Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 5 in August 2015 and it is still one of the most popular phablets in the market. New handsets like ZTE Axon 7 launched in May this year comes with top-end specs, which may give some competition to the Samsung offering.
Here is a comparison of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Axon 7.
Screen
The ZTE phone touts a 5.5-inch WQHD AMOLED screen with a display resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The Samsung device has a bigger 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display and it packs in the same pixels as its ZTE rival.
The screens of both the handsets are protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
Processor, RAM And Storage
The Galaxy Note 5 is powered by an Exynos 7 processor clocked at 2.1 GHz and 4 GB of RAM. The phablet is available with 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB internal storage option. Unfortunately, the Samsung offering does not come with a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity.
A 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which is seen on most of the flagship smartphones launched in 2016, powers the Axon 7.
The ZTE phone will be available in two variants: one with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of on-board storage and the other with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The handset also has a microSD card slot that can be used for expanding the storage to up to 128 GB.
Battery
A 3,000 mAh battery fuels the Galaxy Note 5 and the mobile phone is capable of wireless charging.
"With Galaxy Note5, charging wirelessly is so fast and so liberating that there'll be no turning back. You're fully charged in just 120 minutes," says Samsung.
The Axon 7 has a bigger 3,250 mAh battery, which should offer slightly more usage time than the Galaxy Note 5. The phone also supports Quick Charge 3.0, which is expected to juice up the phablet in a matter of minutes.
Camera
The Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 16-megapixel (f/1.9 lens) rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) for taking quality images even in low-light backgrounds. The smartphone also has a 5-megapixel (f/1.9 lens) front-facing camera.
The ZTE device has a 20-megapixel (f/1.8 lens) primary camera with optical and electronic image stabilization. The handset also has an 8-megapixel (f/2.2 lens) selfie camera. The fully auto mode of the Axon 7 camera makes it very simple to shoot.
"Smart Auto scene selection for most commonly used camera modes (night, HDR, landscape, portrait). Advanced auto focus, exposure, scene selection, white balance to dynamically detect ambient light changes to ensure optimal brightness and color," says ZTE.
Form Factor
The Galaxy Note 5 measures 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 millimeters, or about 6.03 x 3.00 x 0.30 inches. The Axon 7 measures 151.8 x 75 x 8.7 millimeters, or around 5.98 x 2.95 x 0.34 inches, which makes the handset slightly thicker than the Samsung counterpart.
At 171 g, or 6.03 ounces, the Galaxy device is slightly lighter than the ZTE mobile phone that weighs 175 g, or 6.17 ounces.
Operating System
The Galaxy Note 5 comes running on Android 5.1 Lollipop straight out of the box. However, the phablet has received Android 6.0 Marshmallow in many parts of the world.
The Axon 7 runs on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.
Fingerprint Scanner
The Galaxy Note 5 as well as the Axon 7 have a fingerprint scanner for added protection of the phone. The Samsung phone has the fingerprint sensor on the home button but the sensor is located at the back of the Axon 7 where the user's index finger naturally grips it.
Price
AT&T is selling the 32 GB Galaxy Note 5 for $739.99, Verizon Wireless for $696 and T-Mobile for $709.99. The Axon 7 has a starting price tag of 2,899 yuan, or about $441, which is far less than the cost of the Galaxy Note 5.
The Galaxy Note 5 needs no selling and given the high-popularity and the Samsung brand name attached to it, many customers may buy the phablet without thinking twice.
However, the Axon 7 has all the specs that are needed in a top-end smartphone. Customers needing a microSD card slot, 6 GB of RAM and a better camera may opt for the Axon 7 over the Galaxy Note 5. The price point of the Axon 7 is also a factor that may attract customers looking for a good handset at an affordable price.
