Asus Zenfone 3 Max
Battery powerhouse
Boasting a 4100mh battery, it definitely lives up to the Max in its name. For general usage it can comfortably last for a day or more. The phone comes with a cable for reverse charging so you could charge other devices with the Zenfone 3 Max acting as a powerbank. While I haven’t tested the 38 days standby claim, I could use it for a weekend without touching the charger.
Performance killer
As for performance – that is where the Max doesn’t quite deliver, despite having an octa core to its spec sheet. While you certainly can do daily tasks of messaging, navigation, and perhaps take photos without much of a glitch – prolonged usage and switching between applications tends to stun the phone. Heavy users will feel rather frustrated after your phone freezes twice an hour.
Picture perfect
The 16MP rear camera holds up well with clear crisp pictures under bright lighting. In darker conditions, there is a low-light mode which does a pretty good job of reducing noise. With aperture set at f 2.0, it holds up well for close-ups, but it does take some patience getting the camera to focus at the correct subject. For the selfie kings and queens, the 8MP front camera caters well for all your social media needs.
1 – Hot! Hot!
Prone to overheating when using certain applications. Navigation for less than half an hour and I was holding it up in front of an air-cond.
2 – Buttons on the edge
It’s a big phone, so I use my left thumb to secure the phone on the edge. Except I keep accidentally touching the back button. Grrrr.
3 – Fingerprint to shoot
The fingerprint sensor doubles up as a snap button so if you were doing selfies, it’s conveniently located where your finger naturally lands.
Specs
Price: RM 999
Dimensions (HxWxD): 151.4 x 76.2 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 175 g
Processor: Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53
Memory: Up to 3GB RAM
Storage: Up to 32GB ROM
Operating System: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with ZenUI 3.0
Display: 5.5″ HD IPS LCD
Graphics: Adreno 505
Connectivity: · Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot; Bluetooth 4.1; GPS, AGPS
Ports: Micro USB v2.0
Others: Rear fingerprint security sensor
Benchmark Score
AnTuTu 3D Benchmark – 44140
PCMark Android Benchmark – 3388
3DMark – Slingshot Extreme – 289
RATING
Value: 9
Features: 8.5
Performance: 6
Design: 7.5
Usability: 7
Verdict: At this price point, it holds up well for daily usage. Great for worry free travels for the casual traveller.
Total Score: 7.6
Reviewer: Satoko Omata
