Asus, a leading brand in the technology world has extended the Zenfone series with the announcement of its two new smartphones Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 inch (ZC553KL) and 5.2 inch (ZC553KL) on 9th November, 2016 in India. Both smartphones brag elegant design and look premium at hands. They are equipped with advance cameras with the latest technology, powerful processors and long-lasting batteries. Users get OTG cable along with the smartphones to transfer files quickly and charge other devices.

We got the chance to get the first impressions of ASUS Zenfone 3 Max variants, so we thought to come up with an article that talks about all the Zenfone 3 Max features, specifications, camera details, price and availability in India. This article will help you to decide whether you want to buy Zenfone 3 Max or not.

Zenfone 3 Max Design and Build

Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL has a sleek design and is beautifully crafted with 2.5D contoured glass and aluminium-alloy. The phone features 5.5 inch FHD display (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution) with 73% screen-to-body ratio and thin 2.25mm bezel. It measures 151.4 x 76.24 x 8.3mm and weighs 175 grams.

Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL is also strongly build with aluminium-alloy and 2.5D contoured glass on the front. The phone boasts 5.2 inch HD display (1280 x 720 pixels) with 400cd/m2 brightness, 2.25mm bezel and 75% screen-to-body ratio. Dimensions of the phone are 149.5 x 73.7 x 8.55mm and it weighs 148 grams, so feels extremely light in the hands.

Zenfone 3 Max Specifications

Both smartphones run on popular Android M OS and have ZenUI 3.0 skins at the top of it. The ZC553KL model is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-core 64-bit processor for fast and fluid performance and includes advanced Adreno 505 GPU to deliver excellent graphics. The phone offers 3GB RAM for smooth multi-tasking and comes with 32GB internal storage capacity, which can be expanded up to 128GB via micro SD card.

The ZC520TL runs on powerful Quad-core processor (64-bit architecture) bundled with the Mali T720 GPU. The phone comes with 3GB RAM and offers 32GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 32GB through micro SD card. Both phones are equipped with ICEpower enhanced speaker and dual microphone with active noise cancellation. They also feature Audio Wizard to improve the audio experience.

Zenfone 3 Max Camera Performance

Camera quality of the Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL is remarkable and it features a 16MP PixelMaster camera with five-prism lens, dual flash and f/2.0 aperture. The phone offers triple technology, autofocus system that includes laser, phase detection and conventional contrast detection to provide lighting fast autofocus of 0.03 seconds.

The camera also comes with electronic image stabilization (EIS) system to capture stable videos, even when the camera is shaking. The camera allows users to capture Super Resolution 64MP images and offers multiple modes like Panorama, Selfie, Time Lapse, Low Light, Super HDR etc. to take incredible pictures. ZC553KL also comes with an 8MP PixelMaster front camera with f/2.2 aperture and various modes like HDR, Lowlight, and Beautification.

The Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL features a 13MP PixelMaster rear camera with five-prism Largan lens. The camera offers several modes such as Time Lapse, Low Light, Panorama, Super HDR etc. and allows users to take 52MP Super Resolution images too. The 5MP PixelMaster front camera with f/2.2 aperture lets you take respected selfies. The front camera also provides multiple camera modes like Low Light, Backlight (Super HDR) and Beautification to enhance the imaging experience.

Zenfone 3 Max Battery and Connectivity

Both variants of Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL and ZC520TL) pack a strong 4100mAh lithium-polymer battery along with features like Reverse Charging and Super Saving mode, but since the processors are different in both smartphones, the battery life also differs.

The ZC553KL offers standby time up to 38 days on 4G network. It also provides talk-time up to 17 hours on 3G network, music playback up to 72 hours, video playback up to 18 hours and Wi-Fi web browsing up to 19 hours.

The ZC520TL provides 30 days of standby, 20 hours of talk-time on 3G, 18 hours of web browsing on 4g/LTE, 15 hours of video playback and 87 hours of music playback.

Both phones have dual SIM card slot and accept Nano SIM as well as Micro SD, both ZC553KL and ZC520TL support 3G and 4G/LTE network bands too.

For wireless connectivity the ZC553KL comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot and Wi-Fi Direct. It also packs GPS, AGPS, Bluetooth 4.1 and has an accurate fingerprint security sensor on the back side that registers up to five fingerprints and unlocks the phone in 0.3 seconds.

The ZC520TL also equips advanced connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, GPS, AGPS, Bluetooth 4.0 and rear fingerprint sensor.

Zenfone 3 Price and Availability

The Zenfone 3 Max 5.2 inch (ZC520TL) is priced at INR 12,999 and is available on all major e-commerce websites and offline retailors across the country. The Zenfone 3 Max 5.5 inch (ZC553KL) is priced at INR 17,999 and will be available by the end of November, 2016.

Both variants of Zenfone 3 Max will be shipped in three magnificent metallic colours – Glacier Silver, Titanium Grey and Sand Gold.

Zenfone 3 Max: Whether to Buy it or Not?

Asus has always come up with innovative products to improve our daily life and that’s why its smartphones have gained success globally in the past couple of years. Zenfone 3 series is already making a mark all over the world and Zenfone 3 Max is no more different. Zenfone 3 Max has enough power to play games without any lag while its powerful battery makes it apart from its competitors. Not to forget, ASUS Zenfone 3 Max design which makes it most beautiful phone out there with big battery that works as a power bank too and superb camera performance.

We think that ASUS Zenfone 3 Max has all the major points that makes it worthy to buy. What are your thoughts, do let us know in the comments section below.