ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC520KL) - Review of a not at all sad smartphone

17.01.2018

I’ll write right away that, as messages on the Internet show, users have very different impressions of ASUS smartphones - some admire them, while others hate them and regret the purchase. I think that each individual copy is worth considering, because smartphones even from the same batch can differ significantly in build quality, and the firmware can be both stable and filled with glitches. What am I talking about? Just in case, I would like to warn you that you, dear smartphone users, may have a different experience of using the device from mine, so you shouldn’t write curse words in the comments and try to prove that everything works great for you, as sometimes happens on that same Helpix. But if I miss something, and this will probably happen, then I will only be glad to receive comments.

Purchase

Information about recording on a standard voice recorder:

If you speak into the bottom microphone, then the sound in the headphones goes more to the left channel, and if the sound source is closer to the side hole, then to the right. The quality of the recording on the voice recorder is good, but during a telephone conversation it is worse (using standard means) - the interlocutor did not even recognize me by my voice, maybe this is also somehow connected. ☺

Connection

You can choose from one of the SIM cards that works on the 4G network, while the other will pick up 3G. The list of frequencies also included LTE Band 20, desired by some, so in Russia fourth-generation communications should work in all regions and with any operators.

The bars of the network signal reception indicator sometimes jump from three to four and back, so we can assume that the smartphone does not perfectly catch the network, but in fact, during a conversation, the connection is good within a large city. There are complaints that if the interlocutor ends the conversation, and the user does not have time to take the smartphone away from his ear, the screen still lights up and accidental clicks occur.

The volume of the ringing speaker during a call is below average. During games, and even not all of them, you can use the settings to increase the sound, but it’s quite possible to miss a call. As for quality, using an equalizer you can achieve good results - initially, at maximum, wheezing is heard.

The vibration is a little audible when the smartphone is on the table, but in a jeans pocket you can feel the vibration slightly, and even then when you are not in motion.

The earpiece suited me in terms of volume - on the street the interlocutor can still be heard, but the quality of speech transmission cannot be called ideal, and it is because of this, and not because of the volume, that sometimes I have to ask the interlocutor again about what was said earlier.

Hard drives and flash drives work great with a smartphone via USB-OTG, but when connecting, it’s better to select “Regular reverse charging” in the pop-up window, because I personally have problems detecting connected gadgets with “Fast charging”.

The device also has the ability to charge other devices, and here again fast charging does not work, probably due to the lack of it in the reviewed model. The maximum current does not exceed, but remains stable at around 0.95 A (at the same time the voltage sags). Such a relatively large current, in theory, will allow you to connect power-hungry hard drives and other devices that do not work with conventional mobile devices to the device.

For 10 minutes of charging other devices at maximum current, 6% of the charge is spent when the screen is off. In the best case, the smartphone will last in this mode for about 2 hours 40 minutes, but, quite possibly, even less, so it is better to charge gadgets that have a small battery capacity (a fitness bracelet, for example). If ASUS is turned off, then charging gadgets and other things does not occur.

Single-band Wi-Fi works stably and receives a good signal.

Camera

The main cameras are not able to create a bokeh effect, or at least not yet, at the time of writing this review. There are complaints about the poor quality of the pictures, and there are indeed rare overexposures and focusing problems, but, in my opinion, everything is not that bad at all. Users recommend installing a third-party camera, and just below I suggest you compare pictures taken from a standard camera and from the Open Camera application.

At first glance, I don’t notice the difference, but if you do Crop 100%, you can see that in photos taken with Open Camera, small inscriptions in the background are better visible. On the other hand, the standard application sometimes focuses better on front objects, so everything is quite controversial here.

All these pictures were taken in automatic mode, but there is also manual mode, which is recommended to be used by those who understand how to improve a photo. You can switch between the rear cameras: one of them is normal, and the other is wide-angle, with the help of which more objects are placed in the frame. Initially, the wide-angle camera settings are set to 2 megapixel resolution, but it can be changed to 5 megapixels. It’s better, of course, to take photographs with the main module - the photos will be of higher quality.

The main module:

Additional wide-angle module (same shooting point):

In the dark with flash:

Panoramic shot:

When recording video, there is automatic focusing, but by pressing the display you can switch to manual focus mode. There are frame drops of up to 10-15 FPS during the day, but at night the result can remain around 28-30 frames per second. Overall I rate the quality as quite good, the only thing is that it’s better not to take pictures while moving.

Shooting with a wide-angle module:

The rear flash noticeably illuminates various objects when taking photographs, but the bad thing is that it is not so useful as a flashlight: only 59 lux from a distance of 50 cm in any flashlight applications. However, it could have been worse.

I rate the quality of photographs taken with the front camera as decent - good for selfies in good lighting, although the face is slightly blurred, and even in the dark the picture is automatically brightened. There are various beauty modes that smooth out facial imperfections, and in the settings you can set the shooting of panoramic selfies, but I never learned how to get an even picture - there are always gaps when gluing together in one or another part of the photo.

At first, out of habit, the front flash blinded me, but after a dozen shots I more or less got used to it. The light is really bright and is not used for show, as in some devices. In the camera settings, you can turn on the front flash as a flashlight, and the brightness, like the main one, will be approximately 59 lux from 50 centimeters.

