ASUS announces a whole new lineup of phones, the ZenFone Max Series, dedicated to a range specifically for high-battery-capacity smartphones. While prior to this, ZenFone Max were a high battery capacity variant to its flagship ZenFone lines, ASUS is now spinning it out as a whole new lineup on its own, in response to the popularity and high demand of the Max phones.

According to ASUS, previous generations of individual ZenFone Max models have become the company’s best-selling smartphones, with ZenFone Max, ZenFone 3 Max, ZenFone 4 Max and ZenFone 4 Max Pro achieving a combined sales volume of around 5 million units. 

Kicking off the series is the introduction of the first model, ZenFone Max Plus. ZenFone Max Plus is the first ASUS smartphone featuring a 5.7″ HD full-view slim-bezel display, at no size penalty compared to standard 5.2″ smartphones. The display has an ultrawide 18:9 aspect ratio and ultrathin bezels that give ZenFone Max Plus an 80% screen-to-body ratio.

The Max series will continue its legacy of high capacity battery, with the ZenFone Max Plus sporting a 4130mAh battery that gives up to 26 days standby, with a 10% capacity giving 67 hours of standby, and 3 hours talk time on a 15min charge. The 4130mAh capacity also translates to 26 hours of 3G talk time, up to 21 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, or up to 13 hours of video playback. Users can also use it as a handy power bank to charge other devices.

The battery system in ZenFone Max Plus features ASUS PowerMaster, a suite of intelligent power-management technologies that work in concert to optimise battery life, ensure safety and long-term performance, provide reverse-charging capability, and more. The device also comes with twelve safety checkpoints – including temperature monitoring and overvoltage protection – combined with automatic maintenance settings. This keeps the battery running optimally, providing 2X-longer average lifespan compared to other smartphone batteries.

Although the batteries are its selling points, the camera is nothing to sneeze at either. Fitted with a 16-megapixel PixelMaster f/2.0 aperture lens and 120° wide-view dual rear cameras with phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), the camera can focus on the subject in just 0.03 seconds even if the subject is moving. The secondary 120° wide-angle camera has a 200%-wider field of view than standard smartphone cameras, allowing users to fit more image on their screen. The front camera also comes in a 16-megapixel f/2.0 configuration.

Apple isn’t the only phone with Face ID; ZenFone Max Plus is the first ZenFone to feature Face Unlock. Users have a quick, secure and convenient alternative to the rear fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone when wearing gloves or less than stellar weather conditions. It is one of the few smartphones in its price range to have this capability. A fingerprint sensor is still available, for users who prefer that option.

Availability and Pricing

ZenFone Max Plus (M1) will come with a price tag of RM 899 RRP from 20th December 2017 Pre-Order Promo (14 – 19 December), at RM 200 off with Trade in & Rebate