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 EUR349 (~PHP21,900) while the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (4GB + 64GB) is priced at PHP12,995.
Users should go with the Nokia 7.1 If they are:
- Fond of watching or streaming videos
- Want faster file transfer rates via USB Type-C
- Want a wider camera aperture for taking photos
The ZenFone Max Pro M1, on the other hand, would be a good pick if users are:
- Fond of putting more storage without sacrificing the second SIM slot
- Into larger battery capacity smartphones
- Tight on a budget but doesn’t want to compromise the performance
What do you guys think of this specs comparison? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I certainly would not pay 22K for Snapdragon 636