ASUS ZenFone 3 Max review

Overview

With the ZenFone 3 headlining the current batch of ASUS handsets, many other variants will follow shortly. One of them is the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max, where the Taiwanese company packs a massive 4,100mAh battery into the device as its key feature.
                            

If that trick sounds familiar, it's because the ZenFone 3 Max was based off the old ZenFone Max, which managed impressive battery life performance in our review. This second iteration kept all the core battery features, and it’s now equipped with an entry-level MediaTek processor to power the phone. To make the phone even more attractive, the new Max uses the ZenFone 3’s design language, and it’s still affordably priced at the same price point S$248.

So, how does the ZenFone 3 Max fare as a battery juggernaut? Will it be as good as before, or will it be even better? That's what we intend to find out!

ASUS ZenFone Max phones compared

	ASUS ZenFone 3 Max	ASUS ZenFone Max
Launch SRP	From S$248	From S$249
Latest Price	From S$235	From S$205
Network:	Up to 4G LTE	—
Operating system	Android 6.0 with ASUS ZenUI 3.0	Android 5.0 Lollipop with ASUS ZenUI
Processor	MediaTek MT6737 quad-core, 1.25GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core 1.2GHz
Built-in Memory	2GB RAM	2GB RAM
Display	5.2-inch / 1,280 x 720 pixels / IPS	5.5-inch / 1,280 x 720 pixels / IPS
Camera	Rear: 13-megapixel, f/2.2, Super Resolution, Backlight (Super HDR) Front: 5-megapixel, f/2.2	Rear: 13-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture, laser autofocus, dual-color Real Tone Flash and PixelMaster technology Front: 5-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture, wide-angle 88 ˚ lens, autofocus and PixelMaster technology
Audio Support	Dual microphone with noise cancellation	—
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB OTG, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR + A2DP, GPS, GLONASS, AGPS & BDS
Storage Type	16GB storage (expandable via microSD)	16GB internal storage space microSD support up to 64GB
Battery	4,100 mAh	5,000mAh
Dimensions	149.5 x 73.7 x 8.55 mm	156 x 77.5 x 5.2 ~ 10.55mm
Weight	148g	202g

Expanding its Zenfone 3 series, Taiwanese giant ASUS on Wednesday launched two variants of Zenfone 3 Max smartphone with a massive 4,100 mAh battery in India.

The two variants — 5.5 inch (ZC553KL) and 5.2 inch (ZC520TL) — are priced at Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 12,999, respectively.

“With Zenfone 3 Max, users can enjoy smartphone experience for longer durations without having to look for a plug point,” Peter Chang, Region Head-South Asia and Country Manager for ASUS India, said in a statement.

The smartphone features a high capacity 4,100mAh lithium-polymer battery and the device doubles up as a fast-charge power bank for charging other devices.

The smartphone sports 2.5D contoured glass touchscreen in a sandblasted full-metal, aluminium alloy body with chamfered edges.

Designed for photography enthusiasts, the 5.5-inch device features 16MP primary and 8MP secondary cameras while the 5.2-inch variant sports 13MP primary and 5MP secondary shooters.

Zenfone 3 Max has a fingerprint sensor near the top of the rear panel.

While, the 5.5-inch Zenfone 3 Max is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core processor, the 5.2-inch smartphone is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor. Both of them have a 3GB RAM.

The 5.5-inch Zenfone 3 Max has 32GB onboard memory which can be expanded by a 128GB memory card. The other variant’s 32GB onboard memory can be expanded by 32GB.

Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL is available from Wednesday and Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL will be available by November end.

UI & Features

ZenUI 3.0

If you’re familiar with the ZenFone range, the proprietary ZenUI 3.0 that cloaks the Android 6.0 OS (Marshmallow) should be no stranger to ASUS smartphone fans. While a 5.2-inch screen may seem generous, the UI makes the phone feel cluttered. Out of the box, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max packs two pages’ worth of apps inside the App Drawer. There’s an even split between proprietary apps and third-party apps. Uninstalling the third-party ones should free up some of your limited 16GB internal storage, which is already limited by the 6.32GB taken up by the OS itself.

Fingerprint Sensor

The inclusion of a fingerprint sensor makes it the second ASUS device in our office to have one – the honor of being first would be the ASUS ZenFone 3 (which is what the ZenFone 3 Max is based on). It’s responsive and fast, just like the ZenFone 3’s sensor.

Mobile Manager

                              

One of the useful pre-loaded apps found on the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max is the Mobile Manager. Here is where you find five power-saving modes that can really stretch the uptime of your 4,100mAh battery. Performance mode and Normal mode are pretty straightforward, with the former using 100% screen brightness at all times. Power Saving mode disables network connection when your device is asleep, while Super Saving mode only keeps your Phone, SMS, and Alarm functions awake with everything else disabled. The last mode allows the user to customize their own power saving style, but it’s not as detailed as one would hope – it’s a matter of choosing between High or Smart screen brightness, and selecting how you want your phone’s network to behave – there are no micro-management options beyond this point, but it should be sufficient for the everyday smartphone user.

Other power-saving options include a scheduled timer where it will switch the phone to a chosen power-saving mode at a time period designated by the user. The Battery Level option automatically switches the phone’s power mode when it goes below 10% charge.