Asus ZenFone 3 Max Unboxing And Second Impressions - Too Good To Resist?

Asus, the Taiwanese electronics giant is known in the world of smartphones in creating phones with bang per buck mentality. As a testament to that, we find most of their devices including the midrange ZenFone 3 to worth all your hard-earned cash.

Asus ZenFone 3 Max unboxing and impressions!

This time, we'll take a look at the most affordable member of the ZenFone 3 line, the battery-centric ZenFone 3 Max.

As a refresher, we were able to grab a hold of the prototype of this handset few months back. Even if it has a slightly lower battery capacity at 4,130 mAh against the 5,000 mAh of its predecessor, we were impressed.

Why? The build / style / ergonomics was refined and the rest of the specs is upgraded. It is also arguably the slimmest phone to pack an over 4,000 mAh of power at this price range. So again, we find the handset quite impressive.

To make things more interesting, the final retail version of the phone has improved from what we last saw. Coming from the understandably thick black border screen bezels for the price, Asus replaced it nicer type of 2.5D screen so much slimmer black border display bezels.

Anyway, lets proceed with this review part 1, unboxing and impressions of the new and improved Asus ZenFone 3 Max.

Disclaimer: This unit was provided Asus Philippines for an honest review

Asus ZenFone 3 Max (ZC520TL) Specs

Display: 5.2 Inch HD IPS 1280 x 720 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass at 282 ppi

CPU: 1.25 GHz 64 Bit MT6737T quad core processor

GPU: Mali T720

RAM: 3 GB

ROM: 32 GB expandable via micro SD card slot

Main Camera: 13 MP f/2.2 w/ AF and LED flash

Selfie Camera: 5 MP f/2.0

Battery: 4,130 mAh

OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow w/ ZenUI 3.0

Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM (hybrid)

Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass

Others: Fingerprint sensor

Dimensions: 149.5 x 73.7 x 8.55 mm

Weight: 148 g

Price: 8,995 Pesos

Unboxing / Accessories

The box of Max!

In terms of packaging design, the ZenFone 3 Max doesn't have the same "more engaging / premium" feel of the regular ZenFone 3 box. It has the same familiar look found on the older ZenFone 2 devices. Anyway, it doesn't really matter that much. What's important is what's inside the package.

So, after opening the box, we were greeted  by the visually apealling handset immediately. It was followed by the rest of the freebies such as a 2A fast charging USB wall charger, thick / durable USB to micro USB data / charging cables, ZenEar w/ mic, 3 eartips sizes (small, medium, large), SIM ejector tool, and a micro USB to USB 2.0 OTG cable.

What's inside the box?

The micro USB to USB 2.0 OTG cable can be used to charge other devices (up to 0.8A), transfer files, and connect to other USB devices.

Trying out the reverse charging feature, it works!

Overall, we liked that Asus decided to include a USB OTG cable. It would have just been better if they completed the package even with just a free TPU case.

Build Quality / Design

The sleek curved back! You'll find the microphone, main camera, fingerprint scanner, and speakers here as well!

Like what we said before, it reminds me of a combined Huawei G8 and G5 in terms of aesthetics and build.

It's enclosed in a nearly all metal aluminum shell with smooth rounded curves and slightly chamfered upper edges. At the back, its metal has some worth of matte like coating showing its shiny antenna lines. In front, the its 5.2 inch display uses a 2.5D glass.

However, Asus did not mention any sort of protection against drops and scratches here unlike the old ZenFone Max with tough Gorilla Glass 4. Fortunately, our unit still don't have even a hairline scratch. To be sure about its longevity and avoid scratches, install a case and screen protection.

Top view, showing the 3.5 mm headphone port, ear-speakers, sensors, and selfie camera

Below there's another mic and micro USB data / charging port!
The beauty of2.5D curved glass is also visible in this image!

At left, there's the eject-able hybrid dual SIM tray slot

Power button and volume rocker at right

Nearly all metal, but doesn't have Gorilla Glass anymore.

For the design, we like this phone. It looks good, it isn't that big, has a lot of gorgeous curves, and it is SLIM for a handset with (should be thick) over 4,000 mAh of juice! It's 2.5D curved glass, lack of camera protrusion, and slim black border bezels also also made the device look better.

The most stylish sub-10K phone yet?

Check the way the phone feels in the hand, it is just right. Phone with 5.2 inch are always great to hold for either one handed or two handed use. Plus, it has well machined smooth curves where you won't feel any annoying sharp edges. However, you need to be extra careful in holding this machine. It is slippery.

Then just like the ZenFone 3, the ZenFone 3 Max is now using the standard ports and buttons found on a modern phone. The fingerprint scanner is also intelligently located at the back for ease of reach.

Camera Teaser

Random daylight shot

Awkward against the light shot taken in a rainy afternoon, notice how it was still able to show some details

It's also capable of taking sharp and natural looking color tones

As of the moment

It appears that Asus curated good lovable device that's easy on the pocket, but great in style, specs, and features. Some may argue that it is just using a quad core MediaTek chip, but hey our initial benchmarks and actual usage shows that this is even speedier than some 64 bit octa core chip.

For our full review: Asus ZenFone 3 Max Review - Long Battery Life In Style!