Camera interface:

Autonomy and charging

All tests were conducted with screen brightness set to 50% and headphone volume also set to 50% (when required and unless otherwise noted). The phone had Wi-Fi and two SIM cards - one with 4G connection, the other with 3G. A memory card was also inserted.

GPS test on a windowsill: 14 hours 15 minutes.

Phone conversation with the screen locked: 24% charge in 10 hours.

Epic Citadel launched: 9 hours 10 minutes.

Indicator behavior:

ASUS introduced new models of its “tenacious” smartphones in the middle of this summer. Immediately after this they went on sale. Today on the agenda is a review of ASUS ZenFone 4 Max with a capacious battery. We will try to figure out how many days the device will last without recharging and what other interesting options are included in its price tag.

Price and main characteristics

ZenFone 4 Max can already be purchased in Russian retail chains. Starting price – 11,500 rubles or $199.

Specifications:
display: 5.5”, IPS OGS HD 1280*720 px (297 ppi);
processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (1.4 GHz) + Adreno 308 video accelerator;
RAM: 2/3 GB;
internal memory: 16/32 GB + micro SDXC flash cards up to 256 GB;
camera: main – dual module 13+2 MP, front – 8 MP;
communication: LTE Cat.4 FDD, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC;
battery: 5000 mAh.
Dimensions: 154 x 77 x 8.9 mm;
Weight: 181 g

The smartphone is aimed at a youth audience who value a large screen and a capacious battery for long-term shooting of videos or watching movies. The remaining characteristics of the device are not so remarkable for this price category.

Equipment and appearance

The white cardboard box of the device is wrapped in a bright blue cover with an image of a smartphone on the front side. The ZenFone 4 Max package is practically no different from its predecessor. Inside you can find a 5V/2A charger, a microUSB cable, an OTG adapter for charging third-party gadgets, a clip for removing the SIM card tray and documentation.

The design of ZenFone 4 Max does not shine with any innovations. Externally, the smartphone is very similar to the weighted Zenfone 3 Zoom with a button on the front panel. The device has quite large dimensions due to the 5.5-inch screen and wide frames on the sides. In addition to the width, the device is also quite weighty and has a large width. What can you do, you have to pay for a 5000 mAh battery.

The position is slightly smoothed out by the sloping sides and rounded corners of the body. By the way, the case itself is not all-metal; at the top and bottom of the rear panel there are two plastic inserts, separated by shiny rims. The surfaces of the smartphone are matte, metal practically does not collect fingerprints, and they can also be easily removed from glass thanks to the oleophobic coating. But the body does not have enough “grip”; it may well slip out of dry palms. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a protective bumper immediately.

The front panel is protected by tempered Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Above the 5.5-inch display is a front-facing 8-megapixel camera, a missed events indicator, a set of sensors and an LED flash.

Unfortunately, the touch buttons on the bottom are not backlit, which is a little inconvenient in the absence of lighting. The fingerprint scanner is highlighted with a small indentation.

On the right is the screen activation button and the volume rocker. The keys have notches, making them very easy to feel blindly.

The combined SIM card slot on the left side is different from the traditional one. There are as many as three cells for two SIM cards and one memory card, so you don’t have to choose between them.

At the bottom end there is space for a microUSB connector and two symmetrical grilles. Under one of them there is a multimedia speaker, under the second there is a microphone.

At the top is a 3.5 mm headphone output and a second microphone for the noise reduction system.

The dual main camera module is located on the rear panel. It is covered with oval glass, which does not protrude above the body. A little to the right is the LED flash.

Overall, the design and usability of the ZenFone 4 Max leaves a neutral impression. The smartphone cannot be called beautiful or very convenient, but you can still get used to it. The only drawbacks that can be noted are the slippery body and the paint on the back panel that peels off over time. To solve these problems, it is enough to purchase a protective case.

Screen

The device was equipped with a 5.5-inch display with an IPS matrix. It is made using OGS technology, which guarantees that there is no air gap between the touch layer and the glass. Thanks to an effective anti-glare coating, information on the screen remains readable in bright ambient light. The pixel density is 267 ppi at HD resolution. You can distinguish the pixel grid from a very close distance, but during normal use it is almost unnoticeable.

When tilted to maximum viewing angles, the display slightly changes its hue to yellow or purple depending on the side of the tilt. Multi-touch supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. At the presentation of the smartphone, a glove control mode was announced, but we did not find this option in the device settings. Otherwise, the screen is quite consistent with its price category: rich colors, good brightness and excellent oleophobic coating.

Performance

We tested a version with a Snapdragon 425 processor and 2/16 GB of memory (there is also a model with a Snapdragon 430). The chipset is complemented by the Adreno 308 video accelerator. The ZenFone 4 Max platform can be classified as a below-average solution, since the smartphone is noticeably inferior to devices powered by Snapdragon 625 or MediaTek Helio P10.

The ZenFone 4 Max interface works flawlessly, and you can already notice stuttering in games with 3D graphics. The gadget is sufficient for carrying out everyday tasks for now, but its potential for future updates is doubtful. It's nice to be able to expand the internal memory using a separate microSD slot in the SIM card slot.

