Asus Zenfone 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 III: A Deep Dive into Compact Power
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing longevity and consistent performance, the Sony Xperia 5 III emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 888, coupled with a significantly superior endurance rating of 100 hours, outweighs the Zenfone 7’s slightly lower price point. However, the Zenfone 7 remains a compelling option for those seeking a more affordable flagship.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Asus Zenfone 7 | Sony Xperia 5 III |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat19 1800/150 Mbps, 5G 3.6 Gbps DL | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, August 26. Released 2020, September 01 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, October 08 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm (6.5 x 3.04 x 0.38 in) | 157 x 68 x 8.2 mm (6.18 x 2.68 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 230 g (8.11 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| - | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~81.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 700 nits (HBM) | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12, ZenUI | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, auto panorama (motorized rotation) | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.6, AF | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| Triple | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), PDAF, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 113˚, 17mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, HDR, auto panorama (motorized rotation) | HDR |
| Single | VGA | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Triple | Motorized flip-up main camera module | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS, HDR | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD3.0, 60% in 34 min, 100% in 93 min Reverse wired | Wired, PD, 50% in 30 min |
| Stand-by | Up to 450 h (2G) / Up to 430 h (3G) | - |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h 10 min (2G) / Up to 7 h 10 min (3G) | - |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Aurora Black, Pastel White | Black, Green, Pink |
| Models | ZS670KS, ASUS_I002D, I002D | XQBQ62/G, XQBQ52G.UKCX, XQBQ52B.UKCX, XQ-BQ52, XQ-BQ72, XQ-BQ42, XQ-BQ62, SO-53B |
| Price | About 910 EUR | € 431.90 / £ 199.99 |
| SAR | 1.03 W/kg (head) 1.28 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.52 W/kg (head) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -82.1dB / Crosstalk -80.7dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 42h | Endurance rating 100h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) / 2.422:1 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 66dB / Noise 63dB / Ring 76dB | -26.7 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 708394 (v9) GeekBench: 3549 (v5.1) GFXBench: 53fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Asus Zenfone 7
- More affordable price point
- Unique flip camera design
- Competent Snapdragon 865 performance
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Older Snapdragon 865 chipset
- Less bright display
Sony Xperia 5 III
- Exceptional battery life (100h endurance)
- Faster Snapdragon 888 processor
- Brighter display for outdoor use
- Higher price tag
- May experience some thermal throttling under heavy load
- Less unique camera design
Display Comparison
The Sony Xperia 5 III boasts a brighter display, peaking at 590 nits, compared to the Zenfone 7’s unspecified peak brightness. While both displays share an 'Infinite' nominal contrast ratio, the Xperia 5 III’s higher brightness translates to better readability under direct sunlight. The Zenfone 7’s display specifications lack details regarding refresh rate or panel technology, while the Xperia 5 III is known for its 120Hz refresh rate, contributing to smoother scrolling and animations. The absence of LTPO in either device suggests neither dynamically adjusts refresh rate for power saving.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are described as having Photo/Video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is missing. However, the Xperia 5 III benefits from Sony’s expertise in camera technology and image processing. The Xperia 5 III’s camera system is known for its real-time tracking and advanced video features, likely surpassing the Zenfone 7’s capabilities. The Zenfone 7’s flip camera is a unique feature, offering both front and rear camera functionality without a notch or hole-punch, but this doesn’t necessarily equate to superior image quality. Without specific sensor size or aperture data, it’s difficult to definitively declare a camera winner, but Sony’s track record suggests an advantage.
Performance
The Xperia 5 III’s Snapdragon 888 (5nm) represents a generational leap over the Zenfone 7’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). The 888 features the Cortex-X1 prime core, offering a performance advantage over the 865’s Cortex-A77. While both CPUs share the same Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, the 5nm process node of the 888 provides improved thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads. The Xperia 5 III’s LPDDR5 RAM, though not explicitly stated in the provided data, is a likely upgrade over the Zenfone 7’s RAM, further enhancing performance. The Zenfone 7’s older chipset may show its age in demanding tasks and future software updates.
Battery Life
The Xperia 5 III’s endurance rating of 100 hours is a significant advantage over the Zenfone 7’s 42 hours. This suggests the Xperia 5 III offers substantially longer battery life in real-world usage. While the Zenfone 7 supports 30W charging, reaching 60% in 34 minutes and 100% in 93 minutes, the Xperia 5 III’s charging speed of 50% in 30 minutes is competitive. The Xperia 5 III’s superior endurance rating effectively mitigates any charging speed difference, making it the more convenient option for users who prioritize minimizing charging frequency.
Buying Guide
Buy the Asus Zenfone 7 if you need a highly capable flagship at a more accessible price point and appreciate the versatility of its flip camera. Buy the Sony Xperia 5 III if you prioritize exceptional battery life, a brighter display for outdoor visibility, and a more refined multimedia experience, even if it comes at a premium.