Jet, Set, Go | Asus Zenfone Max Review

The Asus Zenfone range is well known for its amazing camera, picture quality and good battery life. Not to forget, smooth overall functioning too. Last month, Asus launched the all new Zenfone Max with a campaign titled #LiveUnplugged with actress Sonakshi Sinha as the brand ambassador. The campaign is dominantly centred around its monstrous (that's what they like to call it) battery which is good enough to last a few days. We were among the first few to test this stunning, sleek device and as usual, we tested the device for a fortnight to get a hang of everything. Read on to know our experience of the new Asus Zenfone Max.

What? - Asus Zenfone Max (2016 - 2GB octa-core version model)

Price: Rs 9,999

Available in: Black, White, Orange and Blue

Box Includes: Asus Zenfone Max device, power charger, detachable USB to microUSB cable,  warranty card and quick start guide.

Tech Specifications (for the above mentioned model): 5000 mAh battery

13mp PixelMaster auto focus main camera / 5mp PixelMaster wide view front camera

 Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 - Octa-Core processor

Weights 202g (with battery)

32 GB internal storage with Micro SD support of upto 64 GB

5.5" TFT LED Backlight / 1280 x 720 HD IPS display

Our Experience: For someone like me who is always on the go, tweeting updates or Snapchatting live from events, power banks are a must. Sometimes, I end up carrying two phones to ensure that I don't run out of battery during an event. This is where the Asus Zenfone Max comes up as a hero device, ensuring fantastic battery life that lasts up to 2-3 days. The impressive battery lasted for days, even after several calls, non-stop use of social media, web browsing, clicking pictures and recording audio clips during interviews. Good enough to take me back in time, when the battery would last almost a week (but the only thing we did was make expensive calls and messages). Asus Zenfone Max boasts of a super strong battery, so much that it can double up as a batter pack for another device. Though we haven't tried this feature, I am looking forward to seeing how this works out. For a decent battery life that lasts 3 days, you need to charge the device for at least 4 hours (or at least that's how it worked for us). Despite the fact that this device works on Snapdragon-615 (which is known to impact the efficiency of your battery), the device does offer a pretty good battery life. The Asus Zenfone Max certainly exceeded our expectations here. The Asus ZenUI user interface sees some improvement in this model.

The camera functions very well. With a powerful PixelMaster 2.0 camera, that comes with 13MP clarity and excellent focus, you can trust this phone with some neat and clear images. Plus, you can play around with multiple filters and beautify your pictures with an in-built beautification feature. The front camera too offers good clarity (5MP) for some decent selfies. Being a lightweight device with 5.5 inch screen (with HD display, which is great for this price), the Asus Zenfone Max makes the social media / web browsing experience quite smooth. You can type, click, post and share on the go effortlessly. The audio call quality was good, while the reception on both Wi-Fi and 3G was decent. Since the phone comes with a pre-installed Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), it performs well without any hiccups and comes with key features like DND. The smooth functioning is another plus point, especially for those love gaming. The sound quality is strictly okay (better on earphones though) and the storage ensures you can stock up on your favourite tracks. You will have buy earphones separately.

Despite being a power packed device, the Asus Zenfone Max keeps it sleek and stylish in the aesthetics department. The signature Asus style remains unchanged, with the curved rounded looks and metallic trim on the sides. The textured grip is excellent and very useful for those who have can't save their phones from falling down all the time. Overall, the texture looks very elegant and feels smooth. Extra points for the internal cushion, that ensures the device does not heat up.

Pros: Excellent battery life

Elegant aesthetics

Good camera

HD display

Budget friendly with decent features

Cons: Below-average sound output on speakers

Ratings

Battery Life - 10/10

Aesthetics - 9/10

Sound - 5/10

Performance - 8/10 

Camera - 8/10

VFM - 9/10

Final Verdict: If you are looking for a device that offers an excellent battery life, with a great camera and other good features; all under a budget of 10k, go for the Asus Zenfone Max without blinking an eye. This is one of your best bets this season in the under 10K category and offers some really good features at a pocket friendly price. Plus, we love the overall aesthetics, which are really classy and stylish. We are certainly impressed.

Have you experienced the new Asus Zenfone Max? Discuss your thoughts and more in the comment box below or join the conversation on Twitter at @priyaadivarekar

Shot By: Team Dancebee

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The Dancebee