Camera

A system of two cameras is used here as the main photo module. The main 13-megapixel has an OV13855 sensor, f/2.0 aperture and a lens with an 80-degree viewing angle. The auxiliary role is played by a 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a wide-angle 120-degree lens.

The main dual camera shoots below average with poor white balance and a lot of noise. There is PDAF phase detection autofocus, focusing here is quite accurate and fast. For more fine-tuning of shooting parameters, you can use the professional mode, which allows you to manually set white balance, shutter speed and light sensitivity. The maximum resolution of recorded video is FullHD at a frequency of 30 frames per second.

Example video:

The front camera uses an 8-megapixel camera with an OV8856 sensor and f/2.2 aperture. Selfies are not the worst; in normal lighting you can get quite decent pictures. But in all other conditions, dynamic range leads to too dark or overexposed areas in the photo.

Speaker, sound quality

The speaker is of average quality, the interlocutor can be heard well, but occasionally there are hissing sounds. An incoming call is almost impossible to miss due to the very loud multimedia speaker.

ZenFone 4 Max surprisingly produces very good sound from the headphones. Here you can feel the clear high frequencies and there is a large volume reserve. The smartphone will definitely please music lovers and ordinary users.

Battery

It uses a 5000 mAh lithium polymer battery inside. According to the manufacturer, this is enough for a whole day of continuous video playback or 26 hours of web surfing with Wi-Fi turned on.

In tests, the indicators do not differ much from those stated; in energy saving mode, the device can easily withstand up to 3 days without a power outlet. It can also be used as a power bank to charge other devices; this is why an OTG cable is included in the kit.

Communication and Internet

The device supports 2G/3G/4G CAT 4 networks throughout the CIS. ZenFone 4 Max will work without problems with all Russian operators at the required frequencies.

There is a Bluetooth module version 4.1, as well as navigation via GPS and Glonass. Wi-Fi does not support the 5 GHz frequency, and the NFC chip is also not included in the list of options. The device demonstrates high data transfer speeds when working with Wi-Fi and mobile networks.

Video review of ASUS ZenFone 4 Max

Competitors, conclusion

• Capacious battery, ability to charge other devices;
• Slot supporting two SIM cards and one microSD;
• High quality build.

• Poor performance;
• Not very high quality display;
• Tangible weight.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max can easily “survive” away from a power outlet for 3 days. This fact immediately determines the main audience of the device - people who value autonomy and independence from charging wires. Perhaps this is the only positive quality in a smartphone. The remaining characteristics pale in comparison to similar budget devices in the category up to $250.

Among the main competitors of the device are and. The first has superiority in absolutely all characteristics except the battery, and the second has one of the most balanced technical parameters on the market.

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At the end of last year, we published GfK data on the Russian smartphone market. Analysts said that ASUS took third place in the “10-15 thousand rubles” segment with a share of 10%, and the affordable long-lived ASUS Zenfone 3 Max took sixth place in sales among all smartphones over 10,000 rubles. This summer, ASUS updated its hit model, introducing a whole galaxy of different Zenfone 4 Max: this is the 5.2" model ZC520KL with a 4100 mAh battery and the Snapdragon 425 chipset, and the 5.5" version ZC554KL. It received a battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh and two chipsets to choose from – Snapdragon 425 or 430. Along with the chipset, the amount of memory also changes: 2/3/4 GB of RAM, 16/32/64 GB of ROM. There is also a Zenfone 4 Max Pro model: it’s still the same ZC554KL with 3+32 GB of memory, but with improved cameras. In Russia, versions of Zenfone 4 Max ZC554KL are available for 2+16 GB with Snapdragon 425 and 3+32 GB with Snapdragon 430, the youngest of which we will discuss.

Technical characteristics of the younger version of ASUS Zenfone 4 Max (ZC554KL):

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA (Band 1, 5, 8), FDD-LTE (Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20), TDD-LTE ( Band 40)
• Platform: Android 7.1.1 Nougat with ZenUI
• Display: 5.5", 1280x720 pixels, 267 ppi, IPS
• Camera: dual, 13 MP (capture angle 80 degrees, phase detection autofocus, f/2.0) + 5 MP (capture angle 120 degrees, f/2.2), flash, video recording 1080p@30fps
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.2, 85 degree capture angle, flash, video recording 1080p@30fps
• Processor: 4 cores, 1.4 GHz, 64 bits, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
• Graphics chip: Adreno 308
• RAM: 2 GB
• Internal memory: 16 GB
• Memory card: microSD (up to 256 GB)
• A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
• FM radio
• Bluetooth 4.1
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
• Ports: microUSB, 3.5 mm headphone
• Led indicator
• Fingerprint's scanner
• Battery: non-removable, 5000 mAh
• Dimensions: 154x76.9x8.9 mm
• Weight: 181 g

Equipment and design

ASUS Zenfone 4 Max comes in a blue and white box with the inscription “WE LOVE PHOTO”, where “LOVE” is replaced by a heart made of two Zenfone. Two Zenfone, folded into a heart, generally became a symbol of the entire fourth generation of the line. What's inside the box? Documentation, needle for removing SIM trays, charger (5 V, 2 A), USB cable and OTG wiring. With the exception of the last point, everything is as standard as possible, thanks for the OTG.

