[Androidme2018]- The Honor 8 and Asus ZenFone 3 are the successors of two smartphones that were extremely popular and successful. Both priced at less than $400, they appealed to a growing number of users who wanted the best that a smartphone could offer without having to pay a premium for the privilege. So, how did our two test devices match up? Is one better than the other? The answer is in our comparison of the Honor 8 and the ZenFone 3.
Honor 8 review: fast, fun, affordable
Asus ZenFone 3 review: from strength to strength
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: design and build quality
This aspect of the comparison is always a very subjective one because what is beautiful and elegant to one person isn’t necessarily there for someone else. Whatever your taste, both models have a similar style. They are both composed of metal and glass. There is something of a family resemblance to the Galaxy S6, but it's impossible to confuse them. The edges are soft and the corners are rounded.
The Asus model stands out (literally) as the camera lens protrudes slightly at the back of the device and has three function buttons on the bottom of the screen. Unlike Samsung smartphones, these follow the Android logic (return button on the left, multitask function on the right). The Asus smartphone also shows a little bit of originality by including a rectangular fingerprint reader and not a circular one.
As for size, only the ZenFone 3 is available in two different sizes: 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch. We went with the ZE552KL version, meaning the 5.5-inch version, for our comparison with the Honor 8.
Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) on the left, Honor 8 on the right. / © AndroidPIT
Although both devices have gone with a more traditional design approach, the finishes are not. In this respect both brands have made significant progress with this new generation. The new Honor smartphone may perhaps attract a little more light with more discrete fixings than the ZenFone 3.
Overall, I think you can guess what I am getting at. It’s hard to make a distinction between the two as they are both so similar. I have a slight preference for the Honor, especially in the blue color, but the ZenFone 3 can still hold its own.
Both models are quite fragile. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: display
As we've already seen, the ZenFone 3 is available in two sizes: 5.2-inch screen and 5.5-inch screen. The 5.5-inch model has an IPS+ Full-HD screen (1,080 x 1,920 pixels), which offers a 401 ppi pixel density. The Honor 8 offers a LTPS TFT-LCD Full-HD 5.2-inch screen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) but with 423 ppi.
They also have similar technical characteristics. The Honor 8 has a slight advantage as it has a smaller screen and, therefore, a better definition. On both devices, the legibility is excellent and the display provides a great experience and reflections are slightly limited in strong light. Their only disadvantage is their colorimetry, as both screens tend to have a blue hue.
The screen quality on both devices is surprisingly similar. / © AndroidPIT
Interestingly, the Honor 8 screen has an “eye protection” mode which gives the screen a slightly yellowish tint. This isn’t the first time that I've said this, but I really like to use this mode either just before I go to sleep or when I wake up.
Opinion by Pierre VitréAn eye protection mode should be a standard in high end smartphones
What do you think?
5050136 participants
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: software
This is one of the aspects that sets the smartphones apart from one another. Both brands offer a system that is quite different to Android Stock. The Honor 8 turns to Android Nougat and the new EMUI 5.0 interface. So, moving further away from iOS, this new version could seduce more Android amateurs that have been reticent until now when considering a smartphone by this brand. The application drawer makes an appearance!
Android Nougat finally lends its reputation to the Honor 8
Nougat is the mature update for Honor 8. / © AndroidPIT
With regards to the ZenFone 3, it also benefits from a Nougat update but its ZenUI 3.0 overlay is, in my opinion, one of the worst on the market. Other than the fact that it has a lot of pre-installed default applications (most of which can just be deactivated), some cleaning and optimization apps can spam you with notifications on a daily basis. So, you'll need to deactivate them so you’re not continually pestered by them. Add to this an interface which offers nothing in the way of surprises and I begin to question why Asus feels they can still continue to offer such an overlay to its users.
