TECH REVIEW: Zenfone Max Pro M2

ASUS released their newest "Battery King" smartphone in the market and we got lucky to get a hands-on on the new Zenfone Max Pro M2. Let me share you my detailed impressions below.

DESIGN

It has a 3D glossy polycarbonate back that at first glance, you can tell that it's a premium mobile smartphone. It's really light and easy to grip. The front glass is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for better protection from scratches and breakage. Unfortunately, it is a smudge and fingerprint magnet but you can use the free jelly case.

All of the buttons are located on the right side just like the Zenfone 5Z. The sim tray is placed on the upper left and can house 2 sims and 1 microSD at the same time. It has a 64GB of storage and can expand up to 2TB.

A noise-cancelling microphone is located on the top and the main one is located at the bottom part along with the micro USB port, 3.5mm audio port, and loudspeaker.

The dual cameras and flash are not that protruded at the back. The fingerprint scanner is also located at the back and not too far for me to reach.

It's available in 2 color options - Midnight Blue and Cosmic Titanium. The Midnight Blue has 2 variants - 4GB and 6GB RAM/64GB of storage, while the Cosmic Titanium only has 6GB RAM/64GB of storage.

What's inside the box?

• Zenfone Max Pro M2
• User Guide
• Warranty card
• Earphones plus buds case
• Sim ejector tool
• Clear jelly case
• USB cable
• Charging brick

DISPLAY

It features a 6.3 inch full HD display and 1080x2280 resolution. You will enjoy the vibrant colors and crisp details even under broad daylight. With its wide display, you'll enjoy watching videos and playing your mobile games anywhere.

The notch holds the 13-megapixel camera with LED flash and it has a small chin at the bottom.

AUDIO

It has an impressive audio quality that brings your viewing and gaming experience to the next level.

OS and UI

It runs initially on Android 8.1 Oreo when I received the unit. After a few days of use, I received an update and currently, it's on Android 9.0 Pie. It became faster and I like the new navigation buttons more.

PERFORMANCE

The Zenfone Max Pro M2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and Adreno 512 GPU. I have no problems with it since then. The games were smooth and no lags. It doesn't heat up even if I played mobile games for an hour.

It has a face unlock feature that works fine for me. I've used the fingerprint scanner more and it was definitely smooth and fast.

BATTERY

Zenfone Max Pro M2 was tagged as the Battery King with 5,000mAh battery and capable of fast charging. I tried using it for just one to two hours for 5 days without recharging it, and I still got 20% battery left.

It took an hour to reach from 18% to 95% battery. It also features Reverse Charging so I can charge my other phones with the Zenfone Max Pro M2 using the USB OTG.

CAMERA

The Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a 12MP and 5MP rear cameras that can take decent photos in good lighting condition. The secondary rear camera is for portrait/bokeh effect. It has 13 AI Scene Detection features which are a great update from its predecessor. The images are sharp and have high contrast. In low light, some shots are grainy and tend to wash out some details.

It has a 13MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash. It takes good selfies in good lighting condition but it struggles in low light.

Here are some samples

FOR UNITS WITH BELOW .179 BUILD NUMBER

We are pleased to share that AI cameras have become official with the ZenFone Max Pro M2! This is with the .186 FOTA, which comes automatically after you get .179. You can check via SETTINGS > ABOUT PHONE > BUILD NUMBER> WW_Phone-##.####.####.179-########

If you are not on .179, you may download the FOTA here:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/ZenFone/ZB631KL/UL-ASUS_X01BD-WW-15.2016.1812.179-user.zip

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MANUAL INSTALLATION:

1. Download the zip file (do not unzip)

2. Open “Files” app

3. Copy-paste into Internal Storage (do not unzip)

· To make internal storage visible, tap on the vertical dots and select “Show Internal Storage”

4. Restart the phone

PRICE
The 4GB RAM variant costs P12,995 while the 6GB RAM variant costs P14,995.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• All hail the Battery King! I enjoyed using it on games such as Mobile Legends and Pokemon Quest.
• The screen is wide and has a vibrant display. I enjoy watching Netflix series in my bed now than watching it on TV in our living room.
• Experienced zero lags and delays
• Added feature: AI Scene Detection
• Premium looking smartphone and very light

I have a very small problem with the app drawer though. Maybe I'm not used to it or I just don't like swiping up to see the apps. I find it hard to search for a specific app or folder when swiping up. Maybe I'm just nitpicky about it or I did not organize the apps well, but it became a pet peeve for days. LOL! But overall, I would recommend the Zenfone Max Pro M2.

The Zenfone Max Pro M2 is available on all ASUS Accredited Shops, Shopee, and Lazada.


Thanks for dropping by!

[full_width]