So far I have already shared my Unboxing and Early Impressions of the latest ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Lite as well as some sample camera photos ....
So far I have already shared my Unboxing and Early Impressions of the latest ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Lite as well as some sample camera photos. You can check out those links to take a look in case you have not seen nor read them yet. Now for this post, I would like to share the five things I really like about this new "Battery King" smartphone, as what ASUS is calling its new big battery-equipped devices under the Max series of ZenFones.
So in no particular order, here they are.
1. Accessories:
When I unboxed the ZenFone 4 Max Lite, I was really surprised to see what accessories the phone comes with. In addition to the usual wall charger, USB-to-MicroUSB charging cable and SIM tray ejector, it is also packed with an in-ear type of earphones. At first I really thought it would just a regular round earphones knowing that it was officially priced below Php8K. I like in-ear earphones as they cancel out most outside noise and they are really good in terms of quality, so knowing this pair is in there, I was sold already.
Another surprise that greeted me upon unpacking was the USB OTG (on-the-go) dongle. Most Android devices we know support this USB OTG functionality for moving files in and out of the phones, and almost all of them do not really provide this particular dongle in their packaging. ASUS does, on the other hand, with the Zen 4 Max Lite. Why? I don't know. But I guess to give us an immediate access to this phone's unique feature, read on or see number 4 of this list to know.
2. Battery Life:
Battery is one of the ZenFone 4 Max Lite's main offerings. It packs a massive 4100mAh juice right underneath its back panel. I used to own the original ZenFone Max (review) which had a humongous 5000mAh pack right out of the box, so I know beforehand what I was getting with this new generation of Max, at least in terms of battery performance.
This handset is able to last me up to two full days without recharging. I can't say I am heavy on smartphone use, I barely play games and when I do it's mostly the light ones. But I am out of the house most of the day of the week and that means I am always connected to the online world using this phone's 4G LTE connectivity support to check updates on my friends and on the blogs I follow online. Also, I check my social media accounts and blog feed readers like almost every 15 minute, all day, until I get home. So I guess you can also say I am a heavy smartphone user in that regard. Two days of battery life in a single charge is definitely a big deal for me. In other words, I can say that battery life performance on Zenfone 4 Max Lite is just terrific.
What about charging time? With my original ZenFone Max it took me between 4 and 5 hours to fully charge from 0%, about 1 hour per 1000mAh. That's a long time of charging, every time.
With the Zen4Max Lite, its 4100mAh only takes me about almost 3 hours to fully charge. It is even shorter when I am not using the phone while being charged. And I think that is very good based on my experience.
3. Design
Being a ZenFone 4 device itself, the Max Lite shares similar design language, both front and back faces, with its siblings such as the ZenFone 4 Max (hands-on review) and the also-new ZenFone Max Plus. It is available in three different colors, Deepsea Black, Sunlight Gold, and Rose Pink. Thankfully I was able to get my favorite color variant, black, and it adds even more premium look and feel to the phone. As you can see in the last image above, the 2.5D curved glass edges are being emphasized even more especially when light hits those curves.
The size of the phone itself and the rounded corners are not just for achieving stunning aesthetics, they also provide better grip. In other words, the ZenFone 4 Max Lite is easily operated using one hand which is a great feature when a user does not have that big of a hand or longer fingers.
Additionally, the fingerprint scanner placement! While many users prefer it to be on the back for a much easier access using the index finger, I think it is just perfectly placed here. First, since I started using the phone I never encountered any issue reaching it since the handset is not that big which, like I said, very easy to operate one-handed, and when the phone is lying on its back, I don't need to pick it up, flip it around or what not to unlock it, very convenient. Second is, it also serves as a home key.
4. Reverse Charging:
One of the rare features of the ZenFone Max series, that I don't remember being offered by other devices, is the Reverse Charging technology. And that feature makes sense for a smartphone with big battery like this one. Most often than not, you have other battery-operated devices with you apart from this one, or perhaps another smartphone you own. If they run out of battery juice on the go, this feature will come in handy. Yes, you can charge other devices using the ZenFone 4 Max Lite like a spare powerbank. Remember the USB OTG dongle I mentioned in the list number 2? You are going to need that to use this feature. Simply plug in the microUSB end of the adapter to the ZF4 Max Lite and connect the other USB end to the other device's charging cable and you are good to go. See illustration above.
5. Price:
Of course nothing I mentioned above would be even more attractive if the phone's official asking price is not included in the list. When the original Max was released in 2016, it was priced Php8,495, the ZenFone 3 Max 5.2" was at Php8,995, and the ZenFone 4 Max at Php9,995. This makes the ZenFone 4 Max Lite, at only Php7,995, the most affordable Max offering ever released by ASUS.
Bonus. The Sim Tray:
I think this one is also worth mentioning in this post. Almost every Android smartphone released here in the Philippines both offer dual SIM functionality and a support to microSD card for storage expansion. The only problem is, a lot of them come with what is called "Hybrid SIM Tray" where the second SIM slot occupies either a second SIM OR a microSD card. And that is not a good news for Pinoy users who rely on more than one cellular network at the same time.
ASUS is generous enough to still include a triple-slot SIM tray in this ZenFone 4 Max Lite. Meaning you can all use two SIM cards and a microSD card (up to 256GB) all at once.
ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Lite specs:
- 5.2-inch HD Display
- 1280 x 720 resolution
- 64-bit quad-core Snapdragon 425 processor
- Adreno 308
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB internal storage
- Supports microSD card up to 256GB
- 13MP + 5MP dual rear camera with 120-degree wide angle lens
- 8MP front camera
- Android 7 Nougat
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
- 4G LTE
- Dual-SIM (non hybrid)
- Fingerprint Scanner
- Deep Sea Black, Sunlight Gold, and Rose Pink
- 2x faster reverse charging
- 4100mAh battery
- Php7,995
The ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Lite is now available in the Philippines in all three color variants. Just visit any ASUS concept stores, authorized retail partners or this page from Lazada (sold by MemoXpress) to buy yours.
