Media invites sent by Asus in India confirm a launch event by the Taiwanese smartphone maker. The event, scheduled on October 17 doesn’t reveal what exactly Asus is planning to launch. But based on rumours, it is likely going to be two phones under Rs 10,000 to challenge the Xiaomi Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A. If that’s the case, they could be a follow up to the Zenfone Max, the company’s big-battery budget smartphone that was sold in the budget segment.
The event will be a global launch event, meaning Asus will launch the two new phones for the first time in any market. According to a report by TechSense, both phones will be powered by Qualcomm’s 400-series chipsets. If that’s the case, the phones will be directly competing with the MediaTek chipsets powering the new Redmi 6 series phones.
Further, as per the long-term parternship Asus announced before the launch of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, the two new phones could also be exclusive to Flipkart. One of the phones could sport a massive 5,000mAh battery, in line with the legacy of the Zenfone Max series.
Furthermore, one of the phones could sport a 5.5-inch HD+ display with a 2.5D glass on top. On the back, the phone could feature a dual camera setup. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) (review) that was launched earlier this year took on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, and about six months after its launch, Asus has managed to sell around a million units of the smartphones.
The USP of the Max Pro M1 was that it ran on stock Android while the rest of the hardware was in line with what Xiaomi was offering in the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Further, it was made a little more affordable in India. We expect Asuzs to be similarly aggressive in its pricing of the two new phones.
The intent is clear. Dethrone Xiaomi from the pole position in the under-10k range which the company has dominated since the Redmi 5A. The Xiaomi Redmi 6A and the Redmi 6 are powered by the MediaTek Helio A22 and the MediaTek Helio P22 respectively. If Asus can offer smartphones with Qualcomm chipsets in the same price range without compromising on other features, the tides may turn in favour of Asus.
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