Now that MWC 2018 is over, it is a good time to take stock of some of the products that were launched there. It would also be a good time to compare a few of the handsets that were launched at MWC and see how they fare when pitted against each other. In today’s comparison, we take a look at two devices that were announced in 2018 – one at the MWC – to another device that is yet to be officially announced by the company. We are talking about the Asus Zenfone 5 Lite – announced at the MWC- the Sony XA2 announced back in January, and the Moto G6 Play which is yet to be officially announced by Motorola but has appeared in several leaked images.
Asus Zenfone 5 Lite vs. Moto G6 Play vs. Sony Xperia XA2: Design, Display
The ASUS Zenfone 5 features an aluminium frame mated to a glass-clad front and rear panel. The phone features a large 6-inch IPS LCD display in the 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen has a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and offers a PPI density score of 402.
The Moto G6 Play is yet to be officially announced. However, from what we make from leaked images, the G6 Play features an aluminium frame and a glass coating at the front and the rear. The phone gets a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels in the 18:9 aspect ratio.
As for the Sony XA2, this phone also gets an aluminium frame. The back panel, however, is made of plastic. The Sony XA 2 has a 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel, full HD IPS LCD display in the standard 16:9 aspect ratio. This results in a PI density score of 424. There is also a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 layer for scratch resistance.
Asus Zenfone 5 Lite vs. Moto G6 Play vs. Sony Xperia XA2: Hardware
The ASUS Zenfone 5 Lite comes in two versions – a base Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 variant, and a higher priced Qualcomm SDM630 Snapdragon 630 version. These versions get the Adreno 505 and 506 GPU’s respectively. The handset is also offered in different storage and RAM versions starting with a 3GB + 32GB version and a 4GB + 64GB version. Both the variants get a microSD card slot for additional memory. There is a 3300 mAh battery to power all this hardware.
The Moto G6 Play is likely to be powered by the Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 SoC and will get the Adreno 505 GPU for graphics. The phone is likely to be offered in a single 2GB RAM +16GB storage version (although we would appreciate a 3GB RAM +32GB version). The phone is also likely to get a 4,000 mAh battery.
The Sony Xperia XA2 gets the Qualcomm SDM630 Snapdragon 630 SoC with the Adreno 508 GPU for graphics. The phone comes in a single 3GB RAM + 32GB version with a micro SD card slot for additional storage space. The phone also gets a 3,300 mAh battery.
Asus Zenfone 5 Lite vs Moto G6 Play vs Sony Xperia XA2: Camera and Imaging
The Zenfone 5 Lite gets a dual camera setup at the rear that consists of a 16-megapixel primary camera with f/2.2 aperture, and a secondary camera whose megapixel count the company hasn’t released. The primary cameras support phase detection autofocus and LED flash for low light imaging. The phone supports 4K video recording on the SD630 version while the front camera tops at 1080p resolution in 30fps. The main camera on the SD430 version can record videos in 1080p resolution at 30fps.
The Motorola G6 Play gets a 12-megapixel primary camera at the rear with autofocus and LED flash mated to dual 5-megapixel front cameras. Currently, we have little information about the finer aspects of the G6 Play’s camera setup. Video recording quality tops out at 1080p resolution at 30fps.
The Sony XA2 features a 23-megapixel primary camera at the rear with f/2.0 aperture and support for phase detection autofocus and LED flash for low light imaging. This camera also records 4K videos at 30fps in the highest setting. The phone gets an 8-megapixel f/2.4 camera at the front that can record full HD videos as well.
Asus Zenfone 5 Lite vs. Moto G6 Play vs. Sony Xperia XA2: Price in India, conclusion
All the three handsets in this comparison are yet to be officially launched in India. Looking at the spec sheets, however, both the Zenfone 5 Lite and the XA 2 seem to be almost on par as far as their capabilities are concerned. We would, however, only be able to pass a clear verdict once the prices for these phones are announced in India. The Moto G6 Play seems to be a misfit in this segment and is a handset that sits a segment below both the Zenfone 5 Lite and the Sony XA 2.
