Torn between Zenfone 5 and iNew v8

[vulcan4d]

I don't see the Asus Zenfone series of phones discussed here and I am wondering if I'm missing something. I'm looking for an Android phone to replace my broken HTC M7 and what matters mostly to me is that it is dual sim, has a great camera and uses 850 & 1900 bands for 3G (HSPA) because I use Rogers.

Both phones are in the same price point. I love the Asus because it is a reputable brand and they really focused on the camera. Even though it's an Intel dual core, the performance is the same as the hex core Inew v8. I like the Inew phone because everyone seems to love theirs and yet all reviews state its just a clone and therefore you are not getting a good product.

Since the Asus Zenfone is not really discussed here I am not sure how these two compare besides specs. Anyone has experience with them both?

Thank you.

[Houki]

Hello, I too was looking at the Zenfone 5 when deciding what my next phone should be. I'm on Fido, so I needed the 850 and 1900 bands too. Asus is a by far the more reputable brand, so you definitely don't have to worry about some problems that might arise with other phones. One thing that put me off of the Zenfone 5 is the below average battery life that some reviews reported. Since it's non-removable, it was kinda a deal breaker for me. Note that I currently use a Moto G LTE, which has a similar size battery that's non-removable, but I can easily get around a day and half of use with about 5 hours screen on time. I attribute most of that to the Snapdragon 400 and Motorola's optimizations though. I believe that there is an "updated" version of the Zenfone 5 with LTE (not sure if the LTE is the same bands as what we use here) and a Snapdragon 400, which is actually slower than the Intel dual-core on the original Zenfone 5. I also believe that the Zenfone 5 with 2 GB of RAM has an improved Intel chip over the 1 GB version, so I'd recommend getting that one.

I actually ordered the iNew V8, currently waiting for it to arrive after quite a few delays, but hopefully I'll have it by next week. I chose it because the swivel camera is a cool feature that would be kinda unique here in Canada, since we can't get Oppo phones here without ordering internationally. And the 2400 mAh battery does kinda concern me given that it needs to power a big screen, but the reviews here report decent battery life. Plus I can always order a spare battery if it does become an issue.

The iNew V8 does have KitKat our of the box, which is definitely nice, though I believe Asus has released a KitKat update for the Zenfone as well. The overall quality of the iNew may be an issue in the long run, so I'd recommend the Asus if you're looking for a more reliable phone.

[edcoolio]

Great overview above! I've looked closely at the Asus myself, just to have something to play with, and have heard nothing but good things after a fair amount of research.

I will point out the obvious - the Asus has a 5 inch screen while the V8 has a 5.5 inch screen so the footprint will be bigger. I'm going to assume you know this, but thought it should be said.

On the point above, and one of the points of hesitation for me. I like to swap out phones I have regularly. One brand for another, one color for another, etc. Due to this, there is a point of pause. The Asus is a FAT phone! I carry all my phones in my front pocket. Always. They need to be relatively tough, reliable, and thin. I believe the Asus is tough and reliable, but at 10mm, it is kinda fat.

So, the device is fat, which usually will indicate a larger battery that is removable which I could forgive. Asus fails on both counts. All the size, but a built in small battery.

For these reasons (and I like larger screens), I personally would select the V8 in my current situation if only given those two choices.

However, if my situation was different (on a tight budget, only one good phone) and needed the highest quality phone with branding reputation/support to use as a full time carry device because I could only afford one - it would be the Asus hands down... slightly smaller battery and fat a** be damned!

Now, to be truthful, if give your situation and needed a 5.5 inch phone, the V8 and Asus battery issue are a major fail in my opinion. I never carry spare batteries and neither does anyone else I know that carries a phone in their pocket. Therefore, I would personally choose the Xiaomi Hongmi Note (2GB/8GB, Snapdragon 400 MSM8928). Sure, there is 8 GB less ROM, but it supports a full 64GB TF card (as opposed to 32) and the battery is MUCH larger at 3100mAh. Since I root all my phones, the 64GB capability, a comparable camera, and an EXCELLENT reliable brand, combined with a battery almost 1/3 larger means (to me) that for about the same price, I get a better and more useful product.

Good luck in your search and may your choice be exactly what you expected.

