The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 needs no introduction. The device has been ruling the mid-segment smartphone market for some time now. The device has been selling like hot cakes in the global smartphone market. However, it seems that the undisputed dominance of the Redmi Note 3 is going to be challenged very soon by Lenovo’s latest mid-segment smartphone ZUK Z2.
Lenovo recently unveiled the ZUK Z2 at an event in China. The ZUK Z2 is the latest flagship device from Lenovo and mind you that the only thing which says that the device is mid-segment is its price-tag. Everything else is just top of the line. But is it better than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and would it be able to replace it as the king of the mid-segment market? Let’s find out.
ZUK Z2 vs. Redmi Note 3
Design and Form-factor
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 flaunts an all-metal Aluminium body and has a very premium feel. It has a width of 8.7 mm and weighs 164g. The device feels good in hands and is comfortable to hold.
The ZUK Z2, on the other hand, sports a high fibreglass body. The device looks elegant and gives a premium feel. It’s just 8.5 mm and weighs only 149g, but this is largely due to the difference in display sizes.
The winner of this round is Redmi Note 3, thanks to its all-metal body and premium finish.
Display
The Redmi Note 3 sports a 5.5-inch FHD IPS LCD display with very thin bezels and a pixel density of 403 ppi. The phone has a glossy rim along the front edges which keeps the device elevated thus protecting the display from scratches.
The ZUK Z2, on the other hand, features a 5-inch FHD (1920×1080 pixels) display with 2.5D protection and a pixel density of 441ppi. The display of the ZUK Z2 is sharper than that of the Redmi Note 3 and also features an anti-oil and anti-fingerprint protection layer. The winner of this round is the ZUK Z2.
Performance
The Redmi Note 3 is powered by a hexacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor which uses two Cortex-A72 cores running at 1.8GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.4 GHz couple with 3GB of RAM. Adreno 510 GPU is there to take care of the gaming. The Redmi Note 3 offers up to 32GB of internal memory which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.
The ZUK Z2, on another hand, is powered by the latest and most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with dual Kryo cores clocked at 2.15 GHz and another two Kryo cores clocked at 1.6 GHz coupled with 4GB of RAM. The Graphis department is handled by the powerful Adreno 530 GPU. It offers a gigantic 64GB of internal memory.
The clear winner of this round is the ZUK Z2.
Camera
On the camera front, the Redmi Note 3 sports a 16 MP primary rear shooter with a f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, and dual tone dual-LED flash. On the front, there is 5 MP camera with a f/2.0 aperture.
The ZUK Z2 features a 13MP rear camera with EIS, a f/2.2 aperture, and phase detection autofocus. There is an 8 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture on the front for selfies and video chat.
Although the pixel count is less in Z2’s camera but it has a larger aperture. However, we can not yet give a decision on this right now until we get our hands on the ZUK Z2.
Extra Features
Among other features, the Redmi Note 3 sports a fingerprint sensor on the rear, a non-removable 4000 mAh Li-Po battery with fast charging and dual hybrid SIM card slots. It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
The ZUK Z2 also sports a fingerprint sensor, but it is in the front embedded in the home button rather than on the rear. It packs a non-removable Li-Po 3500 mAh battery and supports dual SIMs. It runs on the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
Price And Verdict
The Redmi Note 3 is priced at Rs.11,999 (approx. 180 USD), while the ZUK Z2 has a more hefty price-tag of 1,799 Yuan (approx. Rs 18,400). The ZUK Z2 is currently being made available only in China and the availability in other regions is still not known.
The ZUK Z2 outperforms the Redmi Note 3 in most of the departments and especially when it comes to performance, but considering the current unavailability of the device outside China, one will have to wait for a considerable amount of time. My advice, if you can shed a few extra thousand bucks and wait for some time, go for the ZUK Z2. If you can’t wait, then the Redmi Note 3 is the best choice for you.
Do let us know your views about these devices and stay tuned.