The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 is definitely a good smartphone as it has respectable specifications for its price and also a vanilla Android which is fast and we all loved. Well, if you can’t afford that one then you better go for the affordable version, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2. Check out our review of the smartphone below.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Design and hardware

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is different from the pro brother as this one packs a metal body design which is way different to the glossy plastic design of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 which looks way more beautiful but hey, the Max M2 does feel more solid because of the metal body design.

Inside the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is a large 5000mAh battery and surprisingly, the body of the smartphone wasn’t heavy and the ergonomics of the smartphone just felt right and yeah, it’s even slimmer than the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2 despite being the “pro” brother.

At the back of the smartphone is where you can find the fingerprint scanner but unfortunately, there’s no face unlock on this smartphone which is a disappointment as a lot of smartphones in its price range now have this feature.

On the right side of the smartphone is where you can find the power button and also the volume rocker of the smartphone while on the other side is the card tray in where you can house two sim cards and also a microSD card while the 3.5mm audio port is located at the top and the micro USB port is located below the smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Display

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 has a 6.3-inch display which is an ideal size for most mid-range smartphones these days and then there’s the wide notch at the top. Unfortunately, the display of the smartphone is only at 720p which is a dealbreaker for some people but don’t worry about its colors as this one will be just fine and it’s good enough to be used outdoors so yeah, no problem with this one except if you’re not a fan of the display of the smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Battery life

The main feature of the Zenfone Max series is its battery and this one comes with a 5000mAh battery and in our PC Mark Battery test, we got a score of 10 hours and 6 minutes which is what we can expect from this smartphone as ASUS smartphones with 5000mAh battery tend to have a shorter battery life compared to other smartphones with the same capacity.

But hey, in real life usage, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 can last really long and I didn’t have any problems with this one in normal usage as the smartphone can last a day of use which is a good thing.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Software

One of the best things about the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is its software, there’s the stock Android experience on this smartphone as the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 doesn’t feature ZenUI, unlike other smartphones. No ZenUI, no problem. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 and I love every bit of it as this one is fast and navigating on the smartphone won’t be a problem at all.

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Performance

The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 and Max Pro M2 didn’t disappoint when it comes to performance but how about the Zenfone Max M2? Well, it was actually fine. The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is powered by Snapdragon 632 processor which is a fair midrange processor.

In our gaming test, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 along with the 3GB RAM did just its job as expected. It’s not the most powerful in its price range but it’s definitely capable of running apps and some games at toned-down specs. Check out the scores that we got on the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 in some benchmarking applications.

In gaming, the ASUS Zenfone Max M2 was able to play some recent games including NBA 2k19. We set the game at medium settings and we were able to play the game but if you want to make it smoother, you can set it at lower settings.

You can check out the GameBench Benchmarking app at (https://www.gamebench.net)

You can also download the app at the Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamebench.metricscollector)

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Camera

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 features a 13-megapixel+2-megapixel rear camera. The camera is not perfect but it does well for its price. Some of the shots that I got were a little bit overexposed but some of the shots were surprisingly fine. Most of the shots are actually better than I expected. Oh, and yes, we do have a portrait mode on this smartphone. Check out our sample shots using the smartphone:

ASUS Zenfone Max M2 Review: Verdict

There are a lot of smartphone below the Php10,000 mark right now in the market and this one is a solid contender if you’re looking for a smartphone with decent battery life but it was not as long as I expected. The camera is surprisingly decent too and the software is just something that I really love on this smartphone as it brings a smooth and stock Android experience. However, there are a lot of smartphones that are more powerful in its price range.

if you’re planning to play some games on this smartphone, be sure that you’re just playing games that aren’t really demanding as the ASUS Zenfone Max M2’s Snapdragon 632 processor isn’t as powerful as the Snapdragon 660 of its bigger brother, the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2. But hey, this one is affordable and you should consider that one

The ASUS Zenfone Max M2 is priced at Php8,995.