All things BRIGHT and BEAUTIFUL

An affordable 4G smartphone with premium build, a large display, and the ability to function as a power bank thanks to its large 5,000 mAH battery, the ZenFone 4 Max Pro from Asus will delight shutterbugs with its 16-megapixel front and dual-lens rear camera. It’s powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octacore processor 1.40 GHz and it runs on Android Version 7.1 operating system.

The smartphone is equipped with 3 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and has 32 GB of internal memory, which is expandable with a microSD card up to 256 GB. Unlike in other brands where they share the same slot, the microSD expansion and second nano SIM slots are separate, meaning you can expand the storage and use two SIM cards at the same time.

The ZenFone 4 Max Pro has 5.5-inch IPS display with 720x1280 pixel resolution so it’s easy to read. And even though the Snapdragon 430 is not a flagship processor, it is fast enough to enjoy all the smartphone functions. I found both the touch screen and menus responsive during the test.

Moreover, the ZenFore 4 Max Pro supports playing High-Resolution Audio in FLAC 24bit/192 kHz format very well. I tested it with Sony’s MDR1ADB Hi-Res Audio headphones and was pleased to find that the smartphone played Hi-Res Audio files with good sound quality, good details and powerful bass.

ZenFone 4 Max Pro comes with fast Internet connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE 4G and was pleased to find that apps were downloaded fast and my snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos in no time. I measured the data connection speed with Ookla Speedtest app and here again the ZenFone 4 did well, downloading at 67.11 Mbps and uploading at 31.07 Mbps.

I also used the TrueVisions Anywhere app to watch streaming channels from TrueVisions and was able to enjoy several popular channels, including True Sports, National Geographic Channel, CNN, True Asian Series HD, Paramount, and Sony Channel, smoothly.

ZenFone 4 Max Pro’s rear dual camera system is great for landscape shots because it uses a dual-lens system to achieve 120-degree wide angle camera, allowing you to fit more scenery and people in the frame. And with a design that gives it a 200-per-cent wider view than most smartphones, it’s also good for shooting group photos in confined indoor spaces. The rear camera’s lens is bright with f/2.0 aperture and has very fast phase detection auto focus of 0.03 second. It uses PixelMaster camera technology, with eight photography features.

The auto mode integrates high dynamic range (HDR) with low light technology, extending the range by four times and enhancing brightness by up to 400 per cent for evenly exposed daytime photos with detailed shadows and highlights.

Its Super Resolution mode captures multiple shots simultaneously and combines them into a single, stunningly detailed 64MP photo. Its GIF Animation adds an entertaining twist to shooting movies, and Panorama and Selfie Panorama mode lets you capture stunning 270degree landscape photos.

During the test, I could easily capture great shots using the auto mode. The camera system did not have shutter lag and was responsive.

The ZenFone 4 Max Pro can also capture great selfies with Softlight LED flash and live beautification features. The Softlight LED flash delivers the perfect amount of fill light, giving your selfies a softer look with true skin tones. You can use beautification mode to retouch your selfies with skin softening mode, skin brightening mode, eyes enhancement mode and cheeks thinning mode.

ZenFone 4 Max Pro can serve as a power bank thanks to its large 5,000 mAh battery. The package comes with a micro USB-to-USB Type A adapter that lets you plug your USB charge cable into it. It monitors charge levels and will not allow its own battery to drain below 30percent capacity.

The 5,000 mAh battery provides 3G talk time up to 40 hours or video playback up to 22 hours and Wi-Fi browsing up to 26 hours.

The fast-charging technology allows the battery to be recharged for three-hour use in just 15 minutes. Asus PowerMaster ensures safety through temperature monitoring and overvoltage protection.

ZenFone 4 Max Pro has a premium metal body and is available in three colours – Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold and Rose Pink.

You’ll find it in stores for Bt7,990.

 

KEY SPECS

- Networks: LTE Cat4, HSPA+, EDGE, GPRS, GSM

- OS: Android 7.1

- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octacore processor 1.4 GHz, GPU: Adreno 505

- Memory: 3GB

- Storage: eMCP 32 GB, expandable with microSD card up to 256 GB

- SIM: dual nano SIM slots

- Display: 5.5-inch IPS display with 720x1280 pixels

- Main camera: 16 MP f/2.0 dual-lens system with PixelMaster 4.0

- Front camera: 16MP f/2.0 with PixelMaster 4.0

- Wireless technology: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi direct

- Navigation: GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BDS

- Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerator, ECompass, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor

- Battery: 5,000 mAh, 2x faster reverse charging

- Dimensions: 154x76.9x8.9mm

- Weight: 181 g