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We’re here to see the ASUS ZenFone 6 compared vs the Google Pixel 4 XL. Both of these phones are flagship offerings from their respective companies. The ASUS ZenFone 6 launched back in May, while the Pixel 4 XL arrived last month, in October.
Both of these phones have a lot to offer, though their price tags are considerably different. The ZenFone 6 is a much cheaper smartphone, it’s available at $549 in the US, while the Pixel 4 XL starts at $899 in the States.
Can the Pixel 4 XL justify such a huge price difference? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, more or less. Both of these phones are compelling in their own ways, and in this comparison, we’ll try to see what are each of their strong and weak sides. Let’s kick off the ZenFone 6 vs Pixel 4 XL comparison, shall we.
Specs
| ASUS ZenFone 6 | Google Pixel 4 XL | |
| Screen size | 6.4-inch fullHD+ IPS LCD display | 6.3-inch QHD+ Smooth Display (flexible OLED, 90Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 3040 x 1440 |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB; Non-Expandable | 64GB/128GB; Non-Expandable |
| Rear cameras | 48MP (0.8um pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, Laser AF) 13MP (f/2.4 aperture, 11mm) |
12.2MP (1.4um pixel size, f/1.7 aperture, 77-degree angle lens, PDAF, OIS, EIS) 16MP (1.0um pixel size, f/2.4 aperture, 52-degree angle lens, OIS, EIS, PDAF) |
| Front cameras | Same as rear cameras | 8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.0 aperture, 90-degree angle lens, fixed focus) |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, Non-Removable, 18W Fast Battery Charging, reverse wired charging | 3,700mAh, Non-Removable, 18W Fast Battery Charging (USB-PD 2.0), Qi wireless charging |
| Dimensions | 159.1 x 75.4 x 9.2mm | 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 190 grams | 193 grams |
| Connectivity | LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Rear-facing fingerprint scanner (capacitive) | IR-based facial scanning, Titan M module |
| OS | Android 9 Pie ZenUI 6 |
Android 10 |
| Price | $549 (64GB) | $899 (64GB) / $999 (128GB) |
| Buy | ASUS | Google / Amazon |
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Design
These two devices differ quite a bit in the design department. Neither of them has a display hole or a display notch, which is a rarity these days. The ZenFone 6 does sport considerably thinner bezels, though, and there’s a good reason for that.
The ZenFone 6 includes a flip-up camera on the back, so ASUS did not need much space on the front. The Pixel 4 XL, on the other hand, includes its camera hardware above the display, along with a ton of additional sensors. The device even includes a radar sensor above the display, which is why its top bezel is so thick.
The rest of the Pixel 4 XL’s bezels are comparable to the ones on the ZenFone 6, but not the top one. That top one is considerably thicker than the one on the ZenFone 6. Both devices offer rounded corners, that goes for display corners as well.
Both phones include two cameras on the back, while the ZenFone 6 also sports a capacitive fingerprint scanner back there. The ZenFone 6 is considerably more slippery than the Pixel 4 XL, despite the fact they’re both made out of metal and glass.
The ZenFone 6 has a curved back, while the Pixel 4 XL does not. On top of that, its frame is painted, so the frame itself is less slippery as well. Its back has some sort of brushed coating on top, which helps with grippiness as well.
The ASUS ZenFone 6 is shorter, wider, and thicker than the Pixel 4 XL. The Pixel 4 XL is a bit heavier, but only by 3 grams. Do note that only the Pixel 4 XL offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance here.
We can’t really make up our mind when it comes to the winner. The ZenFone 6 looks a lot better from the front, while the Pixel 4 XL’s back side takes the cake. The Pixel 4 XL is also less slippery, and it doesn’t have a motorized camera setup. To each its own, but this is a tie in our book.
Winner: Tie
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Display
As far as the displays are concerned, well, there’s one clear winner here. The ASUS ZenFone 6 is one of the very few well-known, flagship-grade phones to include an LCD panel. The phone comes with a 6.4-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) IPS LCD display.
That panel is really good for an LCD display, but cannot measure up to the Pixel 4 XL’s display. Google’s flagship includes a 6.3-inch QHD+ (3040 x 1440) P-OLED display. That panel is not only higher in resolution, and an OLED panel, but one of the best displays in the market.
The Pixel 4 XL’s display offers really saturated colors, great contrast, and great viewing angles. The ZenFone 6’s display is not bad by any means, and it offers great viewing angles, but its colors and contrast are not comparable to the Pixel 4 XL’s.
The ZenFone 6’s display supports HDR10, and is protected by the Gorilla Glass 6. The Pixel 4 XL’s, on the other hand, supports HDR output as well, while it is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5.
There is one more considerable difference between these displays. The Pixel 4 XL’s panel offers a 90Hz refresh rate, while the ZenFone 6’s is stuck at 60Hz. That makes the Pixel 4 XL a lot more enjoyable to use, as 60Hz displays do look somewhat laggy compared to 90Hz ones, even though that’s just the refresh rate talking.
All in all, the Pixel 4 XL is a clear winner in this category. The device has one of the best OLED panels in the business, and the ZenFone 6’s IPS LCD display is not in the same class, despite the fact it’s one of the best LCD panels out there.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Performance
Earlier iterations of ASUS’ ZenUI were not all that good. ZenUI used to be quite laggy due to a ton of bloatware that was installed on it. Well, that’s not the case with the ZenFone 6’s ZenUI 6. ASUS decided to change things up, and clear up its UI. It is much more similar to stock Android now, and it performs much better as well.
