Asus, the Taiwanese gadget maker’s leading smartphone ZenFone Max was unveiled in January this year. Zenfone Max offered an answer to one of the many flaws of recent smart gadgets i.e, battery life. The smartphone launched in January 2016 is decent in hardware specifications but is certainly one of the best one available in the market when it comes to battery life. With a massive 5,000mAh battery Asus tried to address one of the most common problems of this day. ( 😛 )
And now with a refreshed Zenfone Max, Asus tried to raise the hardware standards, along with software improvements. The upgraded Zenphone offers the same incredible battery life that was the trademark feature of its predecessor. Priced at the same price of its predecessor, Asus aims to increase sales of its most successful phone in Zenfone series.
The upgraded ZenFone Max is visually and materially identical to the previous version including its dimensions to its weight. With the signature Asus chin and concentric circles, the gadget comes in four colour variants Orange, Blue, Black, and White and two RAM variants of 2GB and 3GB.Surprise!
Surprise! We got 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage with Zenfone Max! :O
Display & Resolution
Coming to resolution aspects the gadget with a 5.5-inch screen comes with a resolution of 5.5-inch 720×1280-pixel IPS screen. The resolution is lower when compared to smartphones in similar price range. Additionally, Asus could have added a fingerprint sensor option which is common in smartphones in this price category these days.
User Interface
Zenfone Max is powered by Android M 6.0.1 and a customised ASUS ZenUI. Android Marshmellow 6.0.1 is simplistic in its use and provides easy navigation and runs very smooth. With Asus eye care technology: blue light filter you can protect yourself from eye damage, strains, headaches, and sleep disorders.
Built and Design
With respect to design and layout, the ZenFone Max holds to the Trademark Asus design and doesn’t deviate much from the previous version. The rear panel is removable and reveals an expandable storage slot and the two SIM slots when removed. The battery isn’t user replaceable and is placed below a regulatory sticker. The power and volume keys are on the right, the Micro-USB port is at the bottom and the 3.5mm audio socket is at the top.
Performance
We have used the smartphone for 4 days and didn’t face any hardship with respect to user experience and software glitches. With Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core processor coupled with a 2GB RAM, we have used the gadget for multi-tasking without any glitches. Yes, it supports 4G LTE that enables you to enjoy seamless internet connectivity.
Zenfone Battery: Huh, is it a power bank ?
The lithium-polymer battery has a capacity of whopping 5000 mAh ( :O ) battery. When completely charged provides a whopping 914.4 hours of standby time or 37.5 hours of 3G talk time or 32.5 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing or 22.6 hours of video playback or 72.9 hours of music playback. What can you expect at a price tag of Rs 9,999? An accompanying OTG cable turns the phone into a charger to power up your other gadgets, making it unique in the market!
Camera: A gadget for photography enthusiasts
The upgraded Zenfone Max comes with two cameras a rear and a front facing camera with 13 Megapixel and 5 Megapixel respectively. The rear camera features a f/2.0-aperture with the ASUS PixelMaster 2.0 technology and dual-LED flash for natural-looking photography. With a Laser Auto Focus technology, you can focus on an object in as fast as 0.03 seconds. (Huh..!). The front camera has a f/2.0-aperture snapper with 85 wide-viewing angles. Camera modes include Night mode, Low Light mode, Selfie mode, Slow motion mode, Time Lapse mode, Super-resolution mode.
See few pics we have clicked with Asus Zenfone Max:
Price Range:
The 2 GB RAM variant is priced at Rs. 9,999 which is reasonable for the features and the 3GB RAM variant is priced at Rs. 12,999 . We found the price very unreasonable for the 3GB variant! (Rs 3,000 increase for an increase in 1GB RAM?)
Final Verdict:
Decent smartphone to buy if you are looking at a price range between Rs. 9,000 and Rs. 13,000.