Smartphone Asus Zenfone Max (M1) ZB556KL - advantages and disadvantages

The ASUS Zenfone Max line of smartphones is notable for its affordable price, a capacitive battery and a filling that is quite productive for the declared price. This article discusses the characteristics of the younger model of the line, the ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB556KL smartphone. The device has good autonomy indicators, which will please those who actively use a smartphone, are on trips and travels.

The main advantages of the device are a 5.5-inch display, a dual rear camera, support for two SIM-cards and a memory card, with the ability to connect them simultaneously. ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB556KL comes with a Snapdragon 425 processor and 16 GB of internal memory (with 2 GB of RAM). As for the cost of new items, it varies from 9,000 to 10,000 rubles.

General specifications

1. The material from which the case is made is metal;
2. Device dimensions - 70.9 x 147.3 x 8.7mm (width x height x thickness), weight 160g;
3. Processor – quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 MSM8917;
4. Video processor - Adreno 308;
5. Built-in memory - 16 GB
6. RAM - 2 GB
7. Support for two SIM-cards with a variable mode of operation, simultaneously with the connection of a memory card;
8. Pre-installed operating system - Android 8.0;
9. Screen type - touch multi-touch, 5.5 inches diagonal, image size is 1440 × 720 (293 pixels per inch);
10. The aspect ratio of the screen is 18:9;
11. Battery capacity - 4000 mAh, battery type Li-polymer;
12. Main camera (rear) - dual 13/8 MP, rear LED flash, autofocus and macro mode;
13. Front camera - 8 MP, viewing angle is 85 degrees;
14. Support for audio formats - MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA;
15. Headphone jack - 3.5 mm;
16. Communication - GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, VoLTE;
17. Support for standard LT bands - FDD-LTE: bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20; TDD-LTE: band 40;
18. Interfaces - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB;
19. Built-in navigation system - GPS / GLONASS / BeiDou
20. Availability of A-GPS system.

Additional features

• voice dialing;
• voice control;
• light and proximity sensors;
• gyroscope;
• compass;
• fingerprint scanner;
• face unlock function;
• torch.

Design and equipment

The device is packaged in a bright blue cardboard box, on the back of which all the main technical characteristics of the device are listed, as well as the color of the smartphone.

The phone kit includes:

• User's Manual;
• a special key for the SIM card tray;
• Charger;
• micro-USB cable;
• warranty card.

In terms of design, the ZenFone Max (M1) has a large 5.5-inch screen with thin bezels, making it compact and neat. The case is made of high-quality plastic with stylish metal inserts, the design is ergonomic, provides comfortable use and provides more screen space. The smartphone is available in two colors - gold and black. The fingerprint scanner is located on the back of the device, the screen unlock function works in just 0.3 seconds.

On the top end panel there is a 3.5 headphone jack, on the bottom there is a microphone and a USB port. The space above the display is occupied by the earpiece, front camera, proximity and light sensors, as well as the notification LED.

The right side is equipped with volume buttons, a button to turn the device on and off. On the left side is a tray for two SIM-cards and microSD memory cards.

• pleasant, tasteful design;
• high build quality of the device;
• Sturdy housing design, screen is scratch-resistant;
• affordable cost;
• conveniently located fingerprint scanner;
• quick screen unlock;
• fast and accurate work of the GPS-navigator;
• comfortable dimensions of the smartphone;
• ergonomics;
• little weight.

• The fingerprint scanner is sometimes slow.

Performance

The device is equipped with a fairly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor, which has good performance and low power consumption.Thanks to this, installed applications load quickly, video playback is smooth and without delay. In general, we can note the rapid response of the system and the user interface.

ZenFone Max (M1) supports two SIM cards and one microSD memory card up to 256 GB, allowing them to run simultaneously. The data transfer rate is 150 Mbps, and there is also support for 4G and 3G.

A lot of attention in this smartphone model is paid to the control of energy consumption - here it is possible to control this parameter using a special built-in ASUS Power Master application. It is designed to monitor the state of the device's memory, control the number of running applications, in addition, it has many other useful features and recommendations for improving performance, saving energy and extending autonomy. Thanks to the application, the system works stably and smoothly.

How does this system work in practice? According to user reviews, the device can easily handle more than a dozen running applications, including online shopping, photo editing applications, social networks and games at the same time. At the same time, the system does not freeze and shows a high level of performance. Heavy games are more difficult to launch, so this model is not suitable for gamers, but fans of small simple mobile games will be able to please themselves.

• large amount of memory, allows you to install a large number of applications;
• simultaneous installation of both SIM-cards and a memory card;
• good performance figures.

