Today, not only flagship smartphones have stunning designs and high performance. Competition in the mobile market is growing, and manufacturers are releasing budget smartphones with the features of more expensive models.

In early 2018, Taiwanese manufacturer Asus introduced its new smartphone called the ZenFone Max Pro M1. In this article, we will conduct a full review of the smartphone, as well as talk about the reasons to buy and not buy the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. Of course, at the end of the review there will be detailed tests of the camera, performance and battery.

Let's start with the unboxing and then talk about the pros of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 and why you should buy a smartphone.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Unboxing

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 comes in a blue-gray box. As usual, on the front side is the model name and a large 4G VoLTE logo, while on the back you can read some information about the smartphone.

Opening the box, you see an envelope with a user manual and a SIM needle. Below is the smartphone itself. In addition, the package includes: USB cable, power adapter, headphones and silicone case.

Now let's talk about the main features of Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1.

  1. Full HD+ Display

The first reason you should buy the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the display. It has a diagonal of 6 inches and a resolution of Full HD +, 2160x1080 pixels. As you can imagine, the aspect ratio is 18:9.

Although it is an IPS panel, the picture is very clear and contrasty. The brightness is high enough to use the smartphone in direct sunlight. In the settings menu, you can adjust the color temperature. Night mode is also available.

  1. Pure Android

If we have already started talking about the settings menu, then the next feature of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the software. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. There are no pre-installed applications, with the exception of Google services.

The settings menu, widgets and features work very quickly and smoothly. In my opinion, this is a big advantage of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1.

The smartphone was released in April 2018, but we received the last update on October 1st. This means that Zenfone Max Pro M1 receives regular software updates.

By the way, the smartphone comes with 100 GB of free space on Google Drive. Good bonus!

  1. Memory

We have a version of the smartphone with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. Alternatively, you can use a microSD card up to 2TB. As we said before, you get 100 GB of free storage on Google Drive. As you can see, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a lot of storage which is another reason to buy this smartphone.

  1. big battery

The battery is the next reason why you need to buy the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. Perhaps this is the main feature of this smartphone, since the battery capacity is 5000mAh.

The manufacturer promises 35 days of standby time, 12 hours of gaming and 20 hours of YouTube video playback.

  1. High quality photos

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has very good cameras. On the back, there is a 16MP primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front camera is equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor.

Photos in daylight conditions look great. The colors are great. In addition, images have good contrast and accurate white balance.




Of course, the camera is not perfect, because the smartphone has some problems with video recording, but we will talk about this later. Anyway, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 allows you to take good photos.

  1. Connection

The next feature of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is a slot for two SIM cards and microSD. Yes, you can use two SIMs and a microSD card at the same time. This is a rare feature since most smartphones have hybrid slots.

In addition, the smartphone has Bluetooth 5.0. This may be helpful to some people.

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a single speaker at the bottom, but it has very good sound quality. The speaker has a five magnet design and a powerful NXP amplifier. The manufacturer claims that the speaker is 41% louder, 14% better bass sound and 12% less distortion. In short, the sound quality is excellent for watching movies and even listening to music through the built-in speaker.

In addition, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a 3.5mm audio jack, so you can plug in headphones.

Those were the 7 reasons why you need to buy Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. As you can see, we didn't talk about design and performance, because they are not the advantages of this mobile device.

  1. Design

Yes, the smartphone has an 18:9 aspect ratio display, but the top and bottom bezels are still quite thick. Also, we can't say that the bezels around the edges are thin. In 2018, smartphones with notches or even sliders are very popular, and the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 looks outdated in comparison.

  1. No screen protection

We used to praise the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1's display because it's really high quality. However, we did not find information about screen protection. The official website or other sources say nothing about it. It seems that the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 does not have a screen protector, which is a very bad thing.

This suggests that the screen will scratch quickly, so you need to use a protective film or glass immediately after buying a smartphone.

  1. Performance

The next reason you should consider before buying the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the processor. The smartphone runs on a 14nm Snapdragon 636 processor with a maximum clock speed of 1.8GHz. The processor was released in October 2017, so it's about a year old now.

We can't say it's bad because the chipset offers decent performance. It scores about 113,000 points on AnTuTu. Also, we did not notice any problems with the user interface and games. Later we will conduct a detailed performance test of this smartphone.

However, when you buy a smartphone for $260, you expect to get a new processor. For example, the Nokia X7 or Honor 8X is priced the same as the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 but is powered by the new Snapdragon 710 processor.

In our opinion, the processor is another reason not to buy a smartphone from Asus.

  1. No image stabilization

We said that the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 offers good cameras and you can take really decent photos during the day. However, the camera does not have optical or even electronic image stabilization. Yes, you can shoot video in 4K, but it will be shaky. To get a smooth video, you need to use a special stabilizer.

  1. No fast charging

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a 5000 mAh battery and it provides a long battery life. On the other hand, the mobile device has a microUSB port and a 10W power adapter. This means that the smartphone does not support fast charging.

It takes 2 hours and 42 minutes to fully charge the battery, which is too long for 2018. Most smartphones this year take an hour and a half to two hours to charge, but here you will have to wait almost 3 hours! Very slow charging.

And the last reason why I do not recommend buying this smartphone is the price. The lowest price I found in Chinese stores is $260. I'm talking about the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version. This is a pretty high price for a smartphone with an outdated design and last year's processor.

For example, for the same money you can buy a Nokia X7 with a Snapdragon 710 processor and thinner bezels around the display. You can also take Xiaomi Mi A2 with Snapdragon 660 processor with excellent cameras, and it will be even cheaper than a smartphone from Asus.

So, we have found 6 reasons why you should not buy Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1. Of course, this is not a bad smartphone, and it has a lot of great features. However, its main problem is the high price. We are ready to recommend this smartphone if the cost is not higher than $200, but it is not worth more.

We've covered the pros and cons of the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1, and now we want to test performance, camera, and battery. Let's start with the features.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Specifications

The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor. The same processor is used in the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro mobile device. As we wrote above, we have a model with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. You can expand the internal storage with a microSD card up to 2TB.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Benchmarks



I know that you are interested in games, but first let's look at the benchmark tests. The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 scores around 116K on AnTuTu, which is very good. It also has 1344 points in the single-core test and 491 points in the GeekBench 4 multi-core test.



If we talk about 3DMark, then the Asus smartphone shows an overall score of 1450 in the Sling Shot test. Above you can see fps and temperature under high graphics loads.

Of course, we tested memory speed (270MB/s read speed, 210MB/s write speed), Wi-Fi speed (50MB/s) and GPS accuracy (4 meters).

As you can see, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 performs well in benchmark tests.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Games

It's time to play a little. Most of you know PUBG Mobile, so let's start with this game. First, I want to show you the maximum graphics settings available on the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. It's HD and I can't select ultra-high settings.

In general, it is very comfortable to play. There are no delays or backlogs; everything is fine. Also, I did not notice that the smartphone became hot, even after 15 minutes of playing.

The next game is called Armed Heist. Actually, this game is only officially available on iOS, but you can try it on Android. This is an unofficial version, so there may be some errors. On the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone, the game runs very well.

And the last game for today is Asphalt 9. It's quite a demanding game, but the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 had no problems with it. The control is precise, the accelerometer works well. Also I didn't see any delays. Everything is great.

