Battle of the Max: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2

In just a span of six months, ASUS introduced two of its ZenFone Max Pro M Series smartphones last year. On June 7, 2018, they released the ZenFone Max Pro M1 as a gaming-centric device. With its fast-charge capability that can provide 60% of battery after 1 hour and 11 minutes of charging time, the smartphone became a staple for mobile gamers, like Mobile Legends, playing for over 45 matches in 1 charge. On December 11, 2018, the ZenFone Max Pro M2 was released. It has a higher RAM specification option (up to 6GB), and a much-improved camera system AI Scene Detection.

Battle of the Max: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 | Cebu Finest
ZenFone Max Pro M1 (left) and ZenFone Max Pro M2 (right)

Battle of the Max: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2

The same #BatteryKing smartphones, both ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ZenFone Max Pro M2 sport a huge 5,000mAh battery capacity. There are, however, some distinctive differences on each of the phone’s technical specifications. Let us compare both and see what factor/s may affect your decision to buying which smartphone (both are still very available in the market today).

Specification ZenFone Max Pro M1 ZenFone Max Pro M2
Finish / Color Meteor Silver
Deepsea Black
Midnight Blue
Cosmic TItanium
Capacity Internal storage
eMCP 5.1 32GB / 64GB

MicroSD card
Supports up to 2TB

Google Drive
100GB free space (1 year)

Internal storage
eMCP 64GB

MicroSD card
Supports up to 2TB

Google Drive
100GB free space (1 year)

Weight and Dimensions 159mm x 76mm x 8.45mm

Weight
180 grams

157.9mm x 75.5mm x 8.5mm

Weight
175 grams

Display 6-inch Full HD+ (2160 by 1080) 18:9 Full View IPS display
Front 2.5D curved glass display
1500:1 contrast ratio
85% NTSC color gamut
450nits brightness
404ppi pixel density
Capacitive touch panel with 10 points multi-touch
6.3-inch FHD+ (2280 by 1080) IPS display
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6 for best screen protection
90% screen-to-body ratio
94% NTSC color gamut
450nits brightness
1500:1 contrast ratio
Capacitive touch panel with 10 points multi-touch (supports glove touch)
Processor CPU
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 636 Mobile Platform with 14nm, 64-bit Octa-core Processor (Snapdragon™ 636 performance is 1.54x better than Snapdragon™ 625)

GPU
Qualcomm® Adreno™ 509

CPU
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 660 Mobile Platform with 14nm, 64-bit Octa-core Processor with Qualcomm AI Engine FinFET LPP (Low Power Plus) powersaving technology

GPU
Qualcomm® Adreno™ 512

Memory LPDDR4X 3GB / 4GB / 6GB LPDDR4X 4GB / 6GB
Main Rear Camera 13MP / 16MP
Up to F2.0 aperture
Up to 25mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
Phase-detection autofocus
LED flash

Camera modes
HDR
Effects
Redeye Reduction
Beauty shot
Continuous Shot
Scene mode
Portrait mode

12MP Sony® IMX486 image sensor
F1.8 aperture
1.9x light sensitivity low light photos (compared with ZenFone Max Pro (M1))
27mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
6P lens
0.03 seconds phase-detection autofocus
LED flash

AI Photography
AI Scene Detection1 in 13 types: people, food, dog, cat, sunset, sky, green field, ocean, flower, plant, snow, stage, text

Camera modes
Auto
Beauty
Portrait
Pro
HDR
Sports
Night
9 various filters

Second Rear Camera 5MP
Portrait mode for depth sensing
5MP
Depth sensing
84° field of view
Front Camera 8MP / 16MP
Up to 26mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
85° field of view
Softlight LED flash
Face recognition unlock

Camera modes
HDR
Effects
Redeye Reduction
Beauty shot
Selfie Mirror
Continuous Shot
Scene mode
Portrait mode

13MP
F2.0 aperture
26mm equivalent focal length in 35mm film camera
Softlight LED Flash
Face recognition unlock

Camera modes
Auto
Beauty
Sports
Night
9 various filters

Video Recording 4K UHD (3840 by 2160) video recording for main rear camera
1080p FHD video recording at 30 fps
720p HD video recording at 30 fps
Take still photo while recording video
4K UHD (3840 by 2160) video recording for main rear camera
1080p FHD video recording at 30 fps
720p HD video recording at 30 fps
3-axis electronic image stabilization for front and rear cameras
Take still photo while recording video
Audio Speaker
5-magnet loudspeaker