Both of these phones are great performers, though we’ll give the advantage to the Pixel 4 XL. The device simply stutters less than the ZenFone 6. Just to be clear, the difference is minimal, as the ZenFone 6 performs great. Software iterations on both phones are backed by really powerful hardware.
Both devices are fueled by the Snapdragon 855, and both include 6GB of RAM on the inside. Neither of them includes UFS 3.0 flash storage, though, you’ll find UFS 2.1 storage inside both devices.
The Pixel 4 XL’s 90Hz display also helps when it comes to performance. Well, not exactly, but it does make the phone seem more fluid, due to a high refresh rate. Higher refresh rate displays are impacting both the performance and battery more, but that’s not something you’ll notice on the Pixel 4 XL.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Battery
Now, when the battery life is concerned, the ASUS ZenFone 6 is the clear winner. The phone includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside, compared to a 3.700mAh unit inside the Pixel 4 XL. Higher battery capacity does not necessarily mean better battery life, but in this case, it sure does.
The ZenFone 6 also has a lower-res display, and lower display refresh rate, which also helps it get ahead in the battery department. Most of you will be able to get 5-5.5 hours of screen-on-time on the Pixel 4 XL, presuming you don’t force that display to run at 90Hz all the time.
The ZenFone 6 will push you way above that, you should be able to get over 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time on this phone without a problem, even above 8, depending on your usage. The ZenFone 6 can really last for quite some time.
Both phones support 18W fast charging, Quick Charge 4.0, in other words. Only the Pixel 4 XL supports wireless charging though, while the ZenFone 6 supports reverse charging. Do note that the ZenFone 6 comes with wired reverse charging (10W), not wireless reverse charging.
Needless to say, the ASUS ZenFone 6 is the clear winner here. If you need a phone with great battery life, the ZenFone 6 should be considered.
Winner: ASUS ZenFone 6
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Cameras
The Google Pixel 4 XL is one of the best camera smartphones in the market. The ZenFone 6 is not bad in that regard, but it cannot compete with the Pixel 4 XL. Both devices include two cameras on the back, while the ZenFone 6 utilizes those cameras as its selfie shooters as well.
The ZenFone 6 comes with 48 and 13-megapixel units, wide-angle main camera, and the ultrawide secondary unit. The Pixel 4 XL, on the other hand, does not offer an ultrawide camera, only a telephoto one, in addition to its main sensor.
The Pixel 4 XL can capture images that offer richer colors, more detail, and better dynamic range. Images from the Pixel 4 XL simply look sharper. They may seem a bit unrealistic in some conditions, but in a good way.
When the light goes away, the Pixel 4 XL truly shines. This is probably the best phone for low light photography in the market, as it allows a lot of light and detail to get into a picture. The ZenFone 6 can capture decent images in low light, but nothing close to the Pixel 4 XL.
When it comes to selfies, however, the ZenFone 6 reigns supreme. It uses its main cameras for selfies, so that’s not surprising. The Pixel 4 XL still does a great job when it comes to selfies, as it can produce really sharp pictures with its front-facing camera.
Video capture is comparable on the two devices, though the ZenFone 6 does offer 4K video recording at 60fps. The Pixel 4 XL is limited to 30fps. Truth be said, the Pixel 4 XL does seem to do a bit of a better job when it comes to video, despite that. 1080p recording at 60fps is great on the phone, and you won’t be disappointed. On the flip side, 4K recording at 60fps is not that great on the ZenFone 6, it’s good, but not great.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL: Audio
Both the ASUS ZenFone 6 and Pixel 4 XL do come with stereo speakers. Those speakers are really good on both phones, they offer clear output, and minimal distortion at high volumes. All in all, there’s nothing to complain about here.
Only the ASUS ZenFone 6 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. It also comes with DTS Headphone X support, in case you were wondering. When you plug in a pair of headphones into these two phones, presuming they’re any good, you’ll hear the difference.
The ZenFone 6 offers a bit more bass, while highs and mids are a bit better on the ZenFone 6. Not to say that the audio is bad on the Pixel 4 XL, quite the contrary. We did notice a difference, though.
Having all that in mind, we’ll give an advantage to the ZenFone 6 in this regard. Not only does the phone offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, but audio output through headphones is a bit better in our opinion.
Winner: ASUS ZenFone 6
The overall winner
| ASUS ZenFone 6 | Google Pixel 4 XL | |
| Design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Display | ✓ | |
| Performance | ✓ | |
| Battery | ✓ | |
| Cameras | ✓ | |
| Audio | ✓ |
That brings us to the end of the ASUS ZenFone 6 vs Google Pixel 4 XL comparison. The Pixel 4 XL did win here, as it won in most categories, but only barely. The ZenFone 6 managed to take the win in two out of six categories, while the Pixel 4 XL won in three.
It all depends on what you need in a phone, of course. The Pixel 4 XL delivers better performance, better display, and better camera experience. The ZenFone 6, on the other hand, has an advantage in the battery and audio departments.
Is the Pixel 4 XL worth paying so much more? Well, it depends on what you need in a smartphone, but we do think that the price difference between the two phones should not be so pronounced. The Pixel 4 XL should be considerably more affordable.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL