Asus has been able to find their rhythm this year with some nice releases and now it has put forth the ASUS Zenfone Max (M1). The smartphone is a budget device with some simple and simple design. Formerly releasing the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 from which you can’t help but notice the level of similarity in its naming. However, the smartphone is entirely different and has fewer features compared to its predecessor. Moving forward, the offers a single camera, a measly processor and a not too good display.
Where to Buy ASUS Zenfone Max (M1)
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers
ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) Key Specs and Features
- 5.5-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen. 1440 x 720 pixels (245 ppi)
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425/430 CPU with 2GB/3GB RAM
- 16GB/32GB built-in storage space, up to 256GB with a memory card
- Dual 13MP + 8MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera
- 4G LTE
- Fingerprint scanner (rear)
- 4, 000mAh non-removable Li-Po battery
Design and Display
At a glance, you can guess that the ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) is a low-budget smartphone. Right from the plastic build to its thick bezel and relatively light weight of 150g with the big battery inside. It has what you might call the infamous vertical dual camera row with the LED flash just below it. The smartphone is made available in different colours like Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold and Ruby Red.
Everything on the display is average at best from the size to the resolution. About how good it is, you have an HD+ resolution to answer for that which is definitely not much but is enough for a budget smartphone. By today’s standard, the 5.5-inch screen is nothing short of middle-sized.
Battery and Camera
The ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) scores a pass mark in the area of battery capacity thanks to the 4, 000mAh on board. This is way more than what the mediocre smartphone will offer. You have no fast charge and you don’t have to expect one at this level.
Again, the smartphone shows there is really nothing special about the dual camera on a smartphone taking into account that you can even find it on low budget phones too. Here, the two cameras at the back include a single 13MP cam and another 8MP secondary snapper. The 8MP camera at the front as Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and can shoot up to 1080p video quality.
Hardware and Software
You might be a bit disappointed by the chipset featured here which by the way is kind of old and below par at the price. It is either you have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 or 430 processor which features an Adreno 380 and 505 GPU respectively. In line with that, there is a 2GB RAM variant and another with 3GB RAM coinciding with 16GB and 32GB storage space. The OS on the phone is the Android 8.1 Oreo with the ASUS ZenUI 5.0 on top.
ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) Pricing and Availability
The smartphone will be sold at 45, 000 Naira or thereabouts depending on the deal and your location.
ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) Specs
Here are a few specs of the ASUS Zenfone Max (M1):
General Features
- Platform: Android 8.1 Oreo (ZenUI 5.0)
- Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 / Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430
- GPU: –
- Memory: 2GB/3GB RAM
- Colours: Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold, Ruby Red
- Dimension: 147.3 x 70.9 x 8.7 mm
- Weight: 150g
- SIM Type: Nano SIM
- SIM Count: Dual SIM
Display
- Display: 5.5-inch, IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1440 x 720 pixels (245 ppi)
- Screen Protection: –
Camera
- Rear Camera: Dual 13MP + 8MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps 2160p Video@30fps
- Rear Camera Features: Autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama
- Front Camera: 8MP camera, 720p Video@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 16GB/32GB
- Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 256GB
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: Yes
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: Yes
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: Yes
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: 42.2/5.76 Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: LTE-A Cat 4 150/50Mbps
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wi-fi direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, LE
- NFC: –
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: MicroUSB 2.0
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
- Video Player: MP4/H.264 player
- FM Radio: Yes
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: –
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: –
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: –
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: –
- Voice Control: –
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: –
- Dust Resistant: –
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: Yes
Battery
- Battery: 4, 000mAh non removable Li-Po battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: –