The best launchers available: transform your Android
The ZenFone 3 interface leaves a lot to be desired. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: performance
Performance is another area where there is a slight difference between the Honor 8 and the ZenFone 3. Far be it from me to say that the ZenFone 3 is ridiculous in terms of performance but the Honor flagship has a Kirin 950 octo-core processor and 4 GB of RAM which produces excellent performance, especially in optimizing the operating system.
The ZenFone 3 only has a mid-range processor: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. The performance is good and I didn’t notice any bugs or delays, but the overall performance just isn't as good. The Honor 8 proved to be the better for gaming.
Both smartphones include a mini-jack. / © AndroidPIT
For example, here are the average sores from our benchmark tests (completed using Android Marshmallow):
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3 benchmarks
TestsZenFone 3Honor 8
Google Octane47059747
Geekbench 4.0 single-core8411708
Geekbench 4.0 Multi-Core 40585095
PCMark Work Performance 47967203
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: camera
For products between mid and top ranges, photo quality produced by the cameras of these two phones are very impressive. Taking the lead from its predecessor, the Honor 8 will please amateur photographers. Its 12-mega pixel dual-camera (f/2.2 aperture) means that most of the photos are taken successfully the first-time round. The colors and details are sufficient in bright lighting conditions.
The ZenFone 3 is also excellent in this area. The main Sony 16-megapixel camera and the f/2.0 aperture are fantastic and produces a natural photo with warm colors.
Gallery of images taken with the Honor 8
Gallery of images taken with the ZenFone 3
Amazon.com Honor 8 $334.51 Go To Shop
That said, the back cameras should not be underestimated because they don’t cope well with poor lighting conditions, as this is the case with all smartphones. Only the Google Pixel and Galaxy S7 can cope well in these conditions.
The ZenFone 3 and the Honor 8 are two great camera phones. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs OnePlus 3: battery life
Having used both the devices on a daily basis, I developed a slight preference for the Asus smartphone. Under the hood of the ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL version) is a 3,000 mAh battery, just like the Honor 8. Despite its bigger screen (and as a result higher energy consumption), it is a great survivor. You can get a day and a half of battery with intensive use, and up to 2 days of battery life with more moderate use.
The Honor 8 did get similar results, but its screen is much smaller. On the other hand, a highlight for both phones is that they do include quick charging.
The USB Type-C is included in both smartphone. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs. ASUS ZenFone 3 technical specifications
Honor 8ASUS ZenFone 3
Dimensions:145.5 x 71 x 7.45 mm152.6 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm
Weight:153 g155 g
Battery size:3000 mAh3000 mAh
Screen size:5.2 in5.5 in
Display technology:LCDLCD
Screen:1920 x 1080 pixels (424 ppi)1980 x 1080 pixels (410 ppi)
Front camera:8 megapixels8 megapixels
Rear camera:12 megapixels16 megapixels
Flashlight:Dual-LEDLED
Android version:6.0 - Marshmallow6.0 - Marshmallow
User interface:Emotion UIZenUI
RAM:4 GB3 GB
4 GB
Internal storage:32 GB32 GB
64 GB
Removable storage:microSDmicroSD
Chipset:HiSilicon Kirin 950Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
Number of cores:88
Max. clock speed:2.3 GHz2 GHz
Connectivity:HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.2HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.2
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: conclusion
In the end, the differences between both smartphones boils down to this: If you want a discreet, high-performance phone, go with the Honor 8. If the multimedia aspect interests you more, the ZenFone 3 has a larger screen to display content, but the graphics performance isn’t as good as on the Honor 8. Finally, my preference was for the Honor 8 as I found it more compact and it had a very pleasant design.
Which one do you prefer?
Choose ZenFone 3 or Honor 8.
closeYou picked undefined!
What would your friends choose?
shareVS277
VotesOops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help.
ZenFone 3545
VotesOops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help.
Honor 8
Lowest price: Honor 8
Best price $215.99 Check Offer
Read Amazon customer reviews $431.64 Check Offer
Which one would you choose? Would you prefer to go with the ZenFone 3 or does the Honor 8 sound more like the sort of smartphone you'd consider upgrading to? Let us know in the comments below.
