It’s always good to see decent affordable smartphones release and two that have recently arrived for India are the Asus Zenfone 5 (A501CG) and the Micromax Canvas L (A108). Today we have a Zenfone 5 vs. Micromax Canvas L India showdown, where we’ll compare specs and more.

Both of these are dual SIM Android smartphones and close in pricing. In a crowded market these two should grab plenty of sales and there has already been massive interest in the Zenfone 5. We’ll highlight the major points of each.

Processors
The Zenfone 5 has a 1.6GHz Intel dual-core processor with PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics. The Canvas L has a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582M quad-core processor and Mali-400MP2 GPU.

Display
There’s a 5-inch IPS display with resolution of 1280 x 720 and 294 ppi for the Zenfone 5. On the other hand the Canvas L has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with resolution of 960 x 540 and 200 ppi.

RAM and Storage
The Zenfone 5 has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD to 64GB. It also comes in a 16GB variant with 2GB of RAM. The A108 Canvas L has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, this time expandable to 32GB.

Camera set-up
You’ll find the Zenfone 5 carries an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video capture, as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Canvas L has exactly the same arrangement except that video capture is at 720p.

Battery
The Zenfone 5 has a non-removable 2110 mAh battery while the Canvas L has a removable 2350 mAh battery.

Connectivity
Both phones support 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPRS, EDGE and microUSB 2.0.

Operating System
The Zenfone 5 released on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, upgradable to Android 4.4.2 KitKat, skinned with the Zen UI. The Canvas L runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Dimensions and Weight
Measurements of the Zenfone 5 are 148.2mm x 72.8mm x 10.3mm and weighs 145g. The Canvas L measurements have not been specified yet.

Price
The 8GB Zenfone 5 model was launched at Rs. 9,999 and the 16GB model at Rs. 13,999. The Canvas L A108 launched at Rs. 10,499 and we’ve seen it on sale for around Rs. 9,999.

Obviously the preference of styling and build of these phones will be very much down to your own personal taste, but where specs are concerned there are some swings and roundabouts. For example the Asus Zenfone 5 has a higher-resolution display, an extra storage option and higher level of expandable storage, and 1080p video capture.

In the other corner the Micromax Canvas L has a quad-core processor, a larger display, and higher-capacity battery that’s also removable. If you choose the 8GB options of either the prices are almost the same (depending on retailer). You may also be interested in two of our recent comparisons at the following links, one of the Zenfone 5 vs. BlackBerry Z3 and another of the Micromax Canvas L vs. Moto G.

If you are trying to choose between these two smartphones we’d like to know which one you are most likely to purchase. Will it be the Asus Zenfone 5 or the Micromax Canvas L? We always appreciate your comments.