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

ASUS phone - 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 is in great demand. It belongs to one of the popular brands of manufacturers and is in great demand in the equipment 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 ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL smartphone. This product can be attributed to the budget option, the manufacturer's recommended price is ~ 11,990 rubles.

Appearance

The body of the device is a monoblock with a one-piece structure and no moving segments. This type is simple, has a presentable appearance and is highly durable. The metal of the case is an aluminum alloy with a colored 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 right side panel there are “volume” and “power” switches. There is a card slot on the left, AUX is on top, and a microphone jack is located just above. The surface of the case is matt, reflective. The main camera is on top of the body, the flash is below the main camera. The fingerprint scanner is slightly immersed in the body, easy to use.

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

Phone characteristics

Device type - smartphone.

Smartphones today are changing the way we think about 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 a mobile device.

Hardware part

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

Adreno 308 GPU

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

The interface is well optimized, easy to use and easy to 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 configure the sound and notifications of different events in one application.
2. There are dynamic icons.
3. Saving energy consumption.
4. The 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 5.5 IPS display resolution of 1440 x 720 is quite suitable for everyday use. A clear and smooth image, the presence of the optimal number of display colors allows you to feel the depth of color. The color calibration and resolution of the phone is good.

Judging by the size of the display, the merits of the 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. The only drawbacks of the large screen are the inconvenience in management and the price of the device itself (the wider the diagonal, the higher the price of the phone). Although, manufacturers compensated for the inconvenience in management by installing special programs that make it easy to operate the smartphone with one hand.

Compared to a keypad, the touch screen provides more data entry and more convenient control of phone functions. For the touchscreen, the manufacturer uses 2.5D glass, which has edges curved towards the body of the smartphone, while the phone becomes more comfortable in the hands and the appearance is sleek. The display of the mobile phone itself is covered with Gorilla Glass. This type of glass avoids scratches and protects against impact.

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

Camera

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

This way of combining cameras gives additional possibilities: 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 wider shooting possibilities. One of the cameras has a high resolution due to the dual video module, the second camera is wide-angle, the focusing of such a camera is very fast.

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

Communication standards

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

The popular and more 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 speed for 3G and LTE is much higher - up to 173 Mbps.

Number of SIM-cards

SIM + SIM / microSD

Currently, the most popular smartphone models are variants for two SIM cards, for example, a work and personal number in one device. Or different packages of the Internet and calls are also more convenient to have with two SIM cards. The model under consideration has different slots 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 mid-level and entry-level models. The operating mode of operating cards itself is alternating, that is, when a call or a message arrives 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. With its minimal dimensions, this card retains all standards, pinout and basic functions. Such cards appeared in 2012, they are the heirs of micro-sim.

Wireless interfaces

Main communications ASUS Zenfone Max:

• GPRS. A data service such 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, used in a smartphone on rare occasions when others do not work.
• Wi-Fi. Wireless connection provides connection to various Internet access and allows you to use the resources of the local network. Direct mode in the wi-fi function allows you to connect one device to another for remote control, and Hot-Spot mode turns the phone into a mobile hotspot and "distributes" the Internet.
• Bluetooth. This technology helps to connect devices with each other using wireless communication.

Most 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 transmission range.

Li-Pol battery

This type of battery is much more compact than other representatives, but the disadvantage of this battery is its 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 long.

The non-removable battery of the model has both positive and negative sides. The positive is not the collapsible design of the phone, it makes the smartphone reliable, protected from moisture and dirt. From the negative points - the inability to replace the battery yourself, in case of breakdown, you must immediately carry it to the service center.

Navigation

The presence of aGPS (Assisted GPS) system allows you to reduce the connection time by receiving 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

Due to the presence of an FM - tuner, the phone, in addition to receiving broadcasting of a radio station, can act as a radio receiver.

Connection ports

The ASUS Zenfone Max (M1) ZB555KL smartphone has several connection ports:

1. microUSB. One of its main functions is to connect the phone and computer for data transfer, update installation and contact management. 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 jack 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, the phone can only be unlocked by the owner's fingerprint entered in the system memory. Such a lock is very reliable, even in comparison with a digital code. Using fingerprints, you can also speed up the application call, for this you need to configure different programs to draw lines of different fingers.

Additionally

The phone is equipped with such functions as a gyroscope (to track the angles and rotation rate of the smartphone along all three axes, used for games using gestures), a proximity sensor (to automatically lock the screen during a call, manually lock, 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 body;
• stylish design;
• brightness and quality of photos;
• large screen;
• speed of work (especially on the Internet);
• inner memory;
• wide-angle camera;
• fingerprint sensor;
• full-fledged flash drive;
• two sim cards.

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

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