Thank You Very Much - Androidme2018
Honor 8 review: fast, fun, affordable
Asus ZenFone 3 review: from strength to strength
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: design and build quality
This aspect of the comparison is always a very subjective one because what is beautiful and elegant to one person isn’t necessarily there for someone else. Whatever your taste, both models have a similar style. They are both composed of metal and glass. There is something of a family resemblance to the Galaxy S6, but it's impossible to confuse them. The edges are soft and the corners are rounded.
The Asus model stands out (literally) as the camera lens protrudes slightly at the back of the device and has three function buttons on the bottom of the screen. Unlike Samsung smartphones, these follow the Android logic (return button on the left, multitask function on the right). The Asus smartphone also shows a little bit of originality by including a rectangular fingerprint reader and not a circular one.
As for size, only the ZenFone 3 is available in two different sizes: 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch. We went with the ZE552KL version, meaning the 5.5-inch version, for our comparison with the Honor 8.
Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL) on the left, Honor 8 on the right. / © AndroidPIT
Although both devices have gone with a more traditional design approach, the finishes are not. In this respect both brands have made significant progress with this new generation. The new Honor smartphone may perhaps attract a little more light with more discrete fixings than the ZenFone 3.
Overall, I think you can guess what I am getting at. It’s hard to make a distinction between the two as they are both so similar. I have a slight preference for the Honor, especially in the blue color, but the ZenFone 3 can still hold its own.
Both models are quite fragile. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: display
As we've already seen, the ZenFone 3 is available in two sizes: 5.2-inch screen and 5.5-inch screen. The 5.5-inch model has an IPS+ Full-HD screen (1,080 x 1,920 pixels), which offers a 401 ppi pixel density. The Honor 8 offers a LTPS TFT-LCD Full-HD 5.2-inch screen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) but with 423 ppi.
They also have similar technical characteristics. The Honor 8 has a slight advantage as it has a smaller screen and, therefore, a better definition. On both devices, the legibility is excellent and the display provides a great experience and reflections are slightly limited in strong light. Their only disadvantage is their colorimetry, as both screens tend to have a blue hue.
The screen quality on both devices is surprisingly similar. / © AndroidPIT
Interestingly, the Honor 8 screen has an “eye protection” mode which gives the screen a slightly yellowish tint. This isn’t the first time that I've said this, but I really like to use this mode either just before I go to sleep or when I wake up.
Opinion by Pierre VitréAn eye protection mode should be a standard in high end smartphones
What do you think?
5050136 participants
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: software
This is one of the aspects that sets the smartphones apart from one another. Both brands offer a system that is quite different to Android Stock. The Honor 8 turns to Android Nougat and the new EMUI 5.0 interface. So, moving further away from iOS, this new version could seduce more Android amateurs that have been reticent until now when considering a smartphone by this brand. The application drawer makes an appearance!
Android Nougat finally lends its reputation to the Honor 8
Nougat is the mature update for Honor 8. / © AndroidPIT
With regards to the ZenFone 3, it also benefits from a Nougat update but its ZenUI 3.0 overlay is, in my opinion, one of the worst on the market. Other than the fact that it has a lot of pre-installed default applications (most of which can just be deactivated), some cleaning and optimization apps can spam you with notifications on a daily basis. So, you'll need to deactivate them so you’re not continually pestered by them. Add to this an interface which offers nothing in the way of surprises and I begin to question why Asus feels they can still continue to offer such an overlay to its users.
The best launchers available: transform your Android
The ZenFone 3 interface leaves a lot to be desired. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: performance
Performance is another area where there is a slight difference between the Honor 8 and the ZenFone 3. Far be it from me to say that the ZenFone 3 is ridiculous in terms of performance but the Honor flagship has a Kirin 950 octo-core processor and 4 GB of RAM which produces excellent performance, especially in optimizing the operating system.
