After being teased via ASUS’ official Facebook page and its launch in Russia, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 is finally here in the Philippines. The latest in ASUS’ ever-expanding lineup of Max smartphones, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 still sports one of the most identifiable features of the Max range: a large battery. But what has ASUS done with this new iteration? Let’s find out with our first impressions of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2.
ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
| Screen | 6.3-inch, FullHD+, 2280 x 1080, 94% NTSC, 450nits, Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| RAM | Up to 6GB RAM |
| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo (Stock) |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Primary, Sony IMX486 Sensor, 5MP Secondary |
| Front Camera | 13MP + 8MP |
| Storage | 64GB expandable up to 2TB via dedicated MicroSD slot |
| Network | Dual Nano-SIM, 4G, LTE |
| Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, MicroUSB |
| Others | NXP-9874 Audio, Fingerprint Scanner, Facial Recognition, Triple-cut SIM tray |
| Battery | 5,000mAh |
First Impressions
As far as the packaging goes, ASUS has revamped the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2’s box with a bolder and more eye-catching design. Found inside the box is the smartphone, documentation, a MicroUSB cable, and a wall charger.
Disclaimer: The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 that we received isn’t a retail unit. Thus, some freebies like the silicone case and earphones aren’t included in the package.
A more premium feel
One of the biggest departures of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 from other entries in the series is its premium build. Unlike previous Max smartphones, like the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 now comes with a glass back instead of a plastic rear with a matte finish. As expected, however, the glass back is dust and fingerprint magnet.
Breaking up the glass rear cover are the ASUS logo, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, an LED flash, and the main cameras. The dual rear cameras are composed of a 12MP main camera with a Sony IMX486 sensor that promises up to 1.9x light improvement over the sensor of the ZenFone Max Pro M1. The 5MP secondary camera at the rear acts as a depth sensor in order for the main camera to take better bokeh in portraiture shots.
ASUS is also bringing the AI camera capabilities on the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2. This allows the smartphone to have 13 types of AI scene detection depending on the conditions while taking a photo.
The Max series goes the way of the notched display
Previous additions in the ZenFone Max range have stuck to 16:9, and more recently, 18:9 aspect ratios. The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2, however, have decided to join the notched display party. Now, the smartphone comes with a notched 6.3-inch 19:9 FullHD+ screen with 94% NTSC and is capable to create screen brightness of up to 450nits.
The ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 is the first smartphone in ASUS’ arsenal to have the brand new Corning Gorilla Glass 6 (and one of the few available in the Philippines).
The smartphone’s notch houses a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP secondary shooter. The front-facing cameras enables the smartphones’ facial recognition software for face unlock.
The Max we’ve known before
Like its predecessors, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 comes with a rather large battery. With a battery capacity of 5,000mAh, the smartphone is aiming for 2 days of non-stop use. The smartphone also comes with flash charging via MicroUSB that can top off the battery in under 3 hours from 0% to 100%.
We’re still waiting on a few updates in order to fully test the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2. Based on what we’ve seen so far, however, the smartphone is shaping up to be the Max’ series first premium smartphone. We’ll be uploading our full review of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 in the coming days so stay tuned to see how the latest smartphone from ASUS performs.
