If there is one phone most smartphone companies in India, especially Xiaomi, must watch out for, it’s the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. On Monday, the Taiwanese company launched it at a price starting Rs 10,999 (for the 3GB variant with 32GB storage). The 4GB variant with 64GB RAM will cost Rs 12,999, while a 6GB version, with some flagship-level features, will be available later for Rs 14,999.
Even the base variant, which competes with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Honor 9 Lite, packs a punch. It is powered by a massive 5000mAh battery, and its six-inch full HD+ display and a dual-camera system is packed into a surprisingly compact body. Asus has given it the energy-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 mobile platform, and Adreno 509 graphics—resulting in enhanced responsiveness and good gaming performance.
Like some high-end smartphones, the Max Pro M1 has an all-metal body with a 2.5D-curved display glass. Despite a considerably bigger battery, it weighs 180gm—around the same as its competitors.
In a first for Asus, the company has given it the Android 8.1 Oreo, the latest version of the Android user interface that is high on productivity. The hallmark of the Max Pro is the huge battery capacity. The company claims it can last up to 20 hours of YouTube video playback, up to 42 hours 3G talk time, and up to 28 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing. Its fast charger can top up the battery from 0% to 100% in 2 hours and 42 minutes.