After testing, we can say that the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 offers very good performance. Despite the slightly outdated processor, it looks pretty good. The smartphone shows decent results in benchmark tests, and you can play any Android game.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Camera test

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a dual rear camera setup with a 16MP main sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front camera received an 8MP sensor.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Camera app

When it comes to the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1's camera app, it's no different from any other pure Android smartphone. As usual, at the bottom is the shutter button and switching to video recording. At the top you can see the most used modes. If you click on Auto, you can choose from HDR, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, and more.

The photo settings menu contains the following options: flash, GPS location, image size and quality, face detection, etc. As for the video settings, there are video quality and duration, GPS location and other settings. By the way, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 shoots video in 4K DCI, 4K UHD, 1080p and lower resolutions.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Photo Samples




Now let's look at real photo examples. It's a pity, but the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 does not have the AI ​​scene recognition feature like the new Xiaomi smartphones. However, daytime images are very good. Colors look great and overall photos have good contrast and accurate white balance.



The smartphone has a dual rear camera, so portrait mode is available. Photo processing is a bit slow, but bokeh images look good.



If we talk about low light conditions, then, of course, the quality drops compared to the daytime, but it is still not bad for a budget smartphone. We recommend using night mode to take photos and videos at night.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Sample videos

As we said, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 shoots video in 4K DCI. This is a true 4K resolution with 4096x2160 pixels. However, the smartphone does not have 4K image stabilization, so it is better to record in 1080P. In Full HD movie recording mode, electronic image stabilization is available.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has really good cameras. Yes, the smartphone lacks an intelligent scene recognition function, and this is a big drawback, because most modern devices have such a function. On the other hand, the Asus smartphone is capable of taking good pictures during the day and shooting videos in 4K or 1080p with EIS.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Battery test

We have reviewed the main features of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone, but it remains for us to do a battery test. As we wrote earlier, Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a battery capacity of 5000mAh, and the manufacturer promises up to 20 hours of Youtube video playback. Well, let's check.

Conclusion

In this article, we unboxed and fully reviewed the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone. The mobile device has more advantages than disadvantages. The smartphone received an almost high-quality bright display, a large battery and good performance.

But, nevertheless, there are several drawbacks, namely: an outdated design, a long battery charge and an overpriced price. You should weigh the pros and cons well before buying the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1.

High-quality assembly, value for money, ease of use - these are the main advantages of Asus Zenfon Max Pro M1 (13K rubles). The smartphone is presented in two configurations of 3/32 and 4/64 GB, respectively, of RAM and built-in, in total with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor for 8 cores, this hardware is enough for a large number of voracious games and applications. The device boasts a highly detailed matrix and good photos. In general, we will recommend Asus Zenfon Max Pro M1 for a more detailed and close acquaintance, because for the declared price this is one of the most interesting models on the market, moreover, also from a well-known brand

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1: specifications and price

OSandroid;
Screen6 inches;
Permission2160×1080; 18:9;
Camera13/5 MP;
Frontal8 MP
CPUSnapdragon 636 8 cores;
Built-in memory32/64 GB;
RAM3/4 GB;
battery5000 mAh;
PriceAbout 13000 -14500 rubles

ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 Reviews

- Thin bezels around the screen. The 6-inch display is housed in a 5.5 case;

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- High resolution matrix. This also includes decent color reproduction, as well as large viewing angles. There is a margin for brightness;

- The smartphone is suitable for most modern games;

- Large battery capacity. In practice, the charge lasts for two days;

- Slim body and light weight, thanks to this, the smartphone will be comfortable in your hands;

- Photos in good lighting are pretty good;

- The presence of a 3.5 jack connector located at the bottom of the case;

- The sound of Asus Zenfon Max Pro M1 is pleasant, but there is only one speaker. Sounds better with headphones

- Simultaneous support for two SIM cards and a memory card, which can be classified as a definite plus;

- NFC support;

- The presence of a pure android, without a buggy shell;

- No active protection against moisture and dust;

- The quality of hay collection and the same assembly materials;

- A large number of positive reviews about the model;

Conclusion

Based on the material described above, we conclude that Asus Zenfon Max Pro M1 has an excellent value for money, as well as high functionality. Weighing all the positive and negative points, we can say with confidence that the smartphone definitely has more positive points and it will be popular in the price category up to 15K rubles.

Until recently, the niche of smartphones with large batteries was occupied exclusively by inexpensive Chinese brands such as THL or Oukitel. But as you know, demand creates supply, and Asus decided to release its long-liver, which was given the name Zenfone Max.

And they did it so quietly - without unnecessary pathos and intrusive advertising, that the release of the model was simply not noticed by many. And completely in vain, because in fact it turned out to be one of the best representatives of smartphones, the main feature of which is the duration of work from a single charge. The model cannot be called high-performance, fans of playing at this moment can close the review and not waste time. In a smartphone exclusively everything is sharpened for the maximum operating time from a single charge: economical processor, low resolution screen and 5000 mAh battery.


But the smartphone is interesting not only for this, as Asus usually relied on design and materials - a recognizable design in the style of Zenfone, a practical back cover, heavy-duty glass Gorilla Glass 4. The smartphone also boasts a good 13 megapixel camera with a sensor from Toshiba and optics from Largan with laser autofocus, and the front camera is not quite simple - a wide-angle lens (Wide-angle 85 ˚) will allow you to take a panoramic selfie, covering an angle of up to 140 degrees.
The disadvantages include overpayment for the brand - the price is higher than that of similar smartphones of lesser-known competitors. But holding a smartphone in my hands, I understand why. Asus is just a pleasure to use - the manufacturer's attention to detail, polished design, the quality of the materials from which the smart is made, its own software, etc. I have been using my smartphone for quite a long time and, of course, small flaws and features were revealed that are not noticeable during a cursory examination, and I will definitely tell you about them. In the meantime, I suggest you take a look at detailed specifications:

CPU: Quad-core Snapdragon 410 @ 1.2GHz
GPU: Adreno 306
Memory: RAM - 2Gb LPDDR3, ROM - 16GB eMMC Flash (there is an expansion slot up to 64Gb)
Screen: 5.5inches, HD 1280x720,IPS. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The screen has an oleophobic coating. Supports work with gloves.
Battery: Li-Polymer 5000 mAh
Camera: Main - 13 Mp (F2.0 Aperture, laser focusing, dual LED flash with LEDs of different shades), Front - 5Mp (F2.0 Aperture, Wide-angle lens 85 ˚, the ability to shoot panoramic selfies up to 140 ˚)
Sensors: Accelerator, E-Compass, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor, Hall Sensor
Net: 2G: GSM - 850MHz/900MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz, 3G: WCDMA - 850MHz(5)/900MHz(8)/1900MHz(2) /2100MHz(1), 4G: FDD-LTE - (CN/IN version Only)
2100MHz(1)/1800MHz(3)2600MHz(38)/1900MHz(39)/2300MHz(40)/2500MHz(41)
Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, AGPS & BDS
Connection interfaces: WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0+EDR +A2DP, Micro USB (OTG support)
Dimensions: 77.5mm x 156mm x 10.55mm
The weight: 202g

The smartphone comes in a branded box with a minimum configuration, only a usb cable and a 1A charger. No films, glasses or headphones.
Separately, you can find various accessories on sale, already now there are free sales: tempered glasses of different quality, a smart case in the form of a book, silicone and plastic bumpers, interchangeable back covers of different colors. There are also some basic spare parts on sale, such as a display or touch screen. Batteries will also appear over time, as they can be easily found on other Zenfone models on Ali and other sites.




