Asus Zenfone Max Review
No company wants to miss this trend. Now Asus zenfone max Has been launched which was introduced only in the month of August last year. Its price is Rs 9,999 and it comes with a 5000 mAh battery. The Marathon is much cheaper than the M5 and Lenovo Vibe P1 and has specifications similar to mid-range handsets. Is the Zenfone Max the best battery power Android smartphone? Let us know.
Look and Design
Asus’ Zenfone range of smartphones is known for its similarity. This design pattern has also been retained in Zenfone Max which can be easily identified.
Zenfone Max is available in black and white color variants. The backpanel of the white variant has a dull and smooth finish. The black variant gets a leather-like textured finish. The 3.5mm audio socket and Micro-USB port are at the top and bottom respectively.
Asus has not tried to experiment much in Zenfone Max. The volume and power buttons are on the right side. The backpanel can be removed. This is where space has been made for SIM and microSD card. By removing the backpanel, you will be able to see the battery, but it cannot be removed.
The speaker grill on the backpanel is at the bottom and the camera, flash and laser autofocus are at the top. We liked the look of the black variant more, especially its leather finish.
Asus Zenfone Max features a 5.5-inch HD resolution display. There is no deficiency in this handset in terms of brightness and color, but due to low pixel density, lack of detail and sharpness is clearly visible. However, for users who are more concerned about battery life, this screen is sufficient.
The charger that comes with the Asus ZenFone Max is nowhere near enough for the battery of this phone. It takes more than 5 hours to charge the phone’s battery from 0 to 100 percent. According to us, the company should have provided fast charging feature. We would also recommend that you purchase a reliable fast charger for the ZenFone Max.
Specifications and Software
On paper, the Asus ZenFone Max has the same specifications as the cheaper ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE550KL). The only difference is the bigger battery. It has Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB inbuilt storage and dual-SIM connectivity. The primary SIM slot supports 4G network and the second one supports 3G. MicroSD card up to 64 GB can be used in it.
The 5000 mAh battery on the Max is larger than the 3000 mAh battery on the Zenfone Laser. This, along with the Snapdragon 410 chipset and HD screen, gives hope for better battery life.
Asus Zenfone Max runs on Android Lollipop 5.0, on top of which the company’s ZenUI has been used. We have already told you that this skin is a better interface in terms of user experience. You also have many customization options.
Sadly, the interface still features a number of Asus apps. For this reason, about 50 apps start updating as soon as the phone is turned on.
camera
The similarities between the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser and the Zenfone Max aren’t just limited to specifications. 13 megapixel camera and laser autofocus system has also been used in Max. It also has a 5 megapixel front camera. Videos of 1080 pixels can be recorded from both the cameras. Dual-tone LED flash is also provided with the rear camera. In this way, Zenfone Max is a variant of Zenfone 2 Laser with a larger battery.
No changes have been made in the camera app also. It is similar to other Asus devices. There are multiple options of camera modes and manual settings for photos and videos. This may be a little complicated for many people, but the auto mode makes things easier. Apart from this, it is very easy to switch video recording, flash and camera from the default screen.
As expected, its camera performance also matches that of Asus ZenFone 2 Laser. Indoors, the pictures are fine, but in extreme light and darkness, the pictures get washed out. If there is a lot of sunlight then the pictures look completely white.
The laser autofocus system works well for close up shots and indoor shots. It focuses quickly and accurately on the subject. It would be right to call the performance of the front camera satisfactory. Overall, the camera is capable indoors, but the shortcomings are clearly visible outdoors.
performance
Even though Asus ZenFone Max has a budget chipset and its specifications are very simple, the company has offered an excellent performer. Games like Dead Trigger 2 and Real Racing 3 ran smoothly. The phone heated up less than expected while playing games. Our test videos also played smoothly. Never faced any problem while using the interface. The benchmark results of this handset match closely with the Asus ZenFone 2 Laser.
Call quality on the phone was good. Its battery lasted for 25 hours in our video loop test. In normal use, the phone’s battery will last for three to four days without charging.
our decision
Due to the increasing concerns of more and more users about battery life, the idea of making smartphones with larger batteries is becoming popular. Gionee and Lenovo have made competent efforts in this direction, but Asus has become the first company to make a 5000 mAh battery in the range of Rs 10,000. Despite being a little heavier, the Zenfone Max retains the Asus identity.
The design of the phone is fine. Considering the price, its performance is also adequate. Its primary camera is good and the battery life in this price range will be called excellent. Its biggest drawback is the charger. The company should have provided a quick charger with it. If you want to buy a budget smartphone with great battery life, then Asus Zenfone Max is a great option.