Audio Output
PMIC internal NXP smart amplifier

Microphone
Dual microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology

FM Receiver
FM radio

Speaker
5-magnet speaker with NXP smart amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect

Audio Output
Audio CODEC integrated into PMIC
NXP smart amplifier

Microphone
Dual internal microphones with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology

FM Receiver
FM radio

Wireless Technology WLAN 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth HID
Wi-Fi direct
WiFi display
NFC (optional)
WLAN 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
Support Wi-Fi direct
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth HID
Wi-Fi Display
Navigation GPS, AGPS, GLO, BDS GPS, GLO, BDS, GAL, QZSS
SIM Cards Triple slots: Dual SIM & one microSD card
Slot 1: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM card
Slot 2: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM card
Both SIM card slots support 4G LTE network band. But only one SIM card can connect to 4G LTE service at a time.
Slot 3: supports up to 2TB microSD card
Triple slots: Dual SIM & one microSD card
Slot 1: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM card
Slot 2: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM card
Both SIM card slots support 3G WCDMA / 4G LTE network band. But only one SIM card can connect to 3G WCDMA / 4G LTE service at a time.
Slot 3: Supports up to 2TB microSD card

VoLTE / VoWiFi support
VoLTE / VoWiFi varies by region, please check compatibility with local carriers.

Network Standard GSM, WCDMA, FDD-LTE, TD-LTE

Data rate
LTE: Cat5 UL 75 Mbps / Cat4 DL 150 Mbps (A version)
LTE: Cat5 UL 75 Mbps / Cat13 DL 400 Mbps (B version)
DC-HSPA+: UL 5.76 / DL 42 Mbps
2CA support (B version)

A version
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
TDD-LTE (Band 40)
Supports VoLTE
WCDMA (Bands 1, 5, 8)
EDGE/GPRS/GSM (Bands 2, 3, 5, 8)

B version
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28)
TDD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)
Supports VoLTE, with 2CA
WCDMA (Bands 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 19)
EDGE/GPRS/GSM (Bands 2, 3, 5, 8)

ASUS phone 4G/LTE band compatibility varies by region, please check compatibility with local carriers.

GSM/GPRS/EDGE; WCDMA/HSPA+/DC-HSPA+; FDD-LTE; TD-LTE

Data rate
LTE CAT5: UL 75 / CAT13 DL 400Mbps
DC-HSPA+: UL 5.76 / DL 42Mbps

B version
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 28)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 41 (2545~2655MHz))
WCDMA (Bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 19)
GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz)
Support CA_2A-2A, CA_2C, CA_3A-3A, CA_3C, CA_7A-7A, CA_7B, CA_7C, CA_41A-41A

ASUS phone 4G/LTE band compatibility varies by region, please check compatibility with local carriers.

Sensor Rear fingerprint sensor (0.3 seconds unlock, supports 5 fingerprints), Damp finger recognition, Accelerator, Gyroscope, E-Compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor Rear fingerprint sensor (0.3 seconds unlock, supports 5 fingerprints), Accelerator, E-Compass, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope
External Buttons and Connectors On/Off
Sleep/Wake
Volume Up/Down
Fingerprint sensor
Built-in speaker
USB Connector
3.55mm audio jack
(1 Headphone/Mic-in)
On/Off
Sleep/Wake
Volume Up/Down
Fingerprint sensor
Built-in speaker
USB Connector
3.55mm audio jack
(1 Headphone/Mic-in)
Battery 5000mAh capacity with fast charging (0-100% in 2 hours 42 minutes)

Up to 35 days of 4G standby
Up to 42 hours of 3G talk time
Up to 12 hours of gaming
Up to 20 hours of YouTube playback
Up to 28 hours Wi-Fi web browsing

5000mAh capacity with fast charging

Up to 35 days 4G standby
Up to 45 hours 3G talk time
Up to 23 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing
Up to 19 to 16 hours of video playback
Up to 10 hours gaming

