Asus Zenfone 2 vs Gionee Elife S7 vs HTC Desire 826: Choose the Right Mid-Range Smartphone

It may be a hard decision to make when you are in the market for smartphone shopping. To help you, we picked up some of the latest smartphones from leading manufacturers and compared them side-by-side. This will not only help you to make a smart decision on which handset to buy, but also enlighten you about the value proposition offered by these models.

The smartphones in question are Asus Zenfone 2 4GB variant, Gionee Elife S7 and HTC Desire 826. All of these have similar price tags and compelling specifications. There are several other models that can be compared alongside such as OnePlus One and Xiaomi Mi 4, but these are fresh arrivals in the mid-range smartphone category in India.

To get a clearer picture on which smartphone has greater value, we compare each specification separately, starting with display, performance, battery, camera and finally the price.

Display

All three smartphones have identical displays with similar resolution. The Asus Zenfone 2 and HTC Desire 826 feature 5.5-inch Full HD display while the Gionee Elife S7 is slightly smaller at 5.2 inches. The compact display in Elife S7 gives extra pixel density than its rivals at 424ppi. But the difference is barely recognizable. 

Processor

In this category, all three phones pack entirely different processors. Starting with the Zenfone 2, the Asus flagship is powered by a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor while Gionee Elife S7 packs 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek 6752 SoC and the HTC smartphone has the 64-bit Snapdragon 615 octa-core [Quad-core 1.7GHz ARM Cortex A53 + quad-core 1.0GHz A53] processor.

While Asus and HTC smartphones are comparatively faster, Gionee loses out on this category.

Camera

The rear-facing camera on all three phones is almost identical with a 13-megapixel sensor with flash. HTC offers unique features to enhance usability while Gionee Elife S7 offers an impressive 8MP front snapper for those who want great selfies.

RAM and Storage

Asus Zenfone 2 not only beats rivals on this parameter with integrated RAM but is also the only smartphone with 4GB RAM. The handset also offers spacious 32GB or 64GB built-in memory, which can be expanded further up to 64GB. HTC Desire 826 and Gionee Elife S7 pack similar RAM and storage at 2GB and 16GB respectively.

Asus is clearly the winner in this category.

Battery

Once again, Asus has the advantage over its rivals with a massive 3,000mAh battery. Gionee Elife S7 comes in second with its 2,750mAh unit while HTC smartphone packs the smallest 2,600mAh battery, which is still good enough for long lasting hours.

Price and availability

Asus is set to launch its Zenfone 2 in India sometime this month with an expected price tag of around ₹19,850 for the 64GB variant and around ₹17,900 for the 32GB model. Gionee Elife S7 and HTC Desire 826 have already been launched by their respective manufacturers in India with ₹24,999 and ₹25,990 price tags, respectively.

Verdict

Asus offers great value overall for an incredibly cheap price. HTC has unique features with its Sense UI and camera capabilities while Gionee also offers different user experience and great camera. Asus with its great specs, double RAM size, lasting battery and impressive camera wins out on this score. It is wise to wait for Asus Zenfone 2 to arrive in the market before rushing to other alternatives.

Key specifications at a glance: