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

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

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

General specifications

1. The material from which the body is made is metal;
2. Device dimensions - 70.9 x 147.3 x 8.7mm (width x height x thickness), weight 160 g;
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 alternating operation mode, while connecting a memory card;
8. Pre-installed operating system - Android 8.0;
9. Screen type - 5.5-inch multi-touch touchscreen, image size is 1440 × 720 (293 pixels per inch);
10. Screen aspect ratio - 18: 9;
11. Battery capacity - 4000 mAh, battery type Li-polymer;
12. The main camera (rear) is a dual 13/8 MP, there is a rear LED flash, autofocus and macro mode;
13. Front camera - 8 megapixels, 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;
• Lantern.

Design and equipment

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

The kit includes:

• User's Manual;
• 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 a thin bezel, making the ZenFone Max (M1) compact and neat. The body 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, and the screen unlock function is activated in just 0.3 seconds.

On the upper end panel there is a 3.5 headphone jack, on the bottom - 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 an LED notification indicator.

The right side is equipped with volume control buttons, a button for turning the device on and off. On the left side there is a tray for two SIM cards and a microSD memory card.

• pleasant, tasteful design;
• high build quality of the device;
• robust construction body, the screen is protected from scratches;
• affordable cost;
• conveniently located fingerprint scanner;
• fast screen unlocking;
• fast and accurate operation of the GPS navigator;
• comfortable dimensions of a smartphone;
• ergonomics;
• little weight.

• the fingerprint scanner is sometimes slow.

Performance

The device is equipped with a powerful enough 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 delays. In general, a quick response of the system and user interface can be noted.

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, there is also support for 4G and 3G.

Much attention in this smartphone model is paid to the control of energy consumption - here the ability to control this parameter is realized using the 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 contains many other useful functions 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 easily copes with more than a dozen 5 running apps, including online shopping, photo manipulation apps, social media 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 start, so this model under review 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 memory card;
• good performance indicators.

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

Screen

The ASUS ZenFone Max (M1) features a large, high-quality display in a compact design. The diagonal of the display 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 a time. Rounded glass 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, and also pleasant reading.

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

Autonomy

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

As for the maximum autonomy, at the highest brightness level of the screen, the device works without recharging for 7 hours, while still 20% of the battery charge remains. If the battery charge drops to 10%, you can activate the super power saving mode, which allows you to extend the operating time of the device up to 108 hours (in standby mode).

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

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

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

• with active use of the smartphone, the battery is discharged rather slowly.

• fully charging the battery takes a very long time;
• lack of fast charging function.

Camera

Dual rear (main) camera - 13/8 megapixel 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 will be able to capture all the most important details and objects. This function is also great for creating dramatic photographs that show the scale of the subject or emphasize the depth of a large space. And thanks to PixelMaster technology, images are sharp, 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 rendering of both cameras of the device. There is also an LED flash.

Sample photos

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

• in low light levels, pixelation and blurring occurs.

Interface

The ZenUI proprietary user interface has been specially designed for the ZenFone in question. The interface design 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, capabilities and functions with which the interface can be easily customized to suit your preferences - choose your favorite theme from a variety of available options, including icons, backgrounds and other design details. It's worth noting that ZenUI allows you to make partial changes to the smartphone theme.

Also, the model is equipped with a face recognition function as an alternative way to unlock. The fingerprint scanner may not always be convenient, or accessible (for example, in winter, when the hands are wearing gloves), besides, the face recognition function is a reliable protection of the phone from hacking.

• the smartphone is equipped with convenient free applications;
• pleasant and intuitive 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 well heard even in a noisy environment;
• powerful vibrating alert.

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

Safety

The ZenFone Max (M1) has a variety of security features:

• device temperature monitoring and protection against possible overheating;
• short circuit protection;
• protection against 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 attitude to the mid-price category, has good performance and autonomy. The device is well suited for those who are accustomed 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 lack of some common and fashionable functions on the smartphone market, ASUS ZenFone Max (M1) has a fairly modern filling, supports the main audio formats, communication types, and the design looks decent and stylish.