Lenovo Z5 vs Mi A2 vs Redmi Note 5 Pro Overall Comparison

While the Redmi Note 5 Pro is already popular in the Indian market, we are waiting for the Mi A2 and Lenovo Z5. The Mi A2 has been officially announced is said to be launched in India on the 8^th of August, whereas we have no information regarding launch or availability of Lenovo Z5 in India.

Thanks to the sources, we have got our hands on Mi A2 and Lenovo Z5 before the official launch in India. You already know a lot about the Redmi Note 5 Pro so we have decided to put these three phones against one another. Let’s see which one of them is the best choice. Before we hit the road, have a look on their specifications.

Redmi Note 5 Pro Specifications and Features

Display	5.99-inch IPS LCD, 1080x2160px, 18:9 Aspect Ratio, ~403ppi
SoC & GPU	Snapdragon 636 | Adreno 509
OS & RAM	Android 7.1.2 | 4GB or 6GB
Storage	64GB | Expandable
Rear Camera	Dual 12MP (f/2.2, PDAF) + 5MP (f/2.0, depth sensor), dual-LED flash
Front Camera	20MP, LED Flash
Battery	4000 mAh

 

Lenovo Z5 Specifications and Features

Display	6.2 inch IPS LCD, 1080x2246px, 18:9 Aspect Ratio, ~402ppi
SoC & GPU	Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 | Adreno 509
OS & RAM	Android 8.0 with ZUI 4.0 | 6GB RAM
Storage	64 or 128GB | Expandable
Rear Camera	Dual 16MP + 8MP, PDAF, Dual-LED Dual-Tone Flash
Front Camera	8MP
Battery	Li-lon 3,300 mAh | Quick Charge 3.0 18W Fast Charging

 

Xiaomi Mi A2 Specifications and Features

Display	5.99 LTPS IPS LCD, 1080x2160px, 18:9 Ratio
SoC & GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 | Adreno 512
OS & RAM	Android 8.1 | 4GB or 6GB
Storage	64GB or 128GB | Non-Expandable
Rear Camera	Dual 12MP + 20MP, f/1.8, PDAF, LED Flash
Front Camera	20MP (f/1.8), Auto HDR
Battery	3,010 mAh with QC 3.0

Design and Build Quality

In terms of design, Xiaomi’s latest smartphone – Mi A2 doesn’t stand against Lenovo Z5. Xiaomi has chosen the same old design which is the biggest drawback. It doesn’t even have the notch. Plus, it carries extra bezels. The Redmi Note 5 Pro and Mi A2 look very identical to each other. Both smartphones look sturdy and feel solid in hands however; they feel big as they have extra bezels.

The Lenovo Z5, on the other hand, carries glass back. The handset looks stunning and has notch. Its USP is screen-to-body ratio which makes it look like an all-screen handset, though it does have a little chin below display. The smartphone fits in hand and gives you premium feel.

In this section, the Lenovo Z5 is a clear winner.

Display, UI and OS

The trio carries the same LCD panel but their display look different. Compared to the Mi A2 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, the screen is brighter on the Lenovo Z5 and colors look more vibrant and realistic. Even under direct sunlight, the Lenovo Z5 performs better than others as it is less reflective.

The trio comes with their own custom user interface. While Lenovo’s ZUI is a bit confusing and one would take time to get used with it, the MIUI on rest two handsets is simple and easy to use. Both custom UIs have their own perks. So it completely depends on you whether you want to try the new ZUI or the MIUI which is easy to use.

In this section, the Lenovo Z5 defeats the Mi A2 and Redmi Note 5 Pro.

 

Performance and Gaming

While the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Lenovo Z5 come with same Snapdragon 636 processor, the Mi A2 has a better Snapdragon 660. Both the Snapdragon 636 and 660 are performance efficient processors and don’t let your device work slow.

During normal, moderate and heavy usage; the performance of these three handsets is identical. They don’t lag. Whether you are doing normal operations (e.g. normal gaming, social media, other media apps, multi-tasking) or heavy operations like intense gaming or switching between heavy apps; all of these phones are pretty good and don’t lag at all.

Talking about what’s the difference, the Mi A2 takes a lead in terms of graphics performance. While the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Lenovo Z5 lag here and there while rendering the graphics of heavy games like PUBG Mobile, the Mi A2 just handle it with an ease.

In this section, the Mi A2 is a clear winner whereas rest two have managed to impress us equally.

Camera

Before I start talking about camera, let me walk you through the performance of the Mi A1 that completely changed the trend. It brought the dedicated Portrait Mode and 2X Zoom in a lower mid-range device. Since then, these features became common in this segment. It is worth noting that the 2X Zoom is not available in its successor aka Mi A2.

Anyway, let’s talk about the camera. Starting with daylight performance, the trio click better than average photos with Mi A2 taking a lead and you won’t find any difference until you zoom in. After zooming in, I found Mi A2 to be better than rest of them. The Lenovo Z5, which is better than Redmi Note 5 Pro, is closely following the Mi A2.

Same is the case with HDR mode too. It’s hard to tell the difference but if you look closely, you would find that Mi A2 is better in terms of sharpening the edges and blurring the background. Rest Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro are more or less similar.

Coming to the lowlight performance, the Mi A2 has got some significant improvements if we compare it to its predecessor Mi A1. The handset now doesn’t overexpose the light part and capture good details. Though I am not satisfied with the color accuracy, still it is better than the Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Turning on HDR mode helps the Mi A2 and Lenovo Z5. It brings more details and eliminates noise. The HDR mode of Redmi Note 5 Pro, on the other hand, doesn’t do much. Sometimes I even doubt if it is working properly.

Coming to the selfie camera, they all are good. Sample photos taken from the trio look good, especially the color accuracy. However, the Mi A2 takes a lead in terms of capturing details, followed by Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro respectively. Talking about beauty mode, the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Lenovo Z5 manage to maintain the facial contours whereas the Mi A2’s algorithm is a bit extreme.

In this section, the Mi A2 gets the crown. The Lenovo Z5, on the other hand, is better than the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Battery

While the Mi A2 has 3,010 mAh battery, the Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro have bigger 3,300 and 4,000 mAh battery. During normal usage, the Mi A2, Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro last around 24 hours, 36 hours and 48 hours respectively.

During my test run (one hour of intense gaming), the Mi A2 took 26% of juice. The Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, in contrast, took 21% and 17% juice. Calculating using this data, the Mi A2, Lenovo Z5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro wouldn’t last more than 4, 5 and 6 hours respectively.

While their battery power is different, charging time isn’t. They take almost same amount of time to fully charge the battery. While the Mi A2 charged its battery in around 1 hour and 45 minutes, rest two handsets took few minutes over 2 hours. If you want to charge rapidly, you can use a fast charger on Mi A2 and Lenovo Z5 (both handset support fast charging).

In this section, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is the winner.

Our Verdict

In this article, I felt like the competition was going on between Lenovo Z5 and Mi A2. The Redmi Note 5 Pro was just there for the namesake. As of now, we don’t know the pricing of either Mi A2 or Lenovo Z5. So my conclusion goes like this. If you are looking for a good looking handset with decent camera and performance, the Lenovo Z5 is a better choice.

But if you are okay with the old design and more bezels around the display, the Mi A2 is your toy. This handset comes with a powerful upper mid-range processor which means you can play nearly every android game without encountering any problem. Plus, its camera is better than any other phone available under ₹20,000 segment.

So which one is the winner? My answer is: Xiaomi Mi A2.