At the first meeting, I was immediately impressed by the large screen, the image on it looks very colorful and rich. With a diagonal of 5.5 inches and HD resolution, I expected rather large pixels, but nothing like this is observed - the picture looks excellent, only slightly inferior to Full HD in detail, and even then only in direct comparison. The hues of the image are shifted to warm tones, there are settings in the settings for finer adjustment. Viewing angles are high, as is the maximum brightness. Thanks to ASUS TrueVivid Full Screen Lamination technology, the contents of the screen are clearly readable even under bright sunlight. The screen is protected by durable glass CORNING® GORILLA® GLASS 4, you can verify this by going to the official website. By clicking on the menu item See Devices with Gorilla Glass 4 and selecting the range of Asus smartphones, we will see Zenfone Max in the list. This glass is the latest version of Corning's protective display coating. It is twice as strong as the previous version in a drop test, has 2.5 times more residual strength and is 85% more durable in daily use. But no Gorilla will save you from scratches during active use, so I would recommend purchasing and using an additional protective glass. Another nice point is the high-quality oleophobic coating: prints are reluctant to linger on the screen surface and are very easy to erase. The tactile sensations from the screen control are the most positive, the finger slides easily over the surface. The touch screen reacts to the slightest touch and supports operation with gloves, which will be relevant in the cold season. It recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches.
The touch keys under the screen without backlight are located in a slightly unusual sequence, but this does not cause inconvenience - I got used to it almost immediately. There is a three-color event indicator near the front camera, but it is not possible to customize it to your preferences using standard methods. The system has hard-coded that a missed event is green, a dead battery is red, and charging is orange.

The design of the smartphone is both simple and recognizable. Asus adheres to the same style - streamlined shapes, rounded edges, a metal insert under the buttons with a typical Zenfone texture, a large audio speaker grille and other recognizable elements.
Nevertheless, there are innovations in the model that are unusual for the company. The back cover is made of plastic with leather texture. This is a practical solution, because thanks to such a surface, the device lies confidently in the hand and does not slip, and it looks aesthetically pleasing. In addition, it is very easy to keep such a surface clean.

The smartphone is well assembled, it feels holistic. The back cover sits very tightly on the latches, does not play or creak when squeezed. The frame of the smartphone is plastic and painted in golden beige, which only emphasizes the overall design. The volume and lock keys have a branded notch in the form of circles and are placed on the right side. The headphone jack is located on the top edge, the micro usb connector is on the bottom.



Despite the rather rather large dimensions, it lies well in the hand and is very convenient to use. I prefer smartphones with a screen diagonal of up to 5 inches, but I liked the Zenfone Max - it does not feel like a shovel and it is quite comfortable to use it. The only drawback is the weight, which is 202 grams and it will be inconvenient to wear this in shorts in summer. But here everyone chooses for himself: either thin and light but with a charge for a maximum of a day or more overall, but with a good battery.

I decided to hide additional photos that convey the subtleties of the design under the spoiler so as not to overload the review.

Additional Information







The back cover sits tightly on 17 latches and is rather difficult to remove: by picking it up with a fingernail in a special recess, you need to walk along the perimeter of the entire case. Remove the cover by snapping only a couple of latches will not work. On the cover you can see the battery, which, if necessary, can be replaced by disassembling the smartphone a little. At the top are two full size micro sim card slots. There is a separate memory expansion slot, the declared supported volume is up to 64Gb. The lens of the main camera is located in the upper part in the center, it protrudes a fraction of a millimeter above the body, but the glass itself is slightly recessed in a decorative ring, so it does not suffer when it comes into contact with the surface. On the left is a dual LED flash. LEDs of different shades provide a more natural spectrum of lighting when shooting at night. The power is sufficient for shooting in the dark at short distances. To the right of the lens is a "laser light" for accurate and fast focusing.



Let's move on to the most interesting - the battery. The first thing that I didn’t like about the smartphone was the long charging time. With a battery capacity of 5000 mAh, it is about 6 hours, which makes it impossible to "recharge on the go." And the point here is not at all in the complete charging, which is limited to a current of 1A - when you connect any other charger with a large current, the picture does not change, the smartphone is not capable of receiving current more than 0.96A. Therefore, it is best to put it on recharging at night.
The battery capacity was checked with a tester and it is fully consistent with the declared. I did not expect anything else from Asus, not the level to deceive with the characteristics. The battery is really impressive - the smartphone easily withstands 3 days of high load, and with more economical use, it gives 5 - 7 days of work from a single charge. Of course, the operating time significantly depends on how you use your smartphone, but during daylight hours it is almost impossible to discharge it, no matter how hard you try. Let me give you a few examples: in the playback mode of an HD video on Youtube at maximum screen brightness, it was able to last 15 hours and 17 minutes! In addition, at night my Internet crashed and YouTube stopped playback and I resumed it only in the morning. And this is with a load on WiFi, and if you play video from the smartphone's memory, the continuous playback time is more than 20 hours at maximum brightness. When the brightness is reduced from maximum to a comfortable level, the time is greatly increased.


When reading web pages, the operating time is up to 32.5 hours of continuous work, and the talk time (on a 3g network) is up to 37.6 hours. These figures have not been verified by me personally, but taken from the official website, but I am convinced that the real figures will not differ too much. In reality, it looks like this: I use a smartphone all day when the total screen time per day is more than 4 hours, and the battery indicator shows another 70% charge. Good survivability :) This is also shown by synthetic tests, for example, Antutu tester scored 25398 points with the maximum screen brightness. For comparison, the Oukitel K6000, which has an even larger battery capacity, could only reach 13850. A more economical processor? Hardly. Better firmware optimization? Most likely. The fact is that the Zenfone Max lasts much longer than the K6000.


The battery test in Geekbench 3 turned out to be no less significant. 6572 points and a total test time of 16 hours and 25 minutes. According to this indicator, the smartphone got into the top 3, only slightly yielding to Lenovo A5000 (has a smaller diagonal - 5 inches) and Leagoo Shark 1 (battery capacity 6300 mAh). But at the same time, the smartphone scored more points.


And the smartphone itself can charge other devices, that is, it actually acts as a power bank!
Well, for the full picture, a screenshot of my use case. On the evening of April 18, I took it off the charger, used it quite actively, mostly calls and a lot of Web pages. I also listened to music on it and used the camera. He sat down with me only on April 24 in the morning, as a result, having worked for more than 5 days.


What is the secret of such high autonomy? It's very simple, the smartphone uses an energy-efficient Snapgragon 410 processor in conjunction with an HD display resolution. This allows you to save battery power as much as possible. But here, of course, a double-edged sword, in this model you should not count on high performance, especially in terms of gaming. A smartphone, of course, will allow you to play casual games, helping to pass the time in a minibus - but no more. Of course, you can play more modern and powerful games, but you can’t count on high quality textures. The same tanks in battles sometimes slow down a little, so It's definitely not worth taking for games..
But any other applications work well. Separately, I note the work of the ZenUi shell, which, despite its apparent trickiness with various effects, works very smoothly. Interfaces switch without delay, desktop browsing is smooth, opening the phone book without noticeable delays. The amount of RAM allows you to quickly switch between open applications, the video plays smoothly, both online and offline. In pages that are especially overloaded with flash, it can be seen that the processor is a bit heavy, because they “toss and turn” not as smoothly as we would like. In synthetic tests, the result is comparable to the budget processor MT6735, the result is on the same level. 25314 points in antutu. Comparing the performance with the 6735, you can see that the Snapdragon 410 wins significantly in computing power, but completely drains the graphics. In Geekbench 3: 1485 in Multi-core mode and 485 in single-core mode.

