Continuing its work with the feedback from Indian consumers, Asus has become aggressive with the price and specifications with Zenfone Max Pro M2 that feels bigger with thinner bezels, a notch and a chin at the bottom.
First Impressions
Design & Display
The 15.9 cm (6.26) FHD+ Full View display of this smartphone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. Its rear panel is 3D glass-like with a wave design giving it a premium feel. The compact Notch panel makes the most of the space by accommodating an LED Proximity Sensor, an Ambient Light Sensor, a surprise Soft LED Flash, an Earpiece, a Notification LED and a front camera.
Asus is offering Zenfone Max Pro M2 with a shiny exterior with distinguishing colors of blue and Titanium that is easy to hold thanks to its curved sides. A laminated back and glossy finish quickly picks up smudges during daily use.
I had to stretch a bit to access the power and volume buttons located on the right side. , Adding an extra bit to the convenience, Max Pro M2 can accommodate 2 SIM cards and a microSD card. Each of the SIM slots support 4G VoLTE for fast connectivity.
Security
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 offers Facial Recognition and a Fingerprint Sensor for unlocking the phone. Both these options turn on the phone is seconds which is very convenient.
Camera
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 houses two cameras in the back, a 12-megapixel primary lens and a 5-megapixel depth-sensor. The aperture of the primary lens is f/1.8 providing a pixel size of 1.25 microns. The Depth, set through the 5-megapixel secondary lens allows enough light for great daylight shoots. However, it suffers under low light as photos are grainy with enough noise levels. Quick settings provide a dedicated night mode but with no improvement to the overall quality of the images or videos.
A manual intervention is required to adjust the quality and not meant for Insta Shutterbugs like me. I prefer the automatic settings to adjust depth blur. The selfie flashlight is a welcome addition for capturing some great photos. Camera is perhaps the achilles heel for the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2.
Performance
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip (SoC) and Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box, the mobile phone is free from bloatware. With the Android Pie update expected any day, the phone’s performance will receive an additional boost.I love the UI, smooth with no lag or slowdowns. I could open multiple apps in the background without a need to close any one of them thanks to its RAM optimisation at software levels. All of my day-to-day activities like browsing the internet, video binge watching, Social media updates, messaging and calling were seamless. The phone is kind to Google Maps, gaming apps, video editing tools, video recording and playback. 5,000 mAh battery lasted for two days and Charging time is two hours.
Dhempe’s recommendation
Priced between 9,999 to 13,999 Asus Zenphone Max M2 is powerful and competitive. The 5-magnet NXP speaker and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection makes the mobile experience seamless and secure.