Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 32 GB / 3 GB

Powerful octa-core processor

Asus has only 1% of the smartphone market and is not very successful in this business. Zenfone Max Pro M1 may not be a breakthrough, but it will definitely take its place in the sun. The main reason for its success is the combination of the Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor and the Adreno 509 graphics core.

Usually, 8 cores are a luxury for inexpensive smartphones, and such a combination with a GPU is rarely seen in new smartphones under $300. What can I say if the same iron is in the recent Zenfone 5, which is in a different weight category.

Battery that lasts for 25 hours of Full HD video

Another strong point of the smartphone is a capacious 5000 mAh battery, which, according to the manufacturer, is enough for 200 hours of music and 25 hours of Full HD video viewing. We will not undertake to confirm these figures, but the battery is really powerful. Most smartphones in this category are equipped with 3000 mAh batteries.

Slim and light body

Despite this, the case turned out to be quite thin and light — only 8.5 mm thick with 180 grams of weight. But the appearance turned out to be somewhat old-fashioned. Perhaps we are too accustomed to smartphones with notches? Almost the entire “face” of the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is occupied by a 6-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of Full HD + (2160x1080 pixels). As for the screen, there are not enough stars from the sky: the brightness margin is good, the colour reproduction is not perfect, but by the standards of the low-cost class it is quite good.

Support for NFC and contactless payments

The screen is covered with a protective glass with a 2.5D effect. The design can hardly be called “frameless”, since the frames are rather plump at the top and bottom. Moreover, there are no buttons or a fingerprint scanner on the bottom panel, and it is not used at all.

ZenFone Max Pro M1 is equipped with a standard bundle of microUSB port and 3.5mm audio output. There is NFC for contactless payments, which greatly expands the functionality of the smartphone. In general, if you love mobile games and are looking for the best price-performance ratio, then be sure to consider the Max Pro M1 candidacy — there is a chance that it will become a "people's" smartphone.