Synthetic tests







Zenfone Max is running the Android 5.0.2 operating system, but with its own ZenUi shell. In terms of aesthetics and variability of settings to suit your needs, it is significantly superior to the stock shell. Although at first glance it may seem somewhat complicated and confusing.


And partly it is - a large number of pre-installed applications for cleaning and optimizing the system duplicate each other, Asus installed too much of its software that not everyone needs: startup manager, antivirus, memory cleaners, battery saver, password manager and other programs that are needed far from everyone. Personally, I unloaded the system by deleting and disabling those applications that I considered unnecessary for myself. But there are undoubtedly interesting applications that will be useful to absolutely everyone. For example, the master of adjustment of sounding. By the way excellent sound smartphone with headphones. Even with inexpensive KZ EDR1 and Xiaomi Pistons 2 headphones, the device was pleasantly surprised by the powerful and high-quality sound. Fans of biting bass will be pleasantly surprised, and in general, the sound is head and shoulders above the bulk of modern smartphones. So the sound setup wizard allows you to maximize the sound for a specific task by turning on the music mode - the sound becomes deeper and more powerful. There are frequency boosts and an equalizer that has both preset modes and a completely manual setting.

I also really liked: a program for energy saving, a file manager, a program for creating videos and slideshows, as well as a weather widget.

In addition to thoughtful interfaces and an advanced shell, the smartphone performs its most basic functions well. It often happens that a smartphone that is not bad in terms of characteristics spoils a bawdy conversational speaker, which at once crosses out all the advantages. And often even fine-tuning in the engineering menu does not bring the desired result. Asus did not fall into the dirt, equipping the smartphone with a high-quality and loud speaker. Even a little overdone. By setting the volume to the maximum, the smartphone can not be applied to your ear, but you can talk like through a speakerphone. True, at maximum volume, the speaker rattles slightly, but if you lower the volume by at least one division, the sound becomes clear. The microphone is sensitive and "at the other end of the wire" you can hear very well. There is a second microphone for noise reduction, its work is not satisfactory. Further, the Internet - Chinese version is limited to some frequencies in 4G networks, so if this is an important point for you, carefully study the frequencies on which the operators operate. But 3G uses the widest possible range of frequencies, which are relevant both in Russia and Ukraine. Wifi works fine, the apartment has a confident reception and download speed: 20-30 megabits through 2 walls and up to 50 megabits in a room with a router. GPS navigation did not disappoint either, until recently it was Qualcomm's trademark, but now MTK has caught up with them. Just to note the proper navigation work, the cold start took 1 minute and 8 seconds, which can be seen in the screenshot below. A minute later, 15 satellites were found, of which 11 had an active connection. The positioning accuracy is 4m, the connection keeps stable on the road. A magnetic compass helps a lot in navigation, especially when on foot.


Another positive feature of the model in my opinion is a good camera. In most of the "centenarians" that I held in my hands, the camera was a frankly weak point. If most Chinese smartphones had no problems with subject shooting and macro photography, then only a few cope with landscapes. The Zenfone Max produces pretty good shots in almost any conditions (with the exception of low light, where noticeable noise appears. "The proprietary camera application has a huge number of settings and modes, but even if you are too lazy to figure it all out, then you can count on good photos in In addition, the camera boasts an instant laser focusing system that works in just 0.03 seconds, which helps to get clear pictures even in adverse conditions.


A few examples of pictures taken by the device in the "auto" mode, i.e. pointed and shot. Originals .















I was also amazed by the panoramic shots - no matter how you move the camera, no matter how much your hands shake - the stitching always happens perfectly. Even if the objects are moving and the trees are swaying - the photo comes out clear, without blur! (The panorama has been reduced in size, because it did not want to be uploaded to the site, but if you click on it, you can see it in a larger version). The original panorama is also in the link with the archive, which I gave a little higher.

Even the selfie camera takes decent pictures, and is not installed “for show”.


The camera is certainly not perfect, but it is quite capable of coming to your rescue during the absence of a digital camera. Pictures from Zenfone Max can be sent to print and the result will not upset you.
The video is pretty good too. The camera can shoot in Full HD resolution, but without stabilization. Or in HD resolution with stabilization. Personally, I like the first option more, because the detailing varies significantly. A small video to assess the quality of the video (for the first couple of seconds I covered the microphone with my finger, so the sound is mumbling. Then I realized my mistake and removed my finger):

After using the device, I had the most positive impressions. In short, a smartphone is suitable primarily for those who need a device: reliability, quality, long battery life and a good camera. My hit parade of advantages and disadvantages:

Flaws:
- Long-term charging
- Budget processor, weak graphics accelerator.

Advantages:
- Honest 5000 mAh battery with the ability to recharge other devices.
- Long battery life on a single charge.
- Excellent screen.
- High-quality assembly and materials, protective glass corning gorilla glass 4
- Proprietary ZenUi shell and software (PixelMaster, camera, sound enhancement, etc.)
- Good camera with laser auto focus
- Good headphone sound

Video version of the review:

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

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Review of frameless smartphone ZenFone Max Plus M1 from Asus. The appearance of the device, screen, camera characteristics, performance, autonomy, price, pros and cons, video review.


Recently, smartphones with 18:9 displays are gaining more and more popularity. They are produced in different price categories by eminent manufacturers and little-known companies. The reason for this demand is that elongation allows you to fit a screen with a larger diagonal into a compact case - because of this, gadgets look compact and attractive. In this article we will talk about the inexpensive and pretty model Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1. This is an interesting device with a good filling, decent design and a number of features.

ZenFone Max Plus M1 Design Features and Package Contents


The case has a pleasant to the touch and aesthetically attractive metal coating. Unfortunately, it clogs quite strongly and during the time we got to know the device, we had to wipe it every now and then. The entire back side of the device is as concise as possible. On it:
  • Two eyes of chamber modules.
  • Flash.
  • Fingerprint scanner.
The fingerprint scanner pleased us with its unmistakable reaction, it instantly responds to touch and unlocks the device in 0.3 seconds. In addition to all of the above, there are two plastic inserts on the back, behind which the antennas are hidden. And at the very bottom is the manufacturer's logo.

All edges and corners are rounded, there are no sharp cuts. At first glance, the device seemed a little boring to us, without a twist, if you do not take into account the non-standard display. It is similar, both to previous models from this manufacturer, and to a number of gadgets from competing companies. The entire area of ​​the front panel is covered with 2.5D glass, it has a fairly high-quality oleophobic coating, fingerprints are not particularly noticeable, and scratches did not appear in a couple of days of active testing.

From the point of view of convenience, we liked using the Asus Zenfon Max Plus M1 smartphone - it is securely located in the palm of your hand and does not slip, despite the absence of sharp corners and edges.