Standardity is also felt in the design of ASUS Zenfone 4 Max. The device is available in black, gold and pink versions; It has a metal body with plastic inserts on top and bottom. However, upon closer look, everything turns out to be a little more interesting. So, a black smartphone is more likely not black, but dark blue. In the promo photo this is almost invisible, but in real life the blue of the metal part is felt quite clearly. And she looks great.

Another nice detail is three separate slots, pulled out with a needle from the left side: two nano-SIM and one microSD. No combination trays, which are so annoying to many customers. Pleasant little things include the knurling of the lock and volume buttons, which makes them easier to feel. And one more thing: the front flash is located under a common glass with the rest of the front panel, and therefore looks much more organic than that of the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, for example.

I have no complaints about the build quality of ASUS Zenfone 4 Max; the device is built tightly, without cracks or backlash. Ergonomics are also not bad, although I would advise lowering the keys on the right side - you have to reach for the volume increase. But the fingerprint scanner on the front is good (by the way, it works very quickly - it actually reads a finger in a split second; only it takes another second to unlock). By the way, the scanner is not a mechanical button, but only a touch one. I can’t help but note that Zenfone 4 Max is not very thick (8.9 mm) and not very heavy (181 g), although it is equipped with an impressive 5000 mAh battery.

ASUS Zenfone 4 Max has a 5.5" IPS screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The resolution, frankly speaking, is not high, but Full HD would have a negative impact on battery life. The Taiwanese already took a considerable risk, putting IPS in the long-lived version rather than energy-efficient AMOLED The result is acceptable picture clarity (after all, no PenTile), good white color, not the deepest blacks, maximum viewing angles (with strong inversion along the diagonals!) and excellent brightness (there are no problems on the street). The screen easily collects fingerprints, but They can be easily erased and the sensor can simultaneously recognize up to ten touches.

Software

ASUS Zenfone 4 Max runs on the Android operating system version 7.1.1 Nougat, flavored with proprietary ZenUI firmware. Not 4.0 yet, but the manufacturer has promised to release an update. By the way, Oreo will also be available for this model (this was said publicly during the press conference). In the meantime, only two minor updates have arrived via OTA. Well, like minor ones - 700 MB each. I talked about the firmware in detail in the review of Zenfone 3 Zoom; Since then, nothing has changed dramatically, so I suggest re-reading that material. Well, a gallery of screenshots:

The ASUS shell looks clumsy (judging by the screenshots of ZenUI 4.0, this will soon come to an end), but it captivates with its widest functionality and high-quality translation into Russian. The smartphone has a lot of pre-installed software - standard applications redesigned by the manufacturer, a collection of Google software, a set of Apps4U from Facebook (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram) and several proprietary ASUS programs: themes, a mirror with BeautyLive decorator, ZenTalk forum, weather, FAQ, Service Center and WebStorage . Of all the pre-installed programs, only WebStorage can be removed, unfortunately.

There is one very annoying thing in ZenUI: autocorrect in the stock keyboard. More than once I had to correct brilliant sayings and apologize: “asus autocorrect,” but every time the keyboard turned it into “vinegar autocorrect.” Mecca = boredom, Beijing and Tomsk = rector and search, quieter = artichoke, iPhone = district, teaser = leaders and so on. In just a week of use, I've accumulated a whole collection. It is unlikely that you will be able to use this; you will have to install another keyboard from Google Play. You can further reduce the aggressiveness of autocorrect, but then it will start missing typos. The keyboard itself, by the way, is the best stock one I've seen: easy access to punctuation marks and mathematical symbols, a constant line of numbers - cool. I hope that in ZenUI 4.0 the keyboard will lose its main drawback.

Cameras

ASUS Zenfone 4 Max has two rear cameras: regular and wide-angle. The first has a resolution of 13 megapixels, a viewing angle of 80 degrees and an aperture of f/2.0. “Shirik” is simpler: 5 MP, f/2.2. But as much as 120 degrees! Before discussing the results of the shooting, let's study the camera application. It’s called “photo” and is replete with all sorts of buttons and switches. There are five of them in the bottom row: switch to the favorite mode, record video, photo, switch to the front camera, exit to the gallery. Just above the shutter button is a switch between regular and wide-angle cameras. A swipe on the left gives access to different shooting modes, and on the right – to effects (does anyone use them?). There are few settings, there are only the most necessary ones. From the unusual: you can turn on shooting by touching any point on the screen or disable autofocus by setting permanent focus to infinity. Don't ask why.

The main camera takes good pictures. I can’t, of course, call these pictures outright masterpieces, but for the price category of the Zenfone 4 Max they are good. Sometimes the frames for some reason turn out a little noisy (even in good lighting), sometimes their edges are blurred. But usually the smartphone takes good photos with high detail, correct white balance and low noise levels. See for yourself:

Taking photographs with a wide-angle module is a completely different matter. Their detail is poor. However, that’s not why they are needed – the main thing here is to capture as much of everything as possible in the frame. And there are no problems with this. Examples of photos taken with the main and wide-angle cameras in comparison:

The ASUS Zenfone 4 Max camera has a very good pro mode. You can adjust white balance (in Kelvin, rather than choosing between several options indicated by icons), exposure compensation, ISO (from 50 to 3200), shutter speed (from 1/40000 sec to 1/3 sec) and focal length. There is also a horizon and a histogram! Examples with and without HDR:

Without HDR – with HDR

But the super-resolution mode is practically useless - files with it begin to weigh more, and increased detail is obtained by raising the contrast, which is especially noticeable on wires. It’s interesting that with super resolution, color rendition turns out to be more correct.