The ZenFone 3 only has a mid-range processor: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. The performance is good and I didn’t notice any bugs or delays, but the overall performance just isn't as good. The Honor 8 proved to be the better for gaming.
Both smartphones include a mini-jack. / © AndroidPIT
For example, here are the average sores from our benchmark tests (completed using Android Marshmallow):
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3 benchmarks
TestsZenFone 3Honor 8
Google Octane47059747
Geekbench 4.0 single-core8411708
Geekbench 4.0 Multi-Core 40585095
PCMark Work Performance 47967203
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: camera
For products between mid and top ranges, photo quality produced by the cameras of these two phones are very impressive. Taking the lead from its predecessor, the Honor 8 will please amateur photographers. Its 12-mega pixel dual-camera (f/2.2 aperture) means that most of the photos are taken successfully the first-time round. The colors and details are sufficient in bright lighting conditions.
The ZenFone 3 is also excellent in this area. The main Sony 16-megapixel camera and the f/2.0 aperture are fantastic and produces a natural photo with warm colors.
Gallery of images taken with the Honor 8
Gallery of images taken with the ZenFone 3
Amazon.com Honor 8 $334.51 Go To Shop
That said, the back cameras should not be underestimated because they don’t cope well with poor lighting conditions, as this is the case with all smartphones. Only the Google Pixel and Galaxy S7 can cope well in these conditions.
The ZenFone 3 and the Honor 8 are two great camera phones. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs OnePlus 3: battery life
Having used both the devices on a daily basis, I developed a slight preference for the Asus smartphone. Under the hood of the ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL version) is a 3,000 mAh battery, just like the Honor 8. Despite its bigger screen (and as a result higher energy consumption), it is a great survivor. You can get a day and a half of battery with intensive use, and up to 2 days of battery life with more moderate use.
The Honor 8 did get similar results, but its screen is much smaller. On the other hand, a highlight for both phones is that they do include quick charging.
The USB Type-C is included in both smartphone. / © AndroidPIT
Honor 8 vs. ASUS ZenFone 3 technical specifications
Honor 8ASUS ZenFone 3
Dimensions:145.5 x 71 x 7.45 mm152.6 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm
Weight:153 g155 g
Battery size:3000 mAh3000 mAh
Screen size:5.2 in5.5 in
Display technology:LCDLCD
Screen:1920 x 1080 pixels (424 ppi)1980 x 1080 pixels (410 ppi)
Front camera:8 megapixels8 megapixels
Rear camera:12 megapixels16 megapixels
Flashlight:Dual-LEDLED
Android version:6.0 - Marshmallow6.0 - Marshmallow
User interface:Emotion UIZenUI
RAM:4 GB3 GB
4 GB
Internal storage:32 GB32 GB
64 GB
Removable storage:microSDmicroSD
Chipset:HiSilicon Kirin 950Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
Number of cores:88
Max. clock speed:2.3 GHz2 GHz
Connectivity:HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.2HSPA, LTE, Dual-SIM , Bluetooth 4.2
Honor 8 vs ZenFone 3: conclusion
In the end, the differences between both smartphones boils down to this: If you want a discreet, high-performance phone, go with the Honor 8. If the multimedia aspect interests you more, the ZenFone 3 has a larger screen to display content, but the graphics performance isn’t as good as on the Honor 8. Finally, my preference was for the Honor 8 as I found it more compact and it had a very pleasant design.
Which one do you prefer?
Choose ZenFone 3 or Honor 8.
closeYou picked undefined!
What would your friends choose?
shareVS277
VotesOops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help.
ZenFone 3545
VotesOops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help.
Honor 8
Lowest price: Honor 8
Best price $215.99 Check Offer
Read Amazon customer reviews $431.64 Check Offer
Which one would you choose? Would you prefer to go with the ZenFone 3 or does the Honor 8 sound more like the sort of smartphone you'd consider upgrading to? Let us know in the comments below.
Thank You Very Much - Androidme2018
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