fir’TheTechBeard’ team keeps a close watch on anything and everything that is happening in the world of technology. Latest buzz, news or anything that we believe our readers (or I should address them as geeky nerds) would want to read in the world of technology is our topic of the day. Ask me, what excites me about the writing part and as a reader loves to read is the review of techie gadgets or comparison between two or more of them.
Just recently, we posted an article in which we compared ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Vs Oppo F1S in the quest to help you chose between the two incase you are baffled which one to pick. ASUS Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL gadget has swayed me. Why? I am sure the previous article (mentioned above) gave you a bit of an idea. Well, today I plan to ASUS Zenfone 3 Max review solely. Trust me, I’m not all praises or say unnecessary things and will try to give you all authentic information and unbiased review about ASUS Zenfone 3 Max.
Sit back and scroll down to read more about ASUS Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) review and decide whether to buy it or not?
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Design and Built
Asus ZenFone 3 Max that ‘TheTechBeard‘ got for review was white in colour. The very first look of the phone made me fall in love with it. But then being a reviewer, I had to control my feelings and check it out in all fronts.
The phone is not sleek and is bit heavy, but it gets the benefit of the doubt for the heavy battery that it comes endowed with.
At the back side is a dual tone LED flash, laser auto-focus camera and fingerprint sensor (to unlock the phone). At the front are normal sensors, loudspeaker (at the top), touch capacitive buttons (at the bottom).
Minimalism design and simplicity is what makes the stylish device. The metallic design with frame curved edges add to the beauty of the unit. There is a hybrid dual SIM slot, a mono speaker grill at the bottom edge. 151.4 x 76.2 x 8.3 mm dimensions, 175 g (6.17 oz) weight, Oleophobic coating for protection all add to the minimal design of the phone.
With a thin 2.25mm bezel and 77.5% screen-to-body ratio, the device offers more display and is not at all bulky.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Display
The 5.5 inch display will let you enjoy the videos, movies and games as it promises natural processing of colors. I am watching all the movies and my favorite programs on it nowadays and trust me, I am enjoying them as the display brightness keep changing at various levels. IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors display, 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, multi-touch feature (up to 10 fingers) add to the user-friendliness.
The intense 450nits brightness ensures easy viewing even under the brightest light conditions. Indoors or out, I no more worry about the view which is quite clear on ASUS ZenFone 3 Max.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Software
Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 with ZenUI 3.0 layered on top of it is the operating system of ASUS Zenfone 3 Max. ZenMotion touch and motion gestures add to the features of the gadget. There is a theme app that allows the user to change the entire look and feel of their device. AudioWizard, Do It Later, Laser Ruler, MiniMovie, PhotoCollage, Mobile Manager, Puffin, Share Link, ZenCircle and ZenTalk are some of the apps that ASUS offers straight out of the box. While some of these apps are just useless, there are a few which I liked too and using it actually everyday.
The only thing I don’t like about ASUS smartphones is that these come with bloatware that somewhat affects the speed.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Performance
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max is powered by Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 which is surely on the lower side when we talk about the pricing. Other than that, ASUS Zenfone 3 Max comes with ARM v8 octa-core processor and Adreno 505 GPU which gives fluid performance.
With 3GB of fast memory built in, ZenFone 3 Max runs every app without slowdown. I have been enjoying games, videos without any lag. The unit I have with me is having 3 GB RAM out of which only 1.3 GB is available, but there was no lag while playing heavy games like Nova, Asphalt and many more. Though, the phone got heated up a little while playing the games and I hope that is nothing to worry about.
On the performance front, ASUS Zenfone 3 Max does fairly well. This might be because of the reason ASUS has optimized the software very well this time. I am in the habit multi-tasking, even when it comes to mobile phones and here too I was surprised as unlike few gadgets that I have used in the past, it didn’t show any signs of lagging and didn’t slow down. To clarify your doubts, AnTuTU benchmark apps clearly show that ASUS Zenfone 3 Max is capable of running multiple apps at the same time and supports mid-to-high multitasking.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) comes with 32 GB of storage that you can expand upto 128GB using a microSD card. Though, you won’t be able to use second SIM in that case as ASUS Zenfone 3 Max comes with a hybrid dual SIM tray. In our test, we found that out of 32GB internal memory, 22.26 GB was available and the remaining space was eaten by system OS and other bloatware that are many in ASUS Zenfone 3 Max.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Camera Performance
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max boasts good camera performance with 16 MP rear camera having f/2.0, laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash. High-resolution photos with zero shutter lag is what I have been liking about the camera of the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max.
The stand out feature of the device is the combination of three focusing technologies viz. laser, phase detection and continuous auto-focus into one harmonious system. Clear focus in just 0.03 seconds in varying conditions for various scenarios is what makes it different from the gadgets in peer group. Let the pictures talk about the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max camera performance.
8 MP, f/2.2 secondary camera is there for the selfie obsessed people like me. While taking the pictures, I noticed that smile detection was working perfectly and images are crystal clear. Check out some of the selfies below and the inbuilt beautification software making me look good too. I have literally gone crazy clicking pictures from the gadget and I am quite liking them.
There are different modes; super resolution, low light, QR code, effect, selfie, panorama, time-lapse that let users enjoy taking pictures as per their choice. However, there is one drawback that I felt. The gadget lacked on low light conditions. I mean the pictures I clicked were not that cool as I expected them to be.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Max has a three-axis electronic image stabilizer (EIS) to keep your handheld videos rock-steady. This is what is making me drool over and a good reason I am liking ASUS Zenfone 3 Max.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Battery and Connectivity
Battery performance is the USP of ASUS Zenfone 3 Max. The gadget comes with battery non-removable Li-Ion 4100 mAh battery.
I am using the gadget day and night and I have to say that the battery is quite good. Charging the mobile phone and other gadgets time and again is what I hate but with this device, I have actually heaved a sigh of relief.
With standby that lasts up to 38 days, the 4100 mAh battery that runs for around 1.5 days if used regularly and its stretch up to 2 days makes it worth going for.
Also, the gadget is capable of reverse charging through the provided OTG cable, but lacks on the fast charging front. Frankly, I have been using it as a powerbank too, so when my other gadgets run out of juice, ASUS Zenfone Max 3 ‘powerbank’ is right there.
The phone has the 3.5 mm audio jack, metallic volume rocker and power button. There is no USB-C type port yet but the phone can reverse charge your other devices.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Price
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) wears a price tag of Rs.17999 and is available in Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver, Rose Pink and Sand Gold colours.
ASUS Zenfone 3 Max: Whether you should Buy It or Not?
Excellent battery, minimalistic attractive design, sharp display; all makes ASUS Zenfone 3 Max stand apart while the disappointing part is its hefty price tag it wears, lack of stereo speakers and bloatware.
If you are always on the move and want a gadget with good battery backup; ASUS Zenfone 3 Max is for you. Even the camera quality is excellent. These two features besides others are enough for you to decide to make it your pick.
This is our take on the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max. If you are the one who is using the gadget and beg to differ with anything written here, you can let us know. On the other hand, if you agree with me and like the article, why not share it with your friends.
