The power-packed Asus Zenfone Max gets a new lease of life with an uprated hardware. But has it made it any better? We get our hands on one to find the answer…
Of late, there’s been a joke going around about how you should be welcoming your guests with a phone charger before even serving water. And if you come to think of it that could really be the case in a soon while, especially when you consider our addiction to smartphones these days. While portable power-banks have made life much easier in that regard, they are still an ‘extra’ bit of kit.
So if you don’t like carrying a portable charger, or visiting other people’s houses for recharging your device for that matter, Asus has a solution for you in the form of the Zenfone Max. While this power-packed (literally!) phone has been around for quite a while, Asus has now launched a new version of the smartphone with uprated specs. As compared to the older model, the new Zenfone Max now comes with a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip with 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS. The new version is available in two variants – 2GB or 3GB RAM – both with 32GB internal memory with an option of expanding it to up to 64GB. We got our hands on the 2GB version, and given how flawlessly it performed, we can confirm that it’s one of the smoothest operating and lag free devices priced below Rs 10,000.
Now coming to the touch and feel of the phone. Like we’ve seen with almost all of the Asus phones, this one is no exception as well – the build quality and design are top notch for a phone of this price. Rounded corners, knurled volume and power buttons on the side, and curved back design all impart a rich look to the phone. You can also choose between four back-covers – Orange, Blue, Black and White. And while you can change the covers, you’ll also realize that the battery is non-replaceable and can’t be taken out. And why should you anyway when it packs 5,000mAh! Once charged fully, the battery can last two days without a fuss with your routine gaming apps, social media and Whatsapp running. You can in fact use it as a power bank to recharge other devices. And for the same reason, an OTG cable is part of the standard kit along with a 1ampere charger and USB 2.0 cable.
The 5.5-inch 720p display has a pixel density of 267ppi which results in crisp and vibrant colors. That said, we wish the camera could produce equally good images as the display. Even though it comes with a 13MP primary and 5MP secondary camera, the images aren’t that exciting, especially in low light conditions. Also, the laser-focus has a bit of a lag before it freezes the subject.
All said, the Zenfone Max is a great buy for people looking for extended battery life and a phone that has promising specs within the budget of Rs 10,000. However, considering the competitors it is up against, the Zenfone Max has an uphill task to prove its worth.
