Long-lasting battery that charges other devices too 

If you want a well-built smartphone that will last longer, then the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max will prove to be good choice

If you are looking for a mid-segment smartphone that stays for long as you surf, watch movies or play games, Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer ASUS has brought Zenfone 3 Max that has a 4,100mAh battery and also doubles up as a power bank for charging other devices. On top of it, the Rs 17,999 device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Here is what works

Although Zenfone 3 Max has the same design elements as other Zenfone devices, it sports a 2.5D contoured glass touchscreen, comes in a sandblasted full-metal, aluminum alloy body with chamfered edges, giving users a sturdy feel. Despite packing a 5.5-inch display, the smartphone weighs only 175 grams and is up to 8.5mm thick , making it one of the lightest smartphones with a huge battery.

The fingerprint sensor positioned at the back is also integrated with the camera and can register up to five separate fingerprints. A double tap opens the "PixelMaster" camera app and a single tap captures the photo which comes handy in situations when you do not want to miss a moment by juggling to unlock the device and then open the camera app.

The full-HD display gives 75 per cent screen-to-body ratio and delivers better sharpness. Side-to-side viewing and sunlight readability was also up to the mark. From multi-tasking to playing games, Zenfone 3 Max performed much like the Oppo F1s (that costs Rs 17,990) which is its nearest rival.

The 16MP primary camera is fast and produced good amount of detail in pictures, capturing natural colours and skin tones. If you are a selfie lover, the 20MP front camera of Vivo V5 (priced at Rs 17,980) and 16MP "selfie" camera of Oppo F1s performed better, producing sharp faces, well-adjusted colour saturation with proper contrast and brightness, than the Zenfone 3 Max that has 8MP front shooter.

For videos, an electronic image stabilisation (EIS) system in the Zenfone 3 Max counteracts hand movements, ensuring that videos captured are stable and shake-free. However, Zenfone 3 Max packs a larger battery than Vivo V5 and Oppo F1s.

The high-capacity 4,100mAh battery lasted approximately two full days before shutting down on mixed usage, including social media apps, light gaming and other productivity tools, on a single charge.

Even if you are hooked to screen every now and then, Zenfone 3 Max will easily last for a day. The smartphone also comes with an USB OTG cable that turns the phone into a charger to power up other gadgets.

The smartphone also offers performance, normal, power-saving, super-saving and customised-power modes that enable users to regulate their usage according to their needs. What does not work The design is plain and not very impressive. Images taken even in day-light conditions appear grainy when zoomed in.

Specifications

Dimensions (mm) 151.40 x 76.24 x 8.30
Weight (g) 175.00
Battery capacity (mAh) 4100
Screen size (inches) 5.50
Resolution 1080x1920 pixels
Processor 1.4GHz octa-core
RAM 3GB
Internal storage 32GB
Expandable storage Yes (128 GB)
Rear camera 16-megapixel
Front camera 8-megapixel
Operating System Android 6.0.1
SIM 1 Type Micro-SIM
SIM 2 Type Nano-SIM