On the front panel of the device are:

  • Sufficiently loud, good quality speaker.
  • Light and proximity sensors.
  • Selfie camera lens.
  • Battery charge indicator.
There are no inscriptions under the screen, which in principle is very good, since the names of models and logos of manufacturers on the front of the frame, recently among mobile device designers, are considered a sign of bad taste.

On the bottom of the smartphone Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 are:

  • Speaker and microphone grilles.
  • micro USB input.
At the top is a standard 3.5 mm audio output, which includes a headset and another microphone.

The right side is equipped with metal, reliable, finger-friendly, easy-to-press volume buttons and a power key. On the left side there is a tray that opens with a paper clip that comes with the kit. Nano SIM cards are installed in it, and separately, in the third cell, you can put a microSD memory card. A very good solution, since the user does not have to sacrifice a second SIM card or flash drive, as is the case with a combo slot.

All the colors that the manufacturer offers are quite nice and pleasing to the eye. On sale, at the moment there are Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 in the following colors:

  1. Sunny gold.
  2. Black wave.
  3. Azure silver.
All shades shimmer beautifully in different lighting. Black looks classically strict, it is practical and familiar, sunny gold and azure silver look gentle, with a share of originality, and incredibly attractive.

The device looks neat and stylish, and as for the dimensions, they are:

  • Length - 152.6 mm.
  • Width - 73 mm.
  • Thickness - 8.8 mm.
The mass of the device is also small, namely - 160 grams.

The device comes to the buyer in a nice, neat white-blue box with a large image of the device on both sides, the model name, some brief information about the device and the manufacturer's logo on the top. The package contains:

  1. Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 smartphone itself.
  2. OTG cable.
  3. Charger.
  4. Micro USB cable.
  5. A paperclip used to remove the SIM and memory card tray.
  6. Required user documentation, including warranty card and quick start guide.
By purchasing Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 at the moment on the official website of the company, the user receives a branded ZenEar S headset as a gift, and can also choose between a free ASUS ZenPower power bank or a MoMax monopod. Also, in the extended configuration, you can sometimes find another special cover.

The device is assembled well, and looking at it, you understand that you have a high-quality, reliable device that will surely serve faithfully for a long time without any problems.

Display Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1


Smartphone Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 can rightfully be called frameless. The screen diagonal is 5.7 inches (on the official website, but actually there is 5.65), but, according to the manufacturer, due to the lack of frames and the right aspect ratio, it fits perfectly into a compact body and the whole gadget looks no more than similar, from other equally well-known companies, with a diagonal of 5.2 inches.

As for the other characteristics of the Zenfon Max Plus M1 display, they are as follows:

  • Screen resolution - 2160x1080 pixels (FullHD +).
  • Size - 64x128 mm.
  • The pixel density is 427 ppi.
  • The presence of protective glass 2.5D.
  • Matrix - IPS without an air gap.
  • Blue light filtering.
  • Adaptive brightness control.
  • Multitouch.
Fullview-screen in this model takes up to 80% of the entire front panel and this is another of its features. The edges of the protective glass are rounded and go a little to the side edges, which adds to the attractiveness of the device. The colors on the display are realistic, saturated, the contrast is good, the viewing angles are maximum and sufficient for comfortable work.

I was pleased with the anti-reflective coating, which does an excellent job of its functions and allows you to read text files normally even on a bright, sunny afternoon outside. In general, the screen of the Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 smartphone is perfectly tuned, we liked the lack of distortion, gamma, color temperature, and brightness margin.

Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 performance specs


The Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 is powered by a MediaTek MT6750T processor with eight cores. Of course, you can’t call it energy efficient enough, but it doesn’t heat up too much, even at maximum load. This is currently a fairly popular middling in terms of performance and speed, which has recently been quite common in mid-range smartphones. In the AnTuTu benchmark, the chip scores a little more than 40,000 points. The graphics core is ARM Mali-T860.

With memory, everything is also quite mediocre, but there is enough reserve for everyday tasks. More precisely:

  1. ROM-32GB eMCP.
  2. RAM- 3 GB, LPDDR3.
Other memory configurations are available. At the moment, it is known for sure that you can purchase a 4/64 GB model. The internal memory can be expanded with a microSD card up to 256 gigabytes.

Zenfon Max Plus M1 runs on the Android 7 operating system with the proprietary ZenUI 4.0 shell. We liked this version of the user interface for its lightness, accessibility and good functionality. But whether there will be an update to Android 8 in the near future and whether it will be at all, unfortunately, is still unknown. The proprietary shell has a number of features and its own "chips", such as the ZenUI defender, ZenMotion, SelfieMaster, Game Genie, AudioWizard.

There is a fairly popular face recognition function today. It works, to tell the truth, not without errors, but let's hope that soon the company's developers will pay attention to this problem. In general, the device certainly does not “fly” - it did not impress us with its speed. You can feel the budget.

Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 - review of cameras and sound


This smartphone has two rear cameras. They literally protrude one millimeter above the body. The main 16-megapixel module has good light sensitivity, the pictures are bright and with increased clarity, even if there is not too good lighting around. Aperture - f / 2.0, equivalent focal length - 35 mm. Another feature is the fast focusing system. Phase detection autofocus works in no more than 0.03 s. This is especially useful for photographing subjects that are moving.

Implemented in the Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 smartphone, PixelMaster technology provides the user with the ability to shoot in eight different modes:

  • auto;
  • portrait improvement;
  • super resolution up to 64 MP;
  • panorama;
  • Slow motion;
  • panorama;
  • GIF animation.
For example, when choosing super resolution, 4 photos are taken, combined into one picture, so we get an image with a clarity that is equivalent to 64 megapixels. Also, during testing, we liked how the device performed in the backlight. The HDR mode automatically adjusts the settings to provide even illumination and up to 400% more brightness. Video is recorded in FullHD 1080p at 30 frames per second. The viewing angle is 120 degrees. You can also take static photos during video recording.

As for the additional second module of the main camera, it is 8-megapixel with an equivalent focal length of 16.7 mm. Wide-angle lens - 120 degree field of view. Therefore, the device makes excellent panoramic and group shots, because more objects and space fit into the frame. According to the manufacturer, the coverage of the Asus ZenFone Max Plus M1 cameras is twice that of ordinary smartphones. Also, the aspect ratio in the frame - 18:9 - contributes to the enhancement of the sense of space.

The front camera also performed quite well. Selfies come out detailed and realistic. As for the main characteristics, this module has the following:

  • Resolution - 8 MP.
  • Aperture - f / 2.0.
  • Viewing angle - 85 degrees.
  • Focal length - 24.7 mm.
There is a real-time mode to improve the portrait. It allows you to make selfies more beautiful and aesthetic. This mode provides the functions of toning, softening, smoothing, brightening the skin, adjusting the outlines of the face and eyes. In addition to this portrait mode, the following are available:
  • auto mode with HDR function;
  • panoramic selfies;
  • GIF animation.
You can take a photo with a blurred background, but we didn’t really like its quality. The areas where it should be blurred are not always clearly marked, but what can I say, even if this option does not work clearly for all iPhones.

A loud speaker and a built-in amplifier with controlled power consumption are responsible for the sound. The device has two microphones, they have good noise reduction. Also, the device has an FM radio, a trifle, but nice. The sound in the included headphones is unremarkable, it's not bad, but you can't call it an audio connoisseur's dream either.

