ASUS Zenfone Max Hands-On, First Impressions

Created to solve the woes of running out of battery when no smartphone chargers are around, the ASUS Zenfone Max carries a 5000mAh battery that the company claims could last for 38 days of standby time. We’ve got an early preview of the unit before the company releases it this weekend and here is our quick hands-on of the device.

Coming from the same Zenfone family, the Max has an identical face along with other models in the series. The display spans 5.5 inches across and is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 4 just like the Zenfone Laser. Down below are the usual capacitive buttons that are no longer visible when you use the phone in the dark.

Looking at it from the side, it has a slightly thicker profile than other Zenfone 2 models due to its massive battery. The increase in width isn’t that much noticeable, but it’s the weight that will get your attention at 202 grams. Again, the battery is responsible.

The body is made with metal that rigidly supports the chassis of the device. It is then sandwiched by the display and a plastic back cover. All the buttons are kept on the upper right side. Here we have the volume rocker and power/lock button.

Breaking the all-metal frame is a single 3.5mm audio jack up top and a microphone pinhole alongside a microUSB port at the bottom for charging and transferring files.

The Zenfone Max has also been blessed with the same laser autofocus technology that appeared in the Zenfone Laser, helping you focus on subjects much faster. Together with dual-tone LED flashes, the handset aims to provide its users capable optics at their disposals whenever they demand it. Additionally, the back cover is textured and has a rubbery coating to it but is made of plastic.

Meanwhile, we still have the back-firing speakers located at the lower end of its rear.

Popping off the cover, we will be exposed to the dual-SIM slots along with the microSD slot for expansion. Also seen here is the Zenfone Max’s non-removable 5000mAh battery. According to the company, the reason why they made it so is to ensure that this 1-cell battery gets the right voltage, in addition to other safety purposes. Also, since this specific model is one of the first units to be handed out, the battery is still exposed. The final version will have their batteries in black wrapping.

In general, the Max slightly carries the familiar look of Zenfones but is heavier and chunkier than the previous models due to the size of its battery.  It’s not totally a bad thing since, in return, you get more power for your handset to last longer.

ASUS Zenfone Max (ZC550KL) specifications:
5.5-inch HD IPS display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 267ppi
Gorilla Glass 4
64-bit 1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor
Adreno 306 GPU
2GB RAM
8GB/16GB internal storage
Expandable up to 128GB via microSD
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, laser autofocus, and dual-tone LED flash
5MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, EDR
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Dual-SIM, dual standby
4G LTE
5000mAh Li-Po battery
156 x 77.5 x 10.6mm
202 grams
Android 5.0 Lollipop with ZenUI

We’ll be bringing it out of town during ASUS’s media launch (where we’ll also get to play with the Zenfone Zoom) at Sinulog Festival in Cebu City. They will also announce the local price of both handsets during the event. Stay tuned!