[nikstar]

INew has a very good battery time. It can last about two days at normal use, three days at light use and 1+ day for a very heavy use. I have always 3G on, WiFi on, dual sim and a lot apps running all the time like viber, Facebook messenger etc. KitKat helps a lot on this.
My thoughts about the other suggestions mentioned above is that the Xiaiomi was also one of my choices, but i had concerns about the ram management of miui.
Also in a future update of miui to KitKat the 8gb of rom (~6 or less available) will create a big problem. Kitkat doesn't "want" sd cards.
Also iNew (and a lot other phones that they support up 32GB SD Card) works fine with a 64GB SD Card!
Also the camera of the iNew is better than the others.

[T.J]

Great overview above! I've looked closely at the Asus myself, just to have something to play with, and have heard nothing but good things after a fair amount of research.

I will point out the obvious - the Asus has a 5 inch screen while the V8 has a 5.5 inch screen so the footprint will be bigger. I'm going to assume you know this, but thought it should be said.

On the point above, and one of the points of hesitation for me. I like to swap out phones I have regularly. One brand for another, one color for another, etc. Due to this, there is a point of pause. The Asus is a FAT phone! I carry all my phones in my front pocket. Always. They need to be relatively tough, reliable, and thin. I believe the Asus is tough and reliable, but at 10mm, it is kinda fat.

So, the device is fat, which usually will indicate a larger battery that is removable which I could forgive. Asus fails on both counts. All the size, but a built in small battery.

For these reasons (and I like larger screens), I personally would select the V8 in my current situation if only given those two choices.

However, if my situation was different (on a tight budget, only one good phone) and needed the highest quality phone with branding reputation/support to use as a full time carry device because I could only afford one - it would be the Asus hands down... slightly smaller battery and fat a** be damned!

Now, to be truthful, if give your situation and needed a 5.5 inch phone, the V8 and Asus battery issue are a major fail in my opinion. I never carry spare batteries and neither does anyone else I know that carries a phone in their pocket. Therefore, I would personally choose the Xiaomi Hongmi Note (2GB/8GB, Snapdragon 400 MSM8928). Sure, there is 8 GB less ROM, but it supports a full 64GB TF card (as opposed to 32) and the battery is MUCH larger at 3100mAh. Since I root all my phones, the 64GB capability, a comparable camera, and an EXCELLENT reliable brand, combined with a battery almost 1/3 larger means (to me) that for about the same price, I get a better and more useful product.

Good luck in your search and may your choice be exactly what you expected.

The Redmi Note ie WCDMA 900/2100MHz. It will not work in Canada

[edcoolio]

Great overview above! I've looked closely at the Asus myself, just to have something to play with, and have heard nothing but good things after a fair amount of research.

I will point out the obvious - the Asus has a 5 inch screen while the V8 has a 5.5 inch screen so the footprint will be bigger. I'm going to assume you know this, but thought it should be said.

On the point above, and one of the points of hesitation for me. I like to swap out phones I have regularly. One brand for another, one color for another, etc. Due to this, there is a point of pause. The Asus is a FAT phone! I carry all my phones in my front pocket. Always. They need to be relatively tough, reliable, and thin. I believe the Asus is tough and reliable, but at 10mm, it is kinda fat.

So, the device is fat, which usually will indicate a larger battery that is removable which I could forgive. Asus fails on both counts. All the size, but a built in small battery.

For these reasons (and I like larger screens), I personally would select the V8 in my current situation if only given those two choices.

However, if my situation was different (on a tight budget, only one good phone) and needed the highest quality phone with branding reputation/support to use as a full time carry device because I could only afford one - it would be the Asus hands down... slightly smaller battery and fat a** be damned!

Now, to be truthful, if give your situation and needed a 5.5 inch phone, the V8 and Asus battery issue are a major fail in my opinion. I never carry spare batteries and neither does anyone else I know that carries a phone in their pocket. Therefore, I would personally choose the Xiaomi Hongmi Note (2GB/8GB, Snapdragon 400 MSM8928). Sure, there is 8 GB less ROM, but it supports a full 64GB TF card (as opposed to 32) and the battery is MUCH larger at 3100mAh. Since I root all my phones, the 64GB capability, a comparable camera, and an EXCELLENT reliable brand, combined with a battery almost 1/3 larger means (to me) that for about the same price, I get a better and more useful product.

Good luck in your search and may your choice be exactly what you expected.

The Redmi Note ie WCDMA 900/2100MHz. It will not work in Canada

There are multiple frequency versions.

Many sites like panda or 1949 have them listed with all 4 3g frequencies.

Definitely check before buying, but they should not be that difficult to obtain. Xiaomi made a bunch of different frequency models that are not listed on their official website.