Regular Resolution – Super Resolution

The panoramas are not particularly detailed. The horizontal resolution is about 4 megapixels, the vertical one is about 7 megapixels.

Now about the selfie. The front camera of ASUS Zenfone 4 Max has a resolution of 8 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.2. On paper everything is fine, but the self-portraits themselves did not impress me at all. For undemanding users (and that’s the majority), it’s enough, but the Zenfone 4 Max definitely doesn’t belong to the category of selfie phones (this was left for the Zenfone 4 Selfie) – the photos are often blurry, and the detail is not encouraging even during the day. You can decorate your face according to Chinese beauty standards, you can take selfie panoramas (I still haven’t figured out how).

The video is recorded in 1080p@30fps on any of the three cameras. The quality is equally mediocre. The smartphone lacks at least a digital video stabilization system. The sound is recorded well. There is constant autofocus when shooting with the 13-megapixel main camera, its speed is good. There is a mode for shooting slow-motion videos, but it actually shoots time-lapses (acceleration from 30 to 150 times).

Performance and tests

I have already said that in the ASUS Zenfone 4 Max family there are models on two different chipsets - Snapdragon 430 and 425. We are testing a model with SoC number 425. This is a weakened version of the Snapdragon 430, deprived of four of the eight Cortex-A53 cores (the frequency of the remaining quartet – 1.4 GHz). But that’s not so bad: the main thing is that instead of the Adreno 505 video accelerator used in the Snapdragon 430, there is an Adreno 308. This doesn’t need any comments, I think. A word to benchmarks:

How are things going with games? The undemanding Moto Rider and Air Attack 2 run flawlessly. Asphalt Extreme can be played at maximum speed, but the picture becomes smooth only with optimal graphics. In Unkilled, lags haunt the player even on medium, so you have to set the minimum settings. Injustice 2 runs surprisingly well, albeit with reduced graphics (on automatic). The smartphone does not throttle and practically does not heat up, which is good (especially considering the metal body).

Now about the battery. As much as 5000 mAh! It would be nice to see fast charging included, but 5V/2A will do just fine. In normal use, I managed to discharge it in 2.5 days and 8.5 hours of screen time. Excellent result. In the video playback test (maximum brightness, Bluetooth/GPS/Wi-Fi/4G on, no sound), the smartphone was discharged in 14.5 hours, which is a record for IPS smartphones we have encountered. In Aspahlt Extreme, the discharge per hour was 11% (expect 9 hours of play), the GFXBench T-Rex long term performance forecast (a test based on Manhattan 3.1 is not available) is a little more optimistic - 10.5 hours. There is a strange option in the PowerSaver application that allows you, by sacrificing a little battery life, to increase the battery life (that is, make it lose capacity more slowly). Of course, we weren’t able to check how it works during a week of testing. By the way, Zenfone 4 Max can charge other phones, so it can be used as a second smartphone with a powerful battery in addition to its main cool flagship.

Discharge when showing video

Discharge in the game Asphalt Extreme

The version of the smartphone we received for testing has only 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. After the first turn on, the user has only 7.43 GB of memory - this, of course, is not enough. The ability to install microSD is good, but I would like the smartphone firmware to weigh less and pre-installed software to be removed.

conclusions

The price of ASUS Zenfone 4 Max is 13,990 rubles. Throw in one or two thousand - and you can go to retail stores for Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Meizu M5 Note or Nokia 6. But is it worth it? The Taiwanese budget phone has several serious advantages - excellent battery life, a high-quality screen and a dual camera that allows you to take wide-angle photos and use an advanced professional mode. The software can also be considered a plus: ZenUI is already very functional and convenient, and in the fourth version, it seems, it will become even more beautiful. The disadvantages are a crazy keyboard, a rather weak processor and a small amount of built-in memory (this can be solved by installing microSD, which in the Zenfone 4 Max does not take up the SIM slot).

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max is a mid-priced smartphone based on an 8-core SoC, with a dual rear camera, a front flash and a 5000 mAh battery that can act as a power bank for charging a variety of gadgets. It’s just some kind of universal a soldier who costs much less. Of course, in some ways it should be inferior to the basic model of the modern ZenFone line. And the differences are noticeable even at a quick glance at the declared characteristics. The display resolution is lower, the thickness and weight, on the contrary, are greater, the processor may be 8-core, but from the 400 family, the microUSB connector instead of USB Type-C, and the dual cameras are simpler. Another extremely surprising difference is the lack of support for the WiFi 802.11ac (5 GHz) standard, although the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip supports it.