Autonomy, sensors, wireless interfaces ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1


An interesting feature of ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 is a well-thought-out set of intelligent technologies implemented in power management. It is called PowerMaster and is responsible for a significant increase in the overall battery life, as well as overload protection. The complex includes protection against:
  1. Temperature excesses.
  2. short circuits.
  3. Voltage overloads at the input and output.
  4. Reset.
  5. High and low voltage supply.
  6. Overcurrent.
There is also a general protection of the battery and charger, charging identification. All protective functions comply with JEITA standards.

A capacious 4130 mAh battery is responsible for the autonomy of the gadget. While charging the device using the original charger, the fast charging function automatically turns on. This is not Quick Charge, but Fast Charge - but not bad either. In this case, Zenfon Max Plus M1 will charge from zero to 100% in just three and a quarter hours. Fifteen minutes of connection to the outlet is enough to then talk for about three hours. As for the main indicators declared by the manufacturer, then:

  1. In standby mode (4G), the device will last up to 26 days.
  2. Talk time - 26 hours in 3G networks.
  3. Video can play - 13 hours.
  4. Web surfing on a Wi-Fi network - up to 21 hours.
In practice, the numbers are, of course, much smaller. Typical operating time under average load is about 12 noon. This is a lot - the device will last all day, but the real indicators are far from those indicated by the manufacturer. When watching a video, the battery will last for 7 hours, and you can play on a single charge for about 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Interestingly, when testing the battery, we found that it honestly delivers the declared power. Such a short battery life is most likely due to a software bug or some other reasons.


In addition, it is worth paying attention to the super power saving mode. If the battery shows only 10%, after turning it on, the device will stay in standby mode for up to 67 hours. At least that's what the manufacturer claims.

Wireless technologies and networks in ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 are presented:

  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz + Wi-Fi direct.
  • Bluetooth 4.0.
  • FDD-LTE, TD-LTE, WCDMA, GSM.
Unfortunately, there is no NFC chip available. But, given that the manufacturer itself positions the model as a state employee, one cannot count on the latest, popular, advanced technologies.

GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS is responsible for navigation in the smartphone.

Of the sensors in the ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1, there are:

  • electronic compass;
  • gyroscope;
  • proximity sensor
  • light sensor;
  • acceleration sensor.

Pros and cons of Asus Zenfon Max Plus M1, price


The main positive aspects of this gadget are:
  1. Excellent, well calibrated screen.
  2. High-quality protective glass with a good oleophobic coating and anti-reflective properties.
  3. Not bad, as for a state employee, cameras and many shooting modes.
  4. Normal "iron", well coping with its tasks.
  5. Affordable price
During our acquaintance with the device, we did not like:
  1. A bit boring design.
  2. Lack of NFC.
  3. Easy-to-weld back metal cover.
  4. Relatively poor battery life with such a battery capacity.
  5. When the wide-angle lens is activated, the photo quality deteriorates significantly.
The price of ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 in Russia is 16,990 rubles.

ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 Full Specifications

Dimensions152.6x73x8.8 mm
The weight160 g
Housing materialmetal, glass, plastic
Number and type of SIM cards2 Nano
Screen typeIPS
Diagonal5.7 inches (off site, actually 5.65), 18:9, 424 ppi
Permission2160 x 1080 (FullHD+)
Operating system ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1Android N with ASUS ZenUI 4.0 user interface
CPUocta-core MediaTek MT6750T
GPUARM Mali-T860
RAM3 GB LPDDR3
User memory32 GB expandable up to 256 GB (dedicated microSD slot)
Main camera ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1dual, 16 MP, additional camera has a wide viewing angle (120 °)
Front-camera
8 MP, aperture 2.0, 140° selfie panorama
FM receiver and FM radio
There is
WiFi
802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) + Wi-Fi direct
Bluetooth
4.0
Navigation
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS
Sensors
fingerprint scanner (on the rear panel, unlock in 0.3 s, recognition of 5 fingerprints), acceleration, light and proximity sensors, electronic compass, gyroscope
NetFDD-LTE, TD-LTE, WCDMA, GSM
Battery ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M14130 mAh and fast charging:
  • up to 26 days standby time in LTE networks
  • up to 26 hours of talk time in 3G networks
  • up to 13 hours video playback
  • up to 21 hours when browsing websites over Wi-Fi
From 0% to 100% ZenFone Max Plus (M1) ZB570TL charges in 3 hours, and 15 minutes on the wire gives energy for 3 hours of communication.
Smartphone price (06.02.2018)$299 (16990 rubles in Russia, 7290 UAH in Ukraine)

Drawing conclusions, having got to know the device better, I would like to say that both the appearance and the characteristics of the ZenFone Max Plus M1 are pretty good, especially for a gadget in this price category. Therefore, for those who want to buy a new, so popular today, slightly elongated phone with an aspect ratio of 18:9, with a high-quality screen, modern filling, good cameras and not overpay, this model will be an excellent choice.

Video review of ASUS ZenFone Max Plus M1 is presented below:

By the end of 2017, even in low-cost smartphones, such features as an elongated screen with a minimal frame around and two rear cameras began to appear more and more often. These models are aimed at those buyers who are not ready to overpay for flagships, but at the same time want to get a smartphone with newfangled features. An example of such a device is Asus Zenfone Max Plus (M1). Zenfone Max Plus is not explicitly included in any of the Asus Zenfone smartphone lines of its time (it came out later than the Zenfone 4 generation and ahead of the Zenfone 5). Typically, models with the “Max” index from Asus are characterized by the presence of a capacious battery.

In Russia, the Asus Zenfone Max Plus smartphone at the end of November, and at the presentation it was noted that our country was the first to demonstrate it. And already in mid-December, the model appeared on the shelves at a price of 17 thousand rubles (for the version with a memory capacity of 4/64 GB). To date, the price of this modification has decreased and amounts to 16 thousand rubles. There is also a cheaper version with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash memory, which we had for testing. It can be bought for 14 thousand.

The main trump cards of the device are a relatively large display with a minimum frame and an aspect ratio of 18:9 (instead of the standard 16:9) and a resolution of 2160 × 1080, rather compact body dimensions, a capacious battery (4130 mAh), and the presence of two rear cameras, one of which is wide-angle.

About how successful and balanced the smartphone turned out to be, you will learn from our review.

Main characteristics

For clarity, let's compare the characteristics of the novelty with one of the competitors - presented almost simultaneously and also entered the Russian market in mid-December, with a very close price (17 thousand for the 4/64 GB version) and largely similar parameters.

