Redmi S2 vs Redmi Note 5 vs Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 vs Honor 9 Lite: Price, Specifications, Features Compared

Redmi S2 debuted in China on Thursday after much anticipation. The new Xiaomi smartphone, which is the first Redmi S series handset, is claimed to be the "best Redmi selfie phone". The Redmi S2 also has a bunch of artificial intelligence (AI) features that are aimed at distinguishing the experience. These features help enhance shots and enable Xiaomi's proprietary Xiao Ai voice assistant. Also, the handset includes a thin-bezel display and a Face Unlock feature that both are currently in trend. But interestingly, the price of Redmi S2 brings it to the segment that already has Xiaomi's Redmi Note 5. That same segment also has the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 as a strong contender. Similarly, there is the Honor 9 Lite that is facing heat from the Redmi Note 5 and ZenFone Max Pro M1 but competing against various other models available under the ultra-popular sub-Rs. 15,000 price bracket in India.

Here's a comparison of the Redmi S2 with that of the Redmi Note 5, ZenFone Max Pro M1, and Honor 9 Lite.

Redmi S2 vs Redmi Note 5 vs ZenFone Max Pro M1 vs Honor 9 Lite price

The Redmi S2 price starts at CNY 999 (approximately Rs. 10,600) for the 3GB RAM, 32GB onboard storage variant, while its 4GB RAM, 64GB storage variant is priced at CNY 1,299 (roughly Rs. 13,700). Both variants will go on sale in China on May 17 via Suning.com in three colour options, namely Champagne Gold, Platinum Silver, and Rose Gold. Details about the price and availability of the Redmi S2 in India haven't yet been revealed.

The Redmi Note 5 price in India starts at Rs. 9,999 for the 3GB RAM, 32GB storage variant, while its 4GB RAM, 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 11,999. Both Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 variants come in Black, Gold, Lake Blue, and Rose Gold colour options and are available for purchase in India via Flipkart, Mi Home, and Mi.com. It will also soon go on sale through Xiaomi's offline retail partners.

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 price in India starts at Rs. 10,999 for 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage variant, whereas its 4GB RAM, 64GB storage model is available at Rs. 12,999. The handset comes in Midnight Black and Grey colour options. It is available for purchase exclusively through Flipkart.

Lastly, the Honor 9 Lite price in India starts at Rs. 10,999 for the 3GB RAM, 32GB storage variant, while its 4GB RAM, 64GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs. 14,999. Both are available for purchase via Flipkart and the Honor India Store. The ZenFone handset comes in Sapphire Blue, Midnight Black, Glacial Grey colour options.

Redmi S2 vs Redmi Note 5 vs ZenFone Max Pro M1 vs Honor 9 Lite specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android-based MIUI 9 and features a 5.99-inch HD+ (720x1440 pixels) display with 70.8 percent NTSC colour gamut. Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with either 3GB or 4GB RAM - depending on the model purchased. The smartphone has a dual rear camera setup that comprises a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. There is an LED flash, and the camera setup supports features such as AI Portrait mode, HDR, and facial recognition. On the front, the Redmi S2 has a 16-megapixel sensor that has 2-micron pixel size - combining four pixels into one pixel. The front camera also supports AI Portrait Mode, AI Smart Beauty, Front HDR, and Face Unlock. It also features a soft light flash module.

For storing content, the Redmi S2 has 32GB and 64GB storage options that both are expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB) via a dedicated card slot. The smartphone has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, digital compass, gyroscope, infrared, and a proximity sensor. Besides, the smartphone packs a 3080mAh battery and measures 160.73x77.26x8.1mm.

The dual-SIM Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 runs Android Nougat-based MIUI 9 and features a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 84 percent NTSC colour gamut. It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with either 3GB or 4GB RAM. For taking pictures and recording videos, the Redmi Note 5 has a single, 12-megapixel camera sensor on the back with an f/2.2 aperture lens and an LED flash. The front of the smartphone bears a 5-megapixel sensor that has an LED selfie-light module. The front camera supports features such as Beautify 3.0 beautification tech.

Xiaomi has provided 32GB and 64GB storage options on the Redmi Note 5 that both are expandable via microSD card in a hybrid dual-SIM format. On the connectivity front, the handset has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB. The smartphone packs a 4000mAh battery and measures 158.5x75.45x8.05mm.

In contrast, the dual-SIM (Nano) Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 runs pure Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and is claimed to receive Android P and Android Q upgrades. The handset features a 5.99-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) IPS FullView display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, paired with Adreno 509 GPU and either 3GB or 4GB RAM. The smartphone has a dual camera setup on the back that includes a 13-megapixel primary Omnivision sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary depth sensing sensor. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, 85.5-degree wide-angle lens. Both camera setups have an LED flash.

In terms of storage, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 has up to 64GB of onboard storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB). The smartphone has 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB. Besides, it packs a 5000mAh battery and measures 159x76x8.46mm.

Contrary to the Redmi S2, Redmi Note 5, and ZenFone Max Pro M1, the dual-SIM (Nano) Honor 9 Lite runs Android 8.0 Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 and features a 5.65-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) IPS display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone has an octa-core Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC, coupled with 3GB or 4GB RAM. Asus has provided four cameras on the Honor 9 Lite that sit on the front and back as dual camera setups. Both have a 13-megapixel primary camera sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary camera. On the back, there is also an LED flash and a PDAF lens.

On the storage front, the Honor 9 Lite has 32GB and 64GB storage options - both of which are expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB) in a hybrid dual-SIM configuration. The smartphone has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Micro-USB. Sensors on the handset include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, magnetometer (digital compass), and a proximity sensor. At last, the Honor 9 Lite packs a 3000mAh battery and measures 151x71.9x7.6mm.