Specifications

Appearance

The smartphone is housed in a relatively compact case with a thickness of 8.9 mm. The weight of the device is not the smallest in its class, but rather average. But in any case, it is difficult to carry such a device in your breast pocket. The build quality is good, but there are a few shortcomings. Firstly, when you try to twist and squeeze, the case gives way noticeably, although it does not make sounds like crackling or squeaking. Secondly, the mechanical volume control and lock keys rattle when you shake the smartphone, which is very annoying. Otherwise, there are no comments about the build quality.

The front side is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass with a 2.5D effect, and the back panel is made of aluminum alloy. A dark modification was provided for testing, which in theory should be resistant to fingerprints. But in practice, due to the matte surface, the “fingers” are visible only when exposed to direct rays of hard light, and they are easy to wipe off. In the pink and gold version, you don’t have to worry about fingerprints on the back of the smartphone.

On the front side above the display there is an LED indicator, a light sensor, a speaker, a camera window, and an LED flash. The latter is extremely rare in smartphones, and even in selfie-oriented ones. Below the display is a large fingerprint sensor, which also functions as the Home key. The sensor reads fingerprints very quickly and accurately, and during testing it failed only a few times when working in the cold. The icons for the “back” and “multitasking” touch keys are mirrored, so they are clearly visible in bright light. However, they are not backlit, so in the dark you have to rely on muscle memory. The surprising thing is that ASUS spared no space and money on the front flash, but at the same time saved on a cheap function like backlit keys.

A pair of cameras and an LED flash are visible from the rear. There are plastic inserts at the top and bottom that hide the antennas.

On the left side surface there is a tray for simultaneous installation of a pair of SIM cards in nanoSIM format and microSD format media. On the right side surface there are volume control and lock keys.

At the top end you can see a 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone jack and a microphone. At the bottom there is a microUSB connector, and under the decorative grilles there is a system speaker and microphone.

Display

The smartphone is equipped with an IPS matrix with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The HD resolution is small by modern standards, but for a workhorse like the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max, it's quite enough. In addition, low resolution has a positive effect on battery life. The display has an oleophobic coating, which is nice. In addition, the display supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. This cannot be said that there is an urgent need for this, but it’s like everyone else’s, and without a hint of “budgetism.”
The maximum brightness of the display was slightly lower than that of its predecessor - 413.05 cd/sq.m. But the new product has a lower black field brightness, which at maximum backlight power is 0.41 cd/sq.m. That is, the final static contrast is 1007:1. Excellent result. But when the viewing angle deviates, the brightness drops sharply, and accordingly, the contrast also drops significantly. It doesn't go as far as inverting colors, but viewing angles are still relatively small. The color deviation Delta E on the gray wedge is in the range of 1.5...14.7. For primary colors (RGBCMY), the deviation ranges from 2.5...7.3, which is a fairly good result. The color temperature is slightly higher than the standard and is in the range of 7355...7627K. Color temperature adjustment is not provided. The color gamut is slightly different from the standard sRGB color space.

Sound

The smartphone uses one earpiece and one system speaker. The earpiece is quite loud, and its sound is clear without obvious defects. The volume of the system speaker is average. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter, a level of 70.2 dBA was recorded. When setting the maximum volume level, the speaker does not creak, does not hiss, does not choke, but the sound quality does not cause delight. The sound is flat, with a weakly defined high-frequency range and poorly developed mids. In general, it’s not suitable for watching a movie, but it’s better to watch music videos with headphones connected.

But, unfortunately, there is a problem with headphones, and a serious one. When playing a test signal with a load of 32 ohms, a level of only 107.1 mV was recorded. The result is so modest that, just in case, all volume limiters and controls in the smartphone’s sound settings were rechecked. With such a maximum level, even low-impedance headphones will not save you in a noisy metro.

Performance

The smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip (MSM8937), made using a 28 nm process technology. This SoC is equipped with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, half of which operate at frequencies up to 1.4 GHz, and the other half at frequencies up to 1.1 GHz. The video subsystem is based on Adreno 505. The amount of RAM LPDDR3 (800 MHz) is 3 GB. ROM capacity – 32 GB. There is a free slot for installing microSD memory cards, which is worth writing down as an advantage of the device.

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System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was assessed using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests significantly depend on the browser used, therefore, to minimize the impact, Google Chrome will be used in all reviews, as the most common one. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
:MediaTek MT6737T (4x1.5 GHz), 2 GB RAM, 5.2 inches, 1280*720;
:Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (4x2.2 GHz+4x1.85 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1920*1080;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (4x1.4 GHz, 4x1.1 GHz), 2 GB RAM, 5.2 inches, 1280*720.

Camera

One of the important features of the smartphone is the presence of a dual camera on the back, which is not typical for relatively inexpensive devices. The main camera is quite standard - a focal length of 25 mm, and the secondary one is ultra-wide-angle, with a focal length of 17.9 mm. Of course, the additional camera is somewhat simpler than the main one. If the main one uses a 13 megapixel sensor and the lens aperture is f/2.0, then the wide-angle module is content with an 8 megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Switching between cameras is quite fast, but there is no option to take photos on both cameras at the same time.