Power Adapter Output: 5V 2A 10W Output: 5V 2A 10W
Operating System Pure Android™ 8.1 Oreo™ Stock Android™ Oreo™
In the Box ZenFone Max Pro with Android™ 8.1 Oreo™
ASUS earphone with microphone (optional)
Micro-USB cable
MaxBox (optional)
Ejector pin (SIM tray needle)
USB power adapter
Documentation (user guide, warranty card)
Clear soft bumper (optional)
ZenFone Max Pro with Stock Android™ Oreo™
ASUS earphone with microphone
Micro-USB cable
Ejector pin (SIM tray needle)
USB power adapter
Documentation (user guide, warranty card)
Clear soft bumper
Price ZenFone Max Pro M1 4GB RAM/ 64GB ROM = ₱13,995.00
ZenFone Max Pro M1 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM = ₱9,995.00
ZenFone Max Pro M2 6GB RAM / 64GB ROM = ₱14,995.00
ZenFone Max Pro M2 4GB RAM/ 64GB ROM = ₱12,995.00
Release Date (Philippines) June 7, 2018 December 11, 2018

Both the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and the ZenFone Max Pro M2 are currently available at select ASUS store and ZenFone shops. They can be bought at Lazada Philippines and Shopee Philippines as well.

ALSO READ: The 5 compelling reasons why you should get a ZenFone 5 for mobile photography

ZenFone Max Pro M1

Battle of the Max: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 | Cebu Finest

The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is the next-generation smartphone with Snapdragon 636 platform providing extraordinary performance and endurance that will take things further than we ever thought possible. With its magnificent 6-inch Full HD+ (2160×1080) 18:9 Full View display, ultra-long-lasting 5000mAh battery, dual-camera system, and breathtaking sound, ZenFone Max Pro M1 has all the stamina and power needed to limitless gaming.

The device models available are 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage (there’s a 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage variant with a much lesser price).

At the heart of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is an advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform, which combines smooth, responsive performance with superb battery life. This processor is up to 1.54X faster than its predecessor, the Snapdragon 6251.

Whatever you are doing, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 can handle it easily, with more advanced mobile performance to spare.

Inside the sleek exterior of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is a massive reserve of stamina: a powerful 5000mAh lithium-polymer battery custom-crafted to pack maximum performance into minimum space.

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 has an advanced dual-camera system that will take your mobile photography to new heights. The rear camera focuses on the subject in less than the blink of an eye and has a high-resolution sensor with a high-quality wide-aperture lens that captures clearer photos, every time.

It shoots video at up to 4K UHD resolution — four times the quality of Full HD! There’s nothing complicated for you to do: just point, shoot and share your memories, all captured with incredible levels of detail.

For gorgeous portraits and close-ups, the second camera on the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is used to create an artistic depth-of-field effect, putting the subject in sharp focus while progressively blurring the background for a gentle yet powerful effect that really makes the subject stand out.

To help you take the most indulgent selfies, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 has a live beautification feature that instantly retouches your shots to remove blemishes, balance facial features, enhance skin tone and more. The ZenFone Max Pro really lets your beauty shine!

ALSO READ: ASUS Philippines introduces new #BatteryKing ZenFone Max Pro M2 in Cebu

ZenFone Max Pro M2

Battle of the Max: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2 | Cebu Finest

Considering that the new ZenFone Max Pro M2 has an amazing price point (₱14,995.00) for its 6GB RAM + 64GB Internal Storage variant, its edge is the monster battery of 5,000mAh, which is very crucial to an on-the-go mobile photographer, its dual lens camera system has also improved compared to the previous ZenFone Max edition.

The ZenFone Max Pro M2 does not stop from being competitive on mobile photography. With its dual lens camera system (that is already AI-enabled; updates will be available on software for early 2019), it can definitely provide amazing results. The 13MP F2.0 front-facing camera can also be utilized to take selfie photos with real-time beautification mode. Not to forget the Pro Mode feature available on the camera a more in-depth setting for your mobile photography.

The latest 6.3” all-screen high-res display design on ZenFone Max Pro M2 is simply stunning, so you can deeply appreciate your photos on the wide-viewing screen. The high-quality display, with its wide color gamut, outstanding brightness and high contrast ratio, makes everything on your phone look clearer and more vivid.

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 is a good deal for someone who is using a smartphone as a camera. It also offers great performance for gaming and entertainment. It can be challenging for those who are tight on budget, however, the specifications and other features can make you consider to have a device like this.

ALSO READ: ASUS Philippines brings ZenFone Master Class to Cebu City

Tune into the ASUS Philippines Facebook Page and the ZenTalk Philippines Forum for the latest news and updates on your ZenFone favorites.

Footnotes

  1. AI Scene Detection for the ZenFone Max Pro M2 will be enabled via an upcoming software update, currently scheduled for early 2019.
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