ASUS ZenFone Max M2 Review – The smartphone that offers decent gaming performance at only RM699

As you probably know, the ASUS ZenFone Max series has been famous for its ultimately long-lasting battery at an affordable price. We reviewed the ZenFone Max Pro M2 last time, and recently we have got the latest mid-range smartphone – ZenFone Max M2 in our hands. Here is our ASUS ZenFone Max M2 review where we will talk about our experience and our thoughts on it.

The Design

Different from ZenFone Max Pro, ZenFone Max comes in a slimmer metal body design that gives out a premium feel. Although it doesn’t look as beautiful as ZenFone Max Pro’s glass body, the metal body attracts fewer fingerprints and is still comfortable to hold. The model we get is in Midnight Black, while there are another 2 colours available for Malaysia including Space Blue and Meteor Silver.

The device features an upgraded 6.3-inch all-screen HD+ display (with a notch on the top) that offers up to 88% screen-to-body ratio. Just like most of the other large display smartphones, ZenFone Max put its fingerprint sensor at the back, while the dual-lens rear cameras are located on the left side corners.

ZenFone Max M2 Specifications

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 Octa-core Processor
• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 506
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 2TB with microSD card)
• Display:  6.3-inch HD+ IPS display
• Resolution: 1520 x 720
• Cameras:
  • 13MP+2MP, f/1.8 aperture dual-lens rear camera
  • 8MP, f/2.0 aperture front camera
• OS: Android 8.1
• Size: 158mm x 76mm x 7.7mm
• Weight: 160g
• Colors: Midnight Black, Space Blue, Meteor Silver
• Battery: 4000mAh with fast charging

The Performance

The overall performance on ZenFone Max is pretty good considering that it is a mid-range smartphone. It powers the Snapdragon 632 processor and Adreno 506 GPU along with 4GB of RAM. Its internal storage is originally 32GB but you can expand it up to 2TB with SD cards if you require more space to store your favourite mobile games.

You can expect a decent photography experience with ZenFone Max, as it is having a dual rear camera featuring 13MP f1.8 wide-aperture lens + 2MP bokeh lens. The image quality is clear and detailed under bright conditions, however the camera performance under low-light conditions is only adequate. The smartphone will get AI scene detection in the near future to optimize your shots too.

Some photos we took using ZenFone Max M2:

I personally like the audio performance on ZenFone Max. The smartphone uses a five-magnet speaker with a metal voice coil, driven by a powerful NXP low-distortion smart amplifier to offer a loud and crystal-clear sound. Playing PUBG Mobile feels more immersive especially when firing the weapons. In addition, it has a massive 4000mAh battery allowing you to game for a couple of hours without having to recharge. It supports fast-charging as well!

The Gaming Experience

ZenFone Max is a pretty decent mobile device for gaming. We tried out the popular PUBG Mobile, Identity V, Cyber Hunter as well as the recently launched Revolve 8 on it. Well, you can’t expect the phone to run these games at its highest graphics settings, but you still get an enjoyable gaming experience as the games run smoothly on the device.

Running Cyber Hunter for 30 minutes and the battery drop is only 9%, kind of a result that we are expecting. The phone doesn’t heat up too much while gaming too. However, it doesn’t support 5GHz WiFi connection so the in-game ping might be a little disappointing.

The Verdict

In short, ASUS ZenFone Max M2 is a decent smartphone offering features that match its medium price range. At only RM699, the device comes in great specifications as well as acceptable gaming performance. You should consider this one if you wish to own a new smartphone but have a limited budget. For more information about the device, you can visit the official ASUS website.

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