• heavy games run only on low settings (for example, the game CarX Drift Racing, which runs without brakes and lags, but only on low texture settings);
• the system runs slower when quickly switching between multiple applications.

Screen

The ASUS ZenFone Max (M1) has a large, high-quality screen in a compact body. The display diagonal is 5.5 inches, the aspect ratio is 18:9, the screen is based on an IPS matrix with a resolution of 1440 × 720 (HD + format). The sensor responds quickly, multi-touch supports up to 10 touches at the same time. Glass with rounded edges protects the screen from damage. The image is clear and rich, which allows you not only to comfortably view photos, web pages, videos, but also read books.

• the image on the screen is perfectly visible even in bright sunlight;
• large display size;
• contrast, brightness, color reproduction are natural, provide comfortable viewing of images, videos, as well as pleasant reading.

• the automatic light level detection function does not always work correctly.

autonomy

The model is equipped with a capacious battery (4000 mAh), providing decent battery life. Also, the aforementioned integrated PowerMaster intelligent energy management system contributes to an increase in the autonomy indicator. In addition, the battery of the ZenFone Max (M1) is equipped with a serious protection system - a set of functions aimed at controlling the temperature of the device and electrical protection.

As for the maximum possibilities of autonomy, then at the highest mark of screen brightness, the device works without recharging for 7 hours, while there is still 20% of the battery charge. If the battery charge drops to 10%, it is possible to activate the super power saving mode, which allows you to extend the device's operating time up to 108 hours (in standby mode).

With continuous use of applications, the smartphone shows the following indicators:

• GPS navigation - 2.5 hours of work;
• watching video in FullHD format - 1.5 hours;
• photo and video shooting - 30 minutes;
• mobile 3D games - 30 minutes of continuous play.

The smartphone comes with a charger with a quick charge function, which takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery, and in 15 minutes the smartphone can be brought ready for a four-hour conversation. The power of the charger is 10W.

• With active use of the smartphone, the battery discharges rather slowly.

• a full battery charge takes a very long time;
• lack of fast charging function.

Camera

The dual rear (main) camera - 13/8 MP has a wide-angle lens (120 degrees), and allows you to take high-quality pictures under various lighting conditions, as well as pictures of landscapes - the wide-angle camera can capture all the most important details and objects. This feature is also great for creating dramatic photos that show the scale of a subject or emphasize the depth of a large space. And thanks to PixelMaster technology, images are clear, including the smallest details.

The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels and a viewing angle of 85 degrees.These are decent indicators for a budget smartphone, allowing you to take a fairly high-quality selfie and make video calls. It is worth noting the high quality of color reproduction of both cameras of the device. There is also an LED flash.

Photo examples

• good video quality;
• rich, detailed photos;
• front camera of good quality;
• the flash is quite soft.

• at low light levels, pixelation and blurring are observed.

Interface

For the ZenFone in question, a proprietary ZenUI user interface was specially developed. The design of the interface has been updated in accordance with the current installed version of the Android 8.0 operating system. The ZenUI shell is distinguished by a variety of settings, features and functions with which the interface can be easily customized to your preferences - choose your favorite theme from the many available options, including icons, backgrounds and other design details. It is worth noting that the ZenUI interface allows you to make partial changes to the theme of the smartphone.

Also, the model is equipped with a face recognition function as an alternative unlock method. The fingerprint scanner may not always be convenient or available (for example, in winter, when gloves are on), besides, the face recognition function is a reliable phone protection against hacking.

• the smartphone is equipped with convenient free applications;
• pleasant and understandable interface of the proprietary shell;
• convenient settings;
• high sound quality: at low frequencies it does not press on the ear, at high frequencies it does not sound too harsh;
• communication is stable and of good quality;
• the sound in the speech dynamics is clear, loud enough, the interlocutor is clearly audible even in a noisy environment;
• powerful vibrating alert.

• no built-in equalizer;
• the face recognition function does not always work quickly and correctly.

Safety

The ZenFone Max (M1) is equipped with a variety of security features:

• device temperature monitoring and protection against possible overheating;
• short circuit protection;
• protection against the occurrence of voltage overloads (both at the input and at the output);
• ensuring safe operation during mobile battery mode;
• controller reset protection and other functions.

Conclusion

Smartphone ASUS ZenFone Max (M1), despite its relation to the middle price category, has good performance and autonomy. The device is well suited for those who are used to actively using this device without saving on screen brightness. The quality of the screen, the main and front cameras are fully consistent with the declared value. It is also worth noting that despite the absence of some common and fashionable features on the smartphone market, ASUS ZenFone Max (M1) has a fairly modern filling, supports the main audio formats, communication types, and the design looks dignified and stylish.