In the automatic settings mode, the user can only select the resolution and adjust the anti-flicker. Manual settings are available only for the main camera. In manual shooting control mode, the main window displays a biaxial level and a brightness histogram, which is a very interesting bonus. From the settings you can select focus mode, shutter speed, sensitivity, white balance presets, introduce exposure compensation, as well as select exposure metering mode. Transferring camera control using the Camera 2 API is not supported, nor is shooting in RAW, while ZenFone 4 (ZE554KL) is trained for this too.

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Flashes deserve special attention. Yes, exactly the flashes, because there are two of them - on the front and on the back. At a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, the front flash was able to provide an illumination of 16.11 lux. The rear flash is not much more powerful - 22.18 lux, which is not a very good result for the main one.

Either way, selfie lovers, rejoice. But not very much. The fact is that automatics are not doing well when it comes to determining white balance when the flash is on. And everything would be fine, but in the selfie camera mode, as in the case of the wide-angle module, manual settings are not provided, so there is no way to correct the situation manually.

As in the case of ZenFone 4 (ZE554KL), the selfie mode has a background blur function. But if this function works perfectly on the older model, then on the tested smartphone it is somewhat worse. I even had a sneaking suspicion that the manufacturer deliberately worsened the performance of this mode in order to show ZenFone 4 in a better light. The front camera itself is capable of taking very good pictures, but only in sufficient lighting.

normal mode	portrait mode
Artificial lighting, 30 lux
daylight

To evaluate the image quality from the main camera, a test pattern was shot with sensitivity from ISO 50 to ISO3200 in 1 EV steps. The table below shows crop fragments.

Video recording

Both rear cameras are capable of recording video in 1080/30p mode. You shouldn’t demand more from a smartphone, because this is a limitation of the system-on-chip used. The smartphone is capable of recording videos of quite decent quality with the main camera. The only frustrating thing is the periodic sharp adjustment of autofocus, which catches your eye when viewing the footage. The quality of video shot with a wide-angle camera is not high, but you shouldn’t expect anything else from the additional module. In any case, a 120-degree viewing angle can sometimes be extremely useful. For example, the camera can be used as a car recorder. The only frustrating thing is that auto recorder programs do not see the wide-angle module, so you have to use a native program, which is not particularly suitable for this task.

Example video recording. Main camera

Example video recording. Wide angle camera

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is equipped with an impressive battery capacity of 5000 mAh. Of course, this is not a record, but for a relatively thin smartphone the result is good. When tested using our method, the smartphone lasted 1359 minutes in reading mode, 1080 minutes when watching videos (as is symbolic if there is a display with HD resolution), and in gaming mode the smartphone lasted 466 minutes. In general, on one battery charge you can spend a whole working day chopping in Asphalt.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 system-on-chip supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging, but the smartphone does not support this technology. The package includes a standard charger with a 5B/2A configuration. The battery is charged to 85% in exactly 189 minutes, and to 100% in 225 minutes.

But something more interesting is the possibility of using a smartphone as a mobile battery. The settings provide two charging modes for devices: normal and fast, which is only available when the battery charge is more than 20%. During the tests, a Xiaomi Mi5 smartphone with a practically discharged battery was connected to the smartphone under test using the included OTG adapter. In normal mode, the charging current was 0.34 A, in fast mode - 0.92 A.

Conclusion

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL) was designed according to the same patterns as the more expensive version of ZenFone 4 (ZE554KL). There are two rear cameras, a background blur function when shooting portraits, and in addition there is a front flash and a high-capacity battery. But at the same time, the manufacturer tried to place the tested smartphone and ZenFone 4 (ZE554KL) at different angles. Moreover, this is expressed not only in simpler camera modules, an HD display and a less productive SoC. For example, there is no cheap backlighting of touch keys, no support for the WiFi 802.11ac (5GHz) standard embedded in the system-on-chip. There is a deliberate reduction in cost even in small things like blurring the background when shooting portraits. In theory, the operating algorithms should be identical, but in fact, in the tested smartphone this function works significantly worse.

As for direct competitors, frankly speaking, there are few of them. With a dual camera and a battery capacity of about 5000 mAh, off the top of my head I can only think of a few models from little-known Chinese manufacturers like Doogee, Oukitel and UMiDIDGI, but none of them have a front-facing flash. There are no similar offers among well-known manufacturers, and at no price. So it turns out that if you need a smartphone and a power bank in one bottle, flavored with a dual camera, then you don’t have much of a choice. However, this does not mean that the device under test does not have disadvantages and competitors.
Minuses:
— microUSB connector;
— periodic rattling of physical keys;
— no backlighting of touch keys;
- there is no support for WiFi 802.11ac 5 GHz with support for this SoC standard;
— white balance errors when shooting with flash;
— volume level on the analog audio output.
Pros:
— dimensions and weight (taking into account the battery capacity);
— the ability to simultaneously install a pair of SIM cards and microSD media;
— the presence of a wide-angle camera (photo/video quality is not high, but it is there);
— the presence of a front flash;
— battery capacity and long-term battery life;
— the ability to use a smartphone as a mobile battery.

