ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL 16GB: Pros and cons

The manufacturer's phone from ASUS is the Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL smartphone, what do you need to know about it? The article describes in detail the main characteristics of the phone, its strengths and weaknesses. As well as customer reviews.

ASUS today as a manufacturer of laptops, smartphones, servers, communication equipment and multimedia devices has a high degree of demand. It belongs to one of the popular brands of manufacturers and is in great demand in the technology market.

By 2018, this company has few smartphones, ASUS has been producing them relatively recently (since 2006), but during this time consumers have managed to appreciate some models.

From the novelties of the world famous company, consider the model of the smartphone ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL. This product can be attributed to the budget option, the recommended manufacturer's price is ~ 11990 rubles.

Appearance

The body of the device is a monoblock with a one-piece design and the absence of moving segments. This type is simple, has a presentable appearance and is highly durable. The body metal is aluminum alloy with a color coating, the model is presented in black and gold.

The display occupies 82% of the body area. The control buttons under the screen are touch-sensitive, on the side panel on the right are the volume and power switches. The card slot is on the left, the AUX jack is on top, the microphone jack is a little higher. The surface of the case is matte, reflecting light. The main camera is on top of the body, the flash is below the main camera. The fingerprint scanner is slightly immersed in the case, easy to use.

• Dimensions 147.3×70.9×8.7 mm;
• Weight 150 g.

Phone Specifications

The device type is smartphone.

Modern smartphones are changing the general idea of ​​phones. This type of device, due to its technical characteristics, the presence of its own operating system and a variety of communications (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc.), can be used as a pocket computer with a wide range of functions and a touch screen. It is also possible to install additional applications, this greatly expands the range of use of the mobile device.

Hardware

The smartphone has a 4-core processor Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425, its frequency is 1.4 GHz.RAM is 2 GB, this is the main indicator of the speed of the phone, the higher it is, the better the device works and copes with loads of applications and tasks. Built-in memory is 16 GB. The memory card slot accepts microSD formats. The maximum capacity of the card is 256 GB.

Adreno 308 GPU

This processor is responsible for graphics, video card power and high-quality work with games.

The interface is well optimized, easy to use and operate. Like many other smartphones, ASUS Zenfone has a quick settings panel in the top curtain, the theme can be changed, the menu is simple with brief explanations.

ASUS smartphone runs on Android 8.0+ ZenUI 5.0 operating system. The software shell is universal, has a number of different tasks and functions inherent in this model. Android 8.0 software platform. refers to large-scale updates to the Android operating system.

In addition to updates such as power optimization and speed improvements, the operating system has several features:

1. The user can set up sound and alerts for different events in one application.
2. There are dynamic icons.
3. Saving energy consumption.
4. Shortcut buttons can be edited using screen gestures, they are available in any application, the Android 8 operating system allows this.
5. The software allows you to open another without interrupting one application, with the support of the "picture in picture" function.

Display

The display resolution of 5.5 IPS 1440 x 720 is quite suitable for everyday use.A clear and smooth image, the presence of an optimal number of display colors allows you to feel the depth of color. Color calibration and resolution of the phone is good.

Judging by the size of the display, the advantages of a large screen are undeniable. It allows you to display the image in high quality and examine it in detail. Naturally, the larger the screen, the larger the smartphone itself. Of the shortcomings of a large screen, one can only note the inconvenience in managing and the price of the device itself (the wider the diagonal, the higher the price of the phone). Although, the manufacturers compensated for the inconvenience in managing by installing special programs that make it easy to control the smartphone with one hand.

Compared to a keypad, the touch screen gives you more input and makes it easier to control your phone's functions. For the touch screen, the manufacturer uses 2.5D glass, which has edges curved towards the smartphone body, while the phone becomes more comfortable in the hands, and the appearance is elegant. The mobile phone display itself is covered with Gorilla Glass. This type of glass avoids scratches and protects against impacts.

The display/body ratio is 84%, in other words, this ratio shows how much of the screen is occupied and how much is on the frame. With a ratio of 84%, the phone has a thin frame, looks great, and at the same time it is convenient for the owner to reach the necessary elements on the screen with their fingers.

Camera

The main camera has two lenses, they are located next to each other.

This way of combining cameras provides additional features: optical zoom, depth of field and its adjustment. The main camera is 13 MP, this resolution belongs to the high class of cameras.The aperture of the main camera is f / 2.0, the pictures are of high quality even in low light conditions. The second main camera is 8 MP, located on the body of the smartphone. Like many other phones, the main camera in this case has a flash for more shooting opportunities. One of the cameras has a high resolution due to the dual video module, the second camera is wide-angle, focusing of such a camera is very fast.

The front camera is located on the front of the device above the display. The resolution of the front camera is 8 MP. The main purpose of this camera is a video call and self-portrait shooting. The front camera has a flash.

Communication standards

GSM, 3G (WCDMA) and 4G (LTE).

The popular and most commonly used communication standards are, of course, 3G and 4G (LTE), unlike GSM, they support not only voice calls, but also allow you to actively use the Internet and make video calls. The data transfer rate of 3G and LTE is much higher - up to 173 Mbps.

Number of SIM cards

SIM+SIM/microSD

Currently, the most popular smartphone models are dual SIM options, such as work and personal numbers in one device. Or different internet and calls packages are also more convenient to have with two sim cards. In the model under consideration, the slots are different in type for different cards. This option allows the owner to use, for example, two SIM cards and a memory card. These types of slots are typical for models of the middle and entry levels. The very mode of operation of the active cards is variable, that is, when a call or a message is received on one of the sim cards, the other card becomes inactive and it is impossible to receive a message or a call to it.

SIM card type

The Asus smartphone has a type of sim card - nano-sim. This type is the smallest of all representatives - 12 x 9 mm. Having a minimal size, this card has retained all the standards, pin layout and main functions. Such cards appeared in 2012, they are the heirs of micro-sim.

Wireless interfaces

ASUS Zenfone Max main communications:

• GPRS. Such a data service as GPRS allows the smartphone to work with even the most outdated GSM networks that are still found.
• EDGE provides speeds up to 480 kbps, it is used in a smartphone in rare cases when others do not work.
• WiFi. A wireless connection provides a connection to various Internet accesses and allows you to use local network resources. The Direct mode in the wi-fi function allows you to connect one device to another for remote control, and the Hot-Spot mode turns the phone into a mobile hotspot and “distributes” the Internet.
• bluetooth. This technology helps to connect devices to each other using wireless communication.

More often this function is used to connect wireless headsets, gadgets and fitness sensors, in this case the mobile device itself acts as a control panel. And also a popular use case is to transfer data and files directly to another device. Depending on the capabilities of the devices, the connection range can reach 50 m, more often - about 10 m. A more improved version of Bluetooth v 4.2 allows you to reduce power consumption and increase the data transfer range.

LiPo battery

This type of battery is much more compact than other representatives, but the disadvantage of this battery can be considered an increased sensitivity to low temperatures.The battery capacity is 4000 mAh, which is a good indicator at which the phone will work even with a serious load all day.

The non-removable battery of the model has both positive and negative sides. The positive ones include the non-collapsibility of the phone design, it makes the smartphone reliable, protected from moisture and dirt. Of the negative points - the inability to replace the battery yourself, in the event of a breakdown, you must immediately carry it to a service center.

Navigation

The presence of the aGPS (Assisted GPS) system allows you to reduce the connection time by obtaining information from the nearest cellular station. The GPS module determines geographic coordinates and shows the location on the map. Working with the GLONASS satellite navigation system provides positioning accuracy up to 1.5 m. And GLONASS also ensures operation in case of failure of other navigation systems.

Multimedia

The phone, thanks to the presence of an FM tuner, in addition to receiving the broadcast of a radio station, can act as a radio receiver.

Connection ports

Smartphone model ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL has several connection ports:

1. microUSB. One of its main functions is to connect your phone and computer to transfer data, install updates and manage contacts. Also, this port is used to charge the battery from an external device or to connect accessories.
2. Mini-jack (3.5 mm). This type of audio connector is common in mobile devices, as most wired accessories (speakers, headphones, and headsets) use it.
3. The fingerprint scanner.It is located at the back, with its help you can easily restrict access to the smartphone by unauthorized persons, only the owner's fingerprint stored in the system's memory can unlock the phone. Such blocking is very reliable, even in comparison with a digital code. With the help of fingerprints, you can also speed up the launch of the application, for this you need to set up different programs for drawing lines of different fingers.

Additionally

The phone is equipped with features such as a gyroscope (to track the angles and speed of rotation of the smartphone in all three axes, used for games using gestures), proximity sensor (to automatically lock the screen during a call, lock manually, in this case, the phone is not required ) and a flashlight (not powerful, but sometimes necessary).

Owner reviews

Phone owners have different opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of the model. The most common pros and cons are listed below.

• Metal case;
• stylish design;
• brightness and quality of photos;
• big screen;
• speed of work (especially on the Internet);
• inner memory;
• wide-angle camera;
• fingerprint sensor;
• full flash drive
• two sim cards.

• Weak front camera (image blurry);
• heating of the device during operation;
• the battery is quickly discharged;
• low-quality sound;
• the time settings are lost;
• difficult to find accessories;
• the connection is lost;
• system failure;
• arbitrary disconnection of the phone;
• periodic disconnection of data transmission;
• slippery body;
• glass is easy to scratch;
• phone freeze;
• inconvenient music player.

In conclusion, we can say that for its price the smartphone is well equipped, the processor performance allows the phone to work without “glitches”.For basic workloads, RAM is enough. ASUS Zenfone Max M1 (ZB555KL) is a decent smartphone model by 2018 standards. For a phone of this price segment, it has a good level of work and appearance. The phone has good indicators for being in demand on the market - it is a good camera, various types of blocking, a 4-core processor, compactness, a large screen and others. This is a worthy representative of smartphones in its price category.