When ASUS Mobile put together its extensive mid-range series of devices, many presume that they’re all by-the-ways. It has never been its intention to show them off as flagship efforts. However, market forces have change the narrative – the last few entries from ASUS have been experiencing the flagship treatment.

The latest is the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1), a high-spec mid-ranger that proudly stats it’s a literal power house. After all, its name signifies this bold claim – the Max naming refers to the massive battery it rocks; indeed, there is a 5,000mAh energy-cell inside its metal and glass chassis. Of course, it’s not all about the battery alone as ASUS makes sure it offers the very best in specs; at least, for its class at least.

Classy Looks

The look and feel for many new flagships put loads of emphasis on using more glass than metal. This is especially true for those that have launch over the last 12 months. Even those that fall in the mid-range categories want to play up this aspect. This is not the case for ASUS, specifically with its all-new ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1).

Unlike the more powerful flagships from this Taiwanese advocator of Zen, this next-gen entry did a roll-back. This is primarily visible with the backplate as it is now comes in full-metal. This is the sort of classy that hasn’t been around for ages and is something that a few quarters want; this includes yours truly. This properly complements the 6” FullView Display Full HD+ screen that the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) uses; of course, the 2.5D Curved Glass design and bezel-less look help create that seamless visual.

Multimedia Wonder

Let’s start with an aspect that ASUS did not push hard on: the video and audio delivery of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1). Since it rocks a 6” display, in a 5.5” chassis at that, the 18:9 display ratio becomes a default trait. With the Full HD+ resolution display, which promises 450nits and 85% NTSC colour gamut, videos and games turn out crispy and vivid. The natural cool hue balancing is a nice touch too.

As for sound, now this is a huge surprise. Some will know, by now, that audio hardware reviews are a big personal focus. ASUS, somehow, manages to pack in a 5-Magnet Loudspeaker that pairs up with an NXP Smart Amp. Together, this high-end mid-range smartphone delivers awesome sound with close to no distortion. This is even when volume levels are on max. Thanks to the amp, the audio delivery is louder than most; ASUS claims it’s 41% but, going by just that one week review, it’s easily 25% or slightly higher.

Camera with Two

This is now a very common feature. So much so that it isn’t a big deal that ASUS has put in a dual-lens sharp-shooter on its next-gen ASUS ZenFone Max device. While this is now the norm, whatever the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) captures turn out pretty well. Colour balance is nice for daytime shots, while low-light didn’t have any noisy grains. It’s as if ASUS has put in all the optimisations the ASUS ZenFone Zoom is famous for into this metal-encased powerhouse. This is the promise the 13MP + 5MP rear-facing snapper promises.

Up front, the 8MP is decent enough. When in use with proper lighting, selfies turn out nice. If in use when low lighting conditions are the norm, the sensor has a noticeable lag. This, thankfully, does not affect the photo-taking performance.

Interestingly, with the dual-lens and its necessary optimisations, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) can record 4K videos, both in 4K DCI and UHD formats.

Big on Power

When writing this point, let’s be clear here: power refers to the energy source when use in context with the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1). It does not address the performance delivery of this device. The 5,000mAh power pack uses the high capacity design and promises long-time use. While on paper ASUS promises the moon, this review run manage to push the large energy brick hard. On days with pure work and spending some time on social media, the device only has 25% of juice left. This is, of course, from a full charge. When it is all day gaming with wireless tethering, it goes from 100% to flat in record time, from 6am to 6pm.

Personally, that isn’t too bad. This is without any breaks so the claims ASUS make is true to an extent. Charging the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1), on the other hand, takes equally as long. Even when the device plugs into the high-speed charger, it still takes more than two hours to get back to 100%.

Top-Spec Experience

All in all, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) over-delivers; if one is to ask, on what exactly – well, just about everything. For a mid-range device that has a history of being second fiddle, this is a real surprise. Even when it is running on 3GB/4GB LPDDR4X (up to 6GB), it is thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 that this ASUS’ entry can run so smoothly.

There are other innovations on the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) that don’t play any lesser a role. For instance, the triple-slot media bay. Two for proper nano-SIM cards and one more for the microSD. While this isn’t new, ASUS hopes to implement this in future flagships.

Indeed, for its asking price of RM699, which is a huge steal, this is a worthy next-gen smartphone to consider getting.

Verdict: This is the mid-ranger the world has been waiting for!