ASUS has already released so many cool smartphones that the word “Zenfon” risks becoming a household name, like “iPhone”. In any case, the manufacturer’s devices successfully stand out from competitors with their premium performance and quite affordable price. The model also succeeded, although not in all respects. True, at a price of 11,000/15,000 rubles for the version of the device with 16/32 GB of memory, this is a very good smartphone in the middle class. Moreover, the younger version has come very close to the budget segment of devices, retaining the high-quality style of the manufacturer in everything.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max: body and display

The 5.5-inch smartphone is made in a pleasant-to-touch metal body with rounded edges and creates a feeling of solidity of design. Analog controls sit firmly in the niches provided for them, do not play and respond accurately when pressed.

The IPS matrix of the camera phone (size 68x121 mm) displays contrasting and natural colors and ensures good readability in direct sunlight. But the resolution here is only HD (720x1280 pixels) with a pixel density of 269 dpi. However, this is not a minus, because the visual difference with FHD resolution is not noticeable at all.

All interface elements look smooth, and you won’t be able to see individual pixels on the screen, no matter how closely you look. Moreover, the lower the display resolution, the less battery power the video core consumes when rendering interfaces. So this move by the manufacturer is completely justified. As for touch input, the screen supports up to ten touches simultaneously and clearly responds to touch commands.

Another clever approach was revealed in this: the fingerprint sensor for reading fingerprints is placed on the front panel and integrated into the “Home” button. This is convenient: you don’t have to try to find the scanner on the back panel and try to reach it with your finger.

In this embodiment, the fingerprint sensor is located directly in front of the eyes and at the usual distance for the thumb. Together with a password or pattern key, this combination of technologies ensures maximum security of your data in case your smartphone is lost or, even worse, stolen.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max: different equipment options

Available in two variants: with an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and a 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425. Both chips are designed for mid-range smartphones. Our test lab tested a version with four 64-bit Cortex A53 cores (Qualcomm Snapdragon 425), operating at frequencies from 960 to 1401 MHz.

The graphics core is the entry-level Adreno 308 chip. Its performance is enough to play FHD video (there is support for the HEVC standard) and process graphical interfaces at 60 FPS at HD resolution. Such a module, alas, will not support hardware-demanding games, but not very resource-intensive mobile toys and casual solutions will work on it.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 allows the smartphone to support Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-fi 802.11 “ac”, LTE Cat.4 and NFC. Unfortunately, in practice, I didn’t get a dual-band Wi-Fi module, limiting myself to the “n” standard, just as I didn’t get an NFC module. This move by the manufacturer can be explained - all this would significantly affect the rise in price of the device.

But the smartphone can work with two SIM cards simultaneously, and the second slot will not force you to choose between a SIM card and a memory card. The latter has a separate slot in the SIM card tray. And this is a definite plus.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max: memory and battery

The smartphone has 1858 MB of RAM and only 16 GB of internal memory (eMCP standard). For a mid-class camera phone, this is not the best option, since 6.91 GB is initially reserved by the system, leaving the user only 9.09 GB for installing applications.

During the test, we took 230 photos with the camera and 28 screenshots, updated the OS and installed 6 test applications. After that, 6.69 GB of space remained on the internal drive. If you plan to take a lot of photographs and video, it is better to buy a microSD card with a capacity of up to 256 GB in advance. Without exaggeration, this place will last you for several years.

An obvious advantage of a smartphone with a 5000 mAh battery is its long battery life. It is immediately clear that the manufacturer approached the issue of energy conservation with all seriousness. The power consumption mode can be very finely tuned, forcing the smartphone to hold a charge for up to 3 days even with active use. And if you use it only for periodic photography, a couple of calls a day and periodic correspondence in instant messengers, you can forget about charging it for four days.

In addition, it can also act as a power bank, which will become a lifeline for your friends. who were left with a discharged smartphone at the most inopportune moment. Plus, the smartphone also implements fast battery charging technology based on Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, which allows you to charge such an impressive battery capacity from zero to 100% in 4 hours. But only when using “native” charging.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max: dual camera

Following modern trends, the smartphone received a dual rear camera. The leading camera has a matrix with a resolution of 13 megapixels, a lens system with a focal length of 3.42 mm and an f/2.0 aperture; the second is equipped with a matrix with a resolution of 5 megapixels and a wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of 120°, which is designed for taking landscape and group photographs. The aspect ratio of the frame in this situation is 4:3.

The camera app allows you to use both automatic settings and manually control the camera by activating Pro mode. For those who are familiar with the settings of DSLR cameras first-hand, the professional mode will be intuitive. Here you can independently set the shutter speed, ISO value, exposure, white balance, and even work with manual focusing.

During the test, the camera failed to surprise us with anything. In automatic mode, in daylight, white balance is determined correctly, and the detail of photographs does not suffer from artifacts. When photographing at night and in low light, you will get the expected noise in the pictures. We had no complaints about the front camera. She honestly works out all her 8 megapixels and gives fairly clear selfies.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL): Focus on a near object

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL): Focus on a distant object

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL): photo in the evening

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL): photo at night

ASUS ZenFone 4 Max: test results

We tested the performance in the synthetic AnTuTu Benchmark test, where the smartphone scored 36,397 points, as well as in the Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu Bettery Test benchmarks. In the latest battery test, the smartphone scored an impressive 25,153 points, which was to be expected. We present detailed test results in the table and screenshots below.