MP front camera, and a 3,060mAh battery.

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 is the company’s main contender for the budget mid-range segment. It sports a 6-inch display with 2160 x 1080 resolution, a Snapdragon 636 processor, a 4GB RAM, a 64GB internal storage, a 16MP + 5MP dual rear cameras, an 8MP front, and a 5,000mAh battery with flash charge.

Here are their detailed specs:

Specification	Nokia 7.1	ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1
Display	5.84-inch 19:9 FHD+ LCD PureDisplay @ 2280 x 1080 px, ~432 ppi	6-inch FHD+ IPS display @ 2160 x 1080px, 424ppi
HDR	HDR 10	-
Glass Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	n/a
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core processor
GPU	Adreno 509	Adreno 509
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB	64GB
MicroSD	expandable via microSD up to 400GB (uses SIM2 slot)	dedicated, expandable up to 2TB
Rear Camera	12MP f/1.8 AF + 5MP f/2.4 dual rear cameras with dual LED Flash	16MP f/2.0 + 5MP f/2.4 PDAF rear camera, LED flash
Front Camera	8MP f/2.0 FF front camera	8MP f/2.2 front camera, LED flash
SIM	Dual SIM (hybrid)	Dual-nano SIM
LTE	4G LTE	4G LTE
WiFi	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	4.2
GPS	GPS/AGPS+GLONASS	GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Audio	-	5 Magnet speaker with NXP smart amp
Port	USB Type-C	microUSB 2.0
Biometrics	- Fingerprint scanner	- Fingerprint scanner - Face Unlock
OS	Android One (Android 8 Oreo)	Pure Android (Android 8.1 Oreo)
Battery	3060mAh battery	5,000mAh battery with flash charge
Dimensions	149.7 x 71.18 x 9.14mm	159 x 76 x 8.61 mm
Weight	160g	180g

Here are the advantages of each smartphone:

Nokia 7.1

Higher Screen aspect ratio
Higher horizontal screen resolution
Higher pixel density
HDR 10
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Wider main rear camera aperture
Wider front camera aperture
WiFi ac support
Bluetooth 5.0
USB Type-C

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1

Larger screen size
Dedicated micro SD card slot
Higher main rear camera resolution
5 Magnet speaker with NXP smart amp
Larger battery capacity with flash charge

Let’s start with their displays. The Nokia 7 may have a slight disadvantage in size compared to the ZenFone Max Pro M1, but it makes up for its higher aspect ratio, horizontal resolution, and pixel density. Not to mention its HDR 10 support and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Overall, the former is the best pick when it comes to viewing experience especially when users are streaming videos on Netflix.

There shouldn’t be any visible difference in both smartphones’ response rates when they are tested in real time. The only difference in this aspect is Nokia 7.1’s Android One (stock) OS and ZenFone Max Pro M1’s Pure Android (almost stock) OS. Personally, choosing between their operating systems will depend on the user’s preference.

In terms of cameras, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 comes with a higher main rear camera resolution but the Nokia 7.1 has a wider main rear and front camera apertures. To simply put, the latter can produce brighter photos given that they are tested in the same conditions. Check our sample photos for the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 here.

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 carries a larger battery capacity than the Nokia 7.1 The former also has a flash charge technology. We don’t know how long the latter will last but we’ll update you guys once we get our hands on the unit.

The Nokia 7.1 (4GB + 64GB) is priced at EUR349PHP 21,500USD 366INR 31,057CNY 2,669 (~PHP21,900USD 373INR 31,637EUR 355CNY 2,718) while the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (4GB + 64GB) is priced at PHP12,995USD 221INR 18,773EUR 211CNY 1,613.