Is Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 a Redmi Note 5 Pro Killer?

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Review) has the ability to take on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (Review). That's an impressive achievement considering that Xiaomi has consistently been launching products that offer excellent value-for-money. Reviews editor Jamshed Avari joins host Pranay Parab to talk about the new Asus smartphone and how it could shake up the industry. We begin the episode by talking about the importance of this smartphone in the budget segment and how it could potentially take on Xiaomi. Then we talk about the specs and pricing, and how these fare against other phones in this price range. We also mention the Moto G6, which is scheduled to launch in India soon.

Then we look at the pricing strategy Asus has been following so far and how this phone changes that dramatically. Here we look at Asus' history of smartphone launches in India and wonder whether the company will be more successful now than it has been in the past. Next, we discuss the performance of the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 and compare it directly with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. We talk about aspects such as the display, battery life, the camera app, and the software, among other things. 

Finally, we talk about the importance of Asus' Flipkart tie-up, and the company's make in India aspirations. We look at how both these moves affected the price and specs of the smartphone and also talk about how this could affect other products the company sells in India. 

That's all for this week's episode of Orbital, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.