Asus, Zenfone Max Pro M1, launch, live, flipkart
Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) is one of the best smartphone in the mid-range category.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India
  • Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) is one of the most cost-effective mid-range phone in the market
  • Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) will fill the void left by the limited Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro availability in India

Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) is all set to go on sale on exclusively on Flipkart later today at 12:00 pm. It comes in three configurations—3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage and 6GB+ 64GB storage for Rs 10,999, Rs 12,999 and Rs 14,999, respectively.

Is Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) a worthy buy?

Absolutely yes! It is one of the most feature-rich phones in the market and also does not burn a hole in your pocket. Asus Zenfone Max Pro series comes with a powerful processor, best RAM+ storage configuration, a decent camera hardware and the USP of the device is the battery life, which no other rival offers in the mid-range category.

To provide a better perspective, we have listed five key aspects of the new Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1), which make this Asus phone a smart buy.

Huge battery:

The new Asus phone comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which can run for close to 35 days under standby mode. It can run 199 hours of music playback and offer up to 42 hours of talk time, the company claims.

Guess what, it also comes with fast charging capability.It can fully charge from zero to 100 percent in between two and two-and-half hours. Previously, it would have taken more than three hours to fully power the phone with such big batteries.

Build quality:

Asus Zenfone Max Pro's made of high-grade materials. The metallic shell is not only sturdy to hold but also exudes premium feel, which is very rare to find in a mid-range phone. It also boasts protective 2.5D curved glass on the front panel. In addition to protecting the screen from scratches, it adds value to the phone in terms of visual appeal.

Asus, Zenfone Max Pro M1, launch, live, flipkart
Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) comes with dual-camera on the back.KVN Rohit/IBTimes India

System configuration:

Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) houses a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor backed by Adreno 509 graphics engine. We have been using the review unit for almost a week now, and it has been performing well. So far, I haven't noticed any lag in terms of performance, be it playing games, switch between multiple and other stuff.

Another aspect of the device I like is that the number of system configuration it comes in, thereby giving multiple options for customers to match their budget. As said above, it comes in three3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM+ 64GB storage and 6GB+ 64GB storage with prices ranging from as low as Rs 10,999 to maximum of Rs 14,999.

Pure Android user experience:

Asus phone runs vanilla Android Oreo 8.1 with just three third-party apps – Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Asus apps include—FM radio, calculator and voice recorder. That's not a deal breaker, as they are the most commonly used apps and also does not take much of the phone's storage.

With pure Android on board, the Zenfone Max Pro is sure to run efficiently with a powerful Snapdragon 636 processor.

Camera:

The new Zenfone Max Pro (M1) comes with the dual 13MP+5MP camera on the back with LED flash. It boasts 4K video recording, which is very rare to see in the budget phone. With two cameras on the back, users can adjust the focus on the foreground and the backgrounds to get Bokeh blur effect. Even the still images taken from the Asus phone are praiseworthy (full review coming soon).

On the front too, it offers equally impressive 8MP snapper with softlight LED flash and takes good quality selfies images even in the low-light conditions.

Asus, Zenfone Max Pro M1, launch, live, flipkart
Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1) houses Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processorKVN Rohit/IBTimes India

The company has claimed that a software update will be released soon to bring the face unlock feature in the front camera. The Zenfone Max Pro (M1), one of the very few handfuls of phones in the mid-range segment such a biometric security. It has to be noted that the Zenfone Max Pro also comes with a fingerprint sensor. With pattern lock, there will three-layer security to protect against illegal access to the sensitive information on the phone.

Price:

In an emerging market like India, price plays a crucial role in the minds of salaried middle-class and young college kids, which forms a big chunk of the country's population. With Zenfone Max Pro, Asus has played a masterstroke by keeping the price dirt-cheap.

Considering the Zenfone Max Pro (M1) price (starting at Rs 10,999) and its specification, it is to sure find traction among Indian consumers.

Furthermore, official e-commerce partner Flipkart is offering lucrative exchange deals, which will further reduce the price of the Zenfone Max Pro (M1).

The Zenfone Max Pro (M1) release could not be better timed than this. With popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro facing of supply shortage and getting a price hike, Asus will sure make a good fortune and reinvigorate the company's brand value in India.

Key specifications of Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1):

Models Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M1)
Display 5.99-inch full HD+ (2160x1080p) IPS screen with 2.5D (front) curved glass
  • 1500:1 contrast ratio
  • 85% NTSC color gamut
  • Brightness: 450 nits
  • Aspect ratio: 18:8 full view
OS Android Oreo 8.1 OS
Processor 64-bit class 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core
GPU Adreno 509
RAM 3GB/4GB/6GB
Storage 32GB/64GB (eMCP) + expandable up to 1TB via microSD card
Camera
  • Main: 13MP (1.12µm, F2.2 aperture)+ 5MP dedicated Bokeh camera (1.12µm, F2.4 aperture), phase detection autofocus, LED flash, HDR, 9 filters, 9 scenes, beauty, portrait mode, Bokeh mode, 4K video recording, full HD video recording (30/60 fps), HD (30 fps)
  • Front: 8MP (1.0µm/ F2.2 aperture) with softlight LED flash, Bokeh mode, HDR, 9 filters, 9 scenes, beauty, portrait mode
Battery 5,000mAh with fast charging capability
  • Up to 35 days of 4G standby
  • Up to 42 hours of 3G talk time
  • Up to 12 hours of gaming
  • Up to 199 hours of music playback
  • Up to 28 hours Wi-Fi web browsing
Network 4G-LTE (Cat. 4)
Add-ons Dual-SIM slots + dedicated microSD card, fingerprint sensor, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), micro USB port, 5-magnet loudspeaker, dual microphones, 2nd gen NXP SMART amplifier, A-GPS, GLONASS,
Dimensions 159.0 x 76.0 x 8.46 mm
Weight 180g
Colors Black/ Gray
Price
  • 3GB RAM + 32GB storage: Rs 10,999
  • 4GB RAM + 64GB storage: Rs 12,999
  • 6GB RAM + 64GB storage: Rs 14,999

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