Asus Zenfone Max Plus Huawei Honor 7X
SoC (processor) MediaTek MT6750T, 8 cores Cortex-A53 ( [email protected].5 GHz+ [email protected].0 GHz) HiSilicon Kirin 659, 8 cores Cortex-A53 ( [email protected].4 GHz+ [email protected].7 GHz)
GPU Mali-T860 (MP2) Mali-T830 (MP2)
RAM 3/4 GB 4 GB
Flash memory 32/64 GB 32/64/128 GB
Memory card support microSD up to 128 GB microSD up to 128 GB
Screen 5.65″, IPS, 2160×1080, 480ppi 5.93″, IPS, 2160×1080, 407 ppi
Connectors Micro-USB, 3.5mm headset jack
SIM cards 2 2
cameras 2 rear (16 MP, Full HD video 30 fps + 8 MP) and front (8 MP) 2 rear (16 MP, Full HD video 30 fps + 2 MP) and front (8 MP)
User identification means Fingerprint's scanner Fingerprint's scanner
Hull protection No No
Battery capacity (mAh) 4130 3340
Operating system Android 7.0 + proprietary shell
Dimensions (mm) 153×73×8.8 157×75×7.6
Weight (g) 160 165
Average price (for version 4/64 GB)
Asus Zenfone Max Plus (4/64 GB) Retail Deals

As you can see, the models have similar features: the hardware platform is represented by an inexpensive eight-core SoC, the software component is based on Android 7.0 with the smartphone manufacturer's proprietary shell. Screens with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 2160 × 1080 are slightly different diagonally (the Honor smartphone is generally slightly larger), while the small bezel allows you to maintain acceptable body dimensions.

Let's pay attention to the presence in both cases of a fingerprint scanner and support for two SIM cards (these are pluses), but Micro-USB connectors are used, and not the more convenient and modern USB Type-C (this is a minus). In addition, the Asus smartphone has a larger battery capacity and resolution of the second rear camera, and everything else is slightly better in the Huawei model (more powerful SoC, more RAM and internal memory at a comparable price, all-metal body, etc.).

The screen glass has a slight rounding on the edges, which is commonly called 2.5D. And although you will no longer surprise users with this, even in the budget segment, this technique still seems to be successful. As for the aspect ratio (18:9), it is convenient for working with any lists (letters, notes, purchases, etc.). Zenfone Max Plus is historically the first Asus smartphone on the Russian market with this aspect ratio.

At the same time, the overall dimensions of the device are average. It does not seem very large, it fits comfortably in the hand. Calling it a “shovel” does not turn the tongue, especially given the greater elongation of the case than that of smartphones with a 16:9 screen.

The case is made partly from metal (the main part of the back surface, all buttons), partly from plastic (bottom and top parts). Due to the close color of these parts, the case looks solid, and only upon closer examination it is clear that the materials are still different.

The matte surface is quite practical and is not prone to minor scratches, scuffs and other damage (of course, if you do not try to damage the smartphone on purpose). But as a minus, it is worth noting the high soiling: fingerprints are collected on the case quickly, they are rubbed off poorly and are striking.

On the right side face are two oblong buttons. The one that is longer is the volume control. The one that is shorter and located below is responsible for turning on / off the smartphone.

On the bottom edge is a Micro-USB connector surrounded by holes, behind one row of which a speaker is hidden.

Above - only a 3.5 mm jack for a headset and an additional microphone hole.

On the left side there is a slot for installing SIM-cards and memory cards. All three cards (2 × Nano-SIM + microSD) can be used simultaneously, which is a plus.

The fingerprint scanner is located on the back surface, where it is convenient to put your index finger on it.

And at the top on the back surface we see two camera eyes and a flash. Note that the block with cameras is only slightly raised above the level of the back cover, and this is not evident.

Continuing the comparison of Asus Zenfone Max Plus and Honor X7, we can note that their design is also similar. There are rounded edges, a wide screen with a narrow frame around, and identically located cameras and a fingerprint scanner ... However, many mid-budget and budget smartphones look like twin brothers, so it's not surprising. Ultimately, in this price category, the emphasis is not primarily on a unique appearance, but on the optimal combination of functionality and price.

Screen

The smartphone has an elongated screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 2160 × 1080. You can learn about how successful the display turned out from testing by Alexei Kudryavtsev, editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Asus Zenfone Max Plus, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of Asus Zenfone Max Plus is slightly lighter (brightness in photos is 117 versus 114 for Nexus 7). The doubling of reflected objects in the Asus Zenfone Max Plus screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the screen layers (more specifically, between the outer glass and the LCD matrix surface) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. There is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (even better than the Nexus 7 in terms of efficiency), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with a white field displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 430 cd / m², the minimum was 8.5 cd / m². The maximum brightness is quite high, and given the good anti-glare properties, the readability of the screen even on a sunny day outdoors should be at an acceptable level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. This function depends on the position of the brightness slider. If it is at 100%, then in total darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 20 cd / m² (normal), in an artificially lit office (about 550 lux) sets it to 310 cd / m² (suitable), in a very bright environment (corresponds to outdoors on a clear day, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) the brightness rises to 430 cd / m² (to the maximum - that's right). If the adjustment is about 50%, then the values ​​are: 16, 230 and 430 cd/m² (also suitable values). If the regulator is at 0% - 8.5, 90 and 380 cd / m² (the values ​​\u200b\u200bare slightly underestimated, which is logical). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and allows the owner to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS type matrix. Micrographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even at large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Asus Zenfone Max Plus and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K.

White field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

Colors on the Asus Zenfone Max Plus screen have a natural saturation, the color balance of the Nexus 7 and the tested screen differs markedly. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Asus Zenfone Max Plus, the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to more black highlighting. And the white box:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Asus Zenfone Max Plus screen at this angle is still a little darker. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is highlighted strongly and acquires a brown tint. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is excellent:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 970:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (12 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between grayscale 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back in total takes 33 ms. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with an equal interval according to the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.28, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power dependence:

This device has some kind of dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) may not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black flare at angles - we carried out (however, as always) when displaying special patterns with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in full screen. It should be noted that in this case, the brightness correction is weakly expressed and has a not entirely obvious dependence on the image, but it would be better not to have it at all.

Color gamut close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components to each other:

As a result, the colors have a natural saturation and hue. By default, the balance of shades on the gray scale is acceptable, since the color temperature, although significantly higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, both parameters change slightly from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Curves in the charts above Without corr. correspond to the results without any color balance correction, and the curves Corr— data obtained after moving the Blue Filter Mode setting slider to the middle position.

It can be seen that the change in balance corresponds to the expected result, since the color temperature has approached the standard value, and ΔE has decreased. Of course, there is no benefit to vision from this fashionable function, but it will do as a means of correcting color balance.

To summarize: the screen has a not very high maximum brightness, but it has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. Also, the advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, high contrast, excellent black field uniformity, color gamut close to sRGB and good (after correction) color balance. We attribute the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen as a significant drawback. However, in general, the screen quality can be considered high.

Operating system

The smartphone runs on the Android 7.0 operating system with the ability to update "over the air". On top of the OS, a proprietary ZenUI 4.0 shell is installed, already familiar to us from a number of previous Asus smartphones (for example,). It offers a number of branded applications that can come in very handy - for example, a set of themes, an advanced file manager, etc.

Camera

As mentioned above, the smartphone is equipped with three cameras: one front, with a resolution of 8 megapixels, and two rear cameras - 16 and 8 megapixels. The front camera provides a good (though not perfect) image quality for selfies - apparently, the same module is installed here as in Asus Zenfone 4. In addition, when shooting with the front camera, you can apply different filters and portrait enhancement modes. You can take panoramic selfies, which will clearly show what is behind you. True, this panorama is being made for a very long time.

The rear cameras are interesting because they allow you to choose between a wide-angle image of 8 megapixels and a high resolution of 16 megapixels. Detailed testing of both cameras was carried out by Anton Solovyov.

