At times, the range of the ASUS ZenFone smartphones is bit confusing because of some product codes and different devices. But there is no doubt in saying that every smartphone by ASUS perfectly fits well into their particular niche and it has got something to offer to everyone. At the beginning of the year 2016, ASUS launched ZenFone Max followed by ZenFone Max (2016) and now, ZenFone 3 Max in two variants. Today, we are here with a review of ASUS ZenFone 3 Max.
When we compared this smartphone with the others in the same range, it has the same design. But the best thing about ASUS ZenFone 3 Max is that it features a bigger 4,100mAh battery and offers excellent power efficiency. This smartphone is priced at 17,999 INR and provide the people with a great combo of battery life, looks, and specifications. Come On! Let’s talk in brief about ASUS ZenFone 3 Max review and look out how worth is to spend your money on this smartphone.
The year 2016 has been a great year for most of the smartphone companies, and ASUS has finally decided to give their smartphones a premium treatment. ASUS is a company which has managed to bring value for money to the customers and still playing their game. But, they even offer a premium experience to the people just like the other rival companies.
Design and Build Quality
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max has got the all-metal body, and yes, the company has taken a lot of time as compared to other rival companies in giving their smartphones a premium metal look. But, now, you all can afford a metal-body smartphone at just 7,000 INR, and finally, ASUS has reached the point in their time. With the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max, the company has ditched the ghastly chunkiness like in their previous smartphones. Even they have ditched those loathsome chunky bezels.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max has got a slim bezel line of 2.25mm which gives an impressive boost to the screen-to-body ratio. All in all, we can say that ASUS ZenFone 3 Max can stand well against the rival smartphones like Lenovo Vibe K5, XiaomiRedmi Note 3 and the Meizu M3 Note regarding design and build quality. Though this smartphone has a bit of undertone as compared to all the above mentioned rival smartphones, yet it has all the ASUS-esque elements.
From the back, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max looks an impressive, premium ASUS phone. It has the rounded corners with beautiful gradual curves. Though it is not a slipperiest smartphone, yet you just have to get used to the extra smoothness of this smartphone. The volume rocker and the power button are placed on the right which gives a good tactile feedback. And on the left, the hybrid card slot is positioned well.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max is not a smartphone without faults. Yes, ASUS claims that the fingerprint scanner on the rear unlocks in 0.3 seconds, but unfortunately, it is quite slow. Also, the physical capacitive keys are non-backlit which is quite hard to use in the dark.
Display
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max features 5.5-inch full-HD IPS display. It has a 1080×1920 pixel resolution with a pixel density of 401ppi. As compared to the original Max, this smartphone has a bright display with an ambient light sensor. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max has great viewing angles with a non-reflective nature. The colors aren’t accurate on this smartphone although it has got a great bright display. The colors look lifeless and dull as well as lacks in contrast as well.
Software
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max ambles on Android 6.1 Marshmallow and has received ZenUI 3.0. It has got a massively bloated UI, but luckily, this smartphone has got all the key Android Marshmallow features including the memory management, Now on Tap and much more. For now, there is no information about the availability of Nougat on this smartphone. With ASUS ZenFone 3 Max, the company has managed to stick themselves with a good old formula that is the customizations and easy-of-use.
Though Zen UI lacks in simplicity, yet it is one of the best UIs. The company even offers some customization options which are quite really useful. What is worth to mention here is the app drawer which is the best suite for all the needs of the users. It significantly helps as an additional privacy for selectively locking the apps.
Performance and Battery Life
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max is powered by 1.4 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with RAM of 3GB and Andreno 505 GPU. This smartphone comes with 32GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 128GB. Its dual-SIM variant supports 4G LTE and USB OTG. There is no availability of NFC, but this smartphone lacks in the best use of its hardware specs. Yes, stutter and lag exist even while switching between the apps.
Also, it has got an improper software optimization. On a positive side, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max doesn’t heat up, and it’s never too hot while handling it. While talking about its big 4,100mAh battery, it is non-removable. Though it is a step down as compared to its predecessors, yet it is a slim, all-metal smartphone and here it is worth to compromise. Luckily, the battery life of this smartphone remains impressive even with the heavy usage. It has a phenomenal battery life, but this smartphone lacks in fast charging technology.
Camera
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max features 16-megapixel rear camera along with other features including electronic image stabilization, f/2.0 aperture, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash and phase detection autofocus. It also features an 8-megapixel front camera. The pictures which are clicked by the rear camera of ASUS ZenFone 3 Max deliver an excellent lighting with good colors and details. Also, it has got an enough good dynamic range, but at times, the pictures meter overexposure issues.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Max camera is not bad for the non-moving subjects. It is pretty quick to focus, yet there is an odd delay with a shutter lag. This significantly means that when the subject is moving, it is possible to get blurry photos. It is even observed that while viewing the pictures on a big screen, it faces the pixelation issues. The pictures have enough detailing for sharing them on social media.
Sample Pictures: (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
The camera has got an inbuilt night mode which helps in achieving the better results in low and tricky light. Also, the pictures click well with its front camera deliver selfies with great detailing even in the low and delicate light.
Overall, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Max has an attractive price tag with a premium design and good hardware specs. The primary focus about this smartphone remains the battery life.
