The Taiwanese tech company, Asus, has brought out versions of its Max phones before. They’re built around the battery, essentially offering two days of uptime if you use the device moderately. But the Max was not the first smartphone with so much battery, and nor is it the only one in the market. By now, Asus should have gone further than just building a standard phone around a big battery. But it hasn’t.
The Zenfone Max 3, to be sure, is a good looking phone. It’s metallic on the back and I like the way the steely antenna lines glint up top and on the bottom. The silver brushed metal looks nice. But it could be any phone as so many look exactly the same now. It’s not exactly thin but certainly it’s light knowing what’s inside it and it’s no burden in the hand. The sides have been rounded off so you don’t have a problem holding the device and you get a good enough grip on it. The Zenfone Max 3 is available in two sizes: 5.2 inches and 5.5 inches. Where these phones may have once been good value for money, today, they are not. To top it all, Asus continues to top up its devices with bloatware that is difficult to forgive.
The hardware specs are all ones you’ve heard before: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, hybrid dual SIM or memory card slot and 16MP and 8MP cameras. The device performs averagely, doesn’t heat up on intensive use, and has a nice enough display. The battery can theoretically charge another phone and there’s an OTG cable for that, but it's an expensive way to carry around a charger. The lot adds up to a standard bundle that, at the price, is not easy to recommend over its competition which has been there and beyond.
Price : ₹17,999 and ₹12,999
Love : Battery
Hate : No real standout features, too expensive, bloatware