The camera does a good job of detailing the field of the frame and according to the plans, not counting the edges of the frame, where blur zones often appear. The program copes with noise relatively well, although in some places you can find unprocessed colored spots. In general, the program behaves very decently and is not zealous with processing. Perhaps the main camera will do a good job with documentary shooting.

The wide-angle module as a whole works just as well, but due to the low resolution and large angle, the detail is noticeably lower. In this case, a large grain is formed from the operation of the noise reduction, fine details merge, and in general the processing looks rougher. However, the wide-angle lens works out the edges of the frame better. For undemanding documentary shooting, this camera is also suitable.

The camera does a good job of capturing video. Oddly enough, even the result of night shooting is not so bad.

Performance and communications

The hardware platform of the smartphone is built on a single-chip system MediaTek MT6750T, made using 28-nanometer technology. This SoC includes eight 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores, four of which operate at a frequency of 1 GHz, and four more at 1.5 GHz. The dual-core GPU Mali-T860 with a frequency of 650 MHz is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 3 or 4 GB.

We regularly see this budget SoC in inexpensive smartphones - for example, we recently saw it in the Umidigi Crystal smartphone, which, however, has more RAM (4 GB). Let's see how the new Asus performs in comparison with its competitors!

Let's start with browser tests. On all smartphones, testing was carried out in the Chrome browser.

Asus Zenfone Max Plus
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Umidigi Crystal
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Xiaomi Mi A1
(Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
HTC One X10
(MediaTek MT6755)
Huawei Nova 2
(HiSilicon Kirin 659)
Mozilla Kraken
(ms, less is better)
12852 12888 7910 9992 8887
Google Octane 2
(more is better)
3211 3022 4885 3928 4828
sunspider
(ms, less is better)
1878 1781 880 1104 1310

The result, unfortunately, is absolutely expected: the MT6750T is very inferior even to mid-range single-chip systems. One could say that budget smartphones are always inferior to more expensive models, there is nothing strange in this, however, Asus Zenfone Max Plus is far from a budget device, and we picked up rivals with a similar price. It remains only to rejoice that the Asus smartphone performed on a par with the Umidigi Crystal. In general, the use of the budget and obsolete SoC MediaTek MT6750T is one of the weakest points of Asus Zenfone Max Plus.

Now let's look at the results in the comprehensive tests of AnTuTu 6 and GeekBench 4.

Asus Zenfone Max Plus
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Umidigi Crystal
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Xiaomi Mi A1
(Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
HTC One X10
(MediaTek MT6755)
Huawei Nova 2
(HiSilicon Kirin 659)
AnTuTu (v6.x)
(more is better)
42434 43660 63361 50597 60485
GeekBench (v4.x)
(more is better)
618/2499 606/2594 873/4014 757/2071 904/3513

Here, too, no surprises, in general, the picture is similar.

Asus Zenfone Max Plus
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Umidigi Crystal
(MediaTek MT6750T)
Xiaomi Mi A1
(Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
HTC One X10
(MediaTek MT6755)
Huawei Nova 2
(HiSilicon Kirin 659)
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme ES 3.1
(more is better)
388 374 463 421 413

(onscreen, fps)
4,4 4,9 6 5 5
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1
(1080p Offscreen, fps)
4,6 4,6 6 5 5
GFXBenchmark T-Rex
(onscreen, fps)
16 17 21 17 20
GFXBenchmark T-Rex
(1080p Offscreen, fps)
17 17 22 17 18

But the graphics component of the MT6750T corresponds to competing solutions, in 3D tests the results of all smartphones in the table are approximately on the same level. Yes, Asus Zenfone Max Plus loses a little, but in real use it will hardly be felt.

Summing up the results of performance testing, it can be noted that Asus Zenfone Max Plus not only does not show records, but is noticeably inferior to direct competitors. However, it allows you to comfortably play most games (with the exception of brand new ones) and work in everyday scenarios without any slowdowns.

The communication capabilities of Asus Zenfone Max Plus are typical, rather, for budget solutions: Bluetooth is only version 4.0, Wi-Fi is only in the 2.4 GHz band, there is no NFC module.

The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS) and domestic Glonass. Chinese Beidou is not supported. The first satellites during a cold start are detected within tens of seconds. There is a built-in magnetic field sensor for the operation of the compass.

Of the two SIM cards, only one can work in 4G, the other will be limited to 2G even in standby mode. In general, in terms of communication capabilities, Zenfone Max Plus is much inferior even to Asus Zenfone 4 of the previous generation, but this is understandable: we are not testing a flagship, but a much more affordable solution.

thermal images

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

Heating is localized in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 40 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Further testing of video playback performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find an MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with different parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In tests, we used a regular video player. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven interleaving and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly at the height of the screen (in landscape orientation), one to one in pixels, that is, in its original resolution. The range of brightness displayed on the screen corresponds to the actual range, so all gradations are displayed in the shadows and in the highlights.

Battery life

The non-removable battery installed in Asus Zenfone Max Plus has a capacity of 4130 mAh. This is a very decent capacity, and besides, the smartphone does not have components that consume energy "as if not in itself." Yes, the old 28nm SoC is not very economical, but it is also not very productive, the core frequencies are low. The screen here has approximately the same area as a typical 5.5-inch smartphone, and is not extremely bright. As a result, in standard test scenarios, the device proved to be worthy - this is clearly seen from the comparative table. In real usage scenarios, under a normal average mode of operation, the hero of the review will easily live one day of active use and two days of medium active use.

Testing was traditionally carried out at the usual level of power consumption without using power saving functions, although these are naturally available in the device. In the case of Asus smartphones, power saving modes are managed in the PowerMaster application. In addition to standard options, such as disabling network connections, auto-brightness, etc., there are also additional features, such as increasing battery life (though with a slight reduction in battery life).

12:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. 6 a.m. HTC One X10 4000 mAh 17:00 12:00 p.m. 5 a.m. Huawei Nova 2 2950 mAh 13:00 10:30 4 a.m.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted about 17 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching YouTube videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level through the home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for about 10 hours. In the 3D gaming mode, the smartphone lasted almost 6 hours - this is a very good indicator.

From the supplied network adapter, the smartphone is fully charged in about two and a half hours. Wireless charging is not supported.

Outcome

The Asus Zenfone Max Plus smartphone is distinguished by a fashionable elongated screen format and a reduced frame around it (and, consequently, a large percentage of usable front surface area), as well as the presence of two rear cameras, one of which is wide-angle. Of course, with a smartphone price of around 15 thousand rubles, it is strange to demand an impeccable picture from cameras, high performance from SoC, and special originality from case design. In general, the compromises that the manufacturer had to make can be approved. SoC MediaTek is frankly budget here, but, by and large, high performance is needed only for games, and even then not for everyone, and just the graphics component of the platform is not so bad. Cameras do not amaze with quality, but still allow you to get good pictures in a wide range of focal lengths. Everything is sad with communication capabilities: there is no NFC, there is no support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, two SIM cards cannot work simultaneously in 4G. However, the fashionable screen is of good quality, and a capacious battery with a weak SoC provides a fairly long battery life. Asus offers a fairly wide range of smartphones, each of its models has its own attractive sides, and in this sense, the Zenfone Max Plus model can be considered successful.

The smartphone is provided for testing by the manufacturer