Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML vs Lenovo K80: How much extra for the feel good factor?

Asus moved many eyelids world over when in January 2015 it announced world’s first smartphone with 4GB RAM, but the outright advantage was short-lived as Lenovo too announced a 4GB RAM smartphone. But, there is more to a smartphone than just the random access memory. Therefore, we decided to do a comparative analysis of the two first 4GB RAM devices i.e. Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML and Lenovo K80.

We begin with the overall dimensions. Asus Zenfone size is 152.5x77.2x10.9mm and it weighs around 170gm, where as Lenovo K80 is 150.0x77.2x8.50mm and weighs 158gm. However, there is no difference in the display screen size as both the devices come with 5.5” screen size. Also, both the devices are available in Full HD (1080p) IPS LCD capacitive touch screens and have 1920x1080 pixels resolution, which provides similar viewing experience. Furthermore, both the devices come in multiple colours: Asus Zenfone is available in red, silver and gold where as Lenovo K80 is available in red, silver and black. The major difference in look and feel is on two accounts: firstly, while Asus Zenfone comes in a metallic hairline finish, Lenovo K80 has a plastic body. Secondly, Zenfone lays its claim to be the smartphone with the thinnest edges, 3.8mm, ever. Both the metallic finish and thin edges make Zenfone stand out.

Both the devices run on Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system (OS) that provides for exceptional user interface and user experience UI/UX and boast of 4GB RAM that allows for faster switching between various applications. Both of them also have an internal storage of 32 GB which is expandable to 64GB via microSD. However, Asus Zenfone acquires a slight edge in processing capacity as it powered by Intel Atom 2.3 GHz Quad-Core processor that offers a slightly better clock speed than Lenovo K80 which is powered by Intel Atom 1.8 GHz Quad-Core processor. Therefore, the only distinguishing factor influencing the performance of the two devices is the slight difference in the processor power.

Looking at the cameras, both the devices once again have similarly powerful primary (rear) cameras of 13MP with auto focus LED flash for high quality images and secondary (front) cameras of 5MP for good quality selfies. Furthermore, both the devices have Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11 a/g/b/n/ac), Bluetooth v4.0 and dual SIM slot. In terms of connectivity, both devices are available in 2G, 3G and 4G, depending on the market. In the sea of similarity, the first major difference between Asus Zenfone and Lenovo K80 comes in the form of battery capacity. While Zenfone has an impressive 3000mAh battery, Lenovo K80 simply outshines Zenfone with a 4000mAh battery capacity.

Considering that both the devices have more or less similar specifications, we looked at the price tag too. In the Indian market, Asus Zenfone is priced at around INR23,000, where as Lenovo K80 is around INR17,000. With its overall superior specifications, Lenovo K80 seems to be worth its price. However, the relatively higher price of Asus Zenfone seems less on account of slightly better processor but more for its metallic hairline finish meant to make the device stand out. The key question is how much extra the customers would be willing to pay for the feel good factor, if at all?