Asus Zenfone Max - The BIG REVIEW

ASUS generated a lot of hype and interest in 2015 with its devices, especially the ZenFone lineup. Carried across by the ZenFone 2 and its variants, along with other smaller ZenFone variants like the ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone Selfie, ASUS created a lasting impression on the mind of the budget consumer. To bank upon the recent success, ASUS has released the ZenFone Max in the Indian market. This device was unveiled in IFA Berlin 2015, and is now available for pre-booking in India.

PROCESSOR

The ZenFone Max is powered by a quad-core, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 410 processor that clocks at 1 GHz. With 2 GB LPDDR3 RAM, the processor pushes multitasking further, allowing users to play 3D games or edit HD videos seamlessly. The device features LTE Category 4 for download speeds of up to 150Mbps and Dual SIM standby.

DISPLAY & DESIGN

Interestingly enough, it’s not a 1080p display fashioned onto this one, but rather, a 5.5-inch 720 x 1280 IPS panel. Some people will lament over the reduction in its resolution over the Zenfone 2, but quite frankly, it doesn’t deteriorate its sharp looks and punchy color tones. Of course, the choice to go with a 720p screen means that it’s not much of a battery hog.

CAMERA

For the camera, the device features a 13MP rear camera with a f/2.0 aperture, laser autofocus and dual LED flash; and a 5MP camera on the front. The Zenfone 2 isn’t one we’d classify as being the supreme phone for hardcore shutterbugs, but its quality suffices for those who don’t plan on doing much with them besides sharing via social network site.

SOFTWARE

This phone is running Android 5.0 Lollipop. It combines rich personalization of the interface of Zen UI and some productivity features – albeit, it just doesn’t have the true multi-tasking features found on other interfaces.

MEMORY

ASUS Zenfone Max has 2GB RAM and will comes with 16GB internal storage option; it will support microSD cards of up to 64GB capacity.

BATTERY

The phone packs a long-lasting 5000 mAh lithium-polymer battery. It boasts a standby time of 38.1 days. With up to 37.6 hours of talktime on 3G or 32.5 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing, the device has enough juice to keep up with any power user. The ZenFone Max can even be used to charge other compatible devices.

PRICE

It is priced at a budgetary Rs. 9999/- and available via Flipkart and Amazon as pre-orders.

The ZenFone Max looks like a very ordinary device that would exist in the low-mid range. There isn’t too much to talk about in this phone that isn’t in every other phone, save for one feature: it’s large battery. Powering the ASUS ZenFone Max is a large 5,000 mAh Li-Po battery. To make use of the sheer capacity of the battery, the ZenFone Max can turn into a powerbank and be used to charge other devices.

Detailed Specifications

GENERAL FEATURES
Brand	Asus
Handset Color	Black
Form	Bar
Call Features	Loudspeaker
Model Name	Zenfone Max
Touch Screen	Yes, Capacitive
SIM Type	Dual Sim, LTE + WCDMA
Model ID	ZC550KL-6A023IN
In the Box	Handset, Charger, User Manual, Warranty Card

IMPORTANT NOTE
4G connectivity and phone features depend on the carrier and the location of the user.

MULTIMEDIA
Video Player	Yes
FM	Yes
Music Player	Yes, Supports MP3

CAMERA
Video Recording	Yes
Flash	Dual Color LED
Other Camera Features	Laser Auto Focus, f/2.0 Aperture, Back Light (HDR), Real Time Beautification, Night Mode, Depth of Field, Selfie Mode, Photo Effects, Panorama Mode, Miniature, Time Rewind, Smart Remove, All Smiles, Time Lapse, f/2.0 Aperture, Selfie Panorama (Upto 140 Degree), Real Time Beautification, HDR Mode, Lo...View More
Rear Camera	Yes, 13 MP
Front Facing Camera	Yes, 5 MP

INTERNET & CONNECTIVITY
Preinstalled Browser	Android
Bluetooth	Yes, v4, Supported Profiles (A2DP)
Navigation Technology	GLONASS, A-GPS, BDS, with Google Maps
Wifi	Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
Internet Features	Email

OTHER FEATURES
Sensors	Accelerometer, eCompass, Proximity Sensor, Hall Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor
Call Memory	Yes

WARRANTY
Warranty Summary	1 year manufacturer warranty for Phone and 6 months warranty for in the box accessories

DIMENSIONS
Weight	202 g
Size	77.5x156x10.55 mm

DISPLAY
Resolution	HD, 1280 x 720 Pixels
Other Display Features	IPS Display Upto 178 Degree Viewing Angle
Size	5.5 inch

BATTERY
Removable Battery	No
Type	Li-Polymer, 5000 mAh

MEMORY AND STORAGE
Expandable Memory	microSD, upto 64 GB
Memory	2 GB RAM, 16 GB ROM
Internal	16 GB

PLATFORM
Operating Freq	GSM - 850, 900, 1800, 1900; WCDMA - 850(5), 900(8), 1900(2), 2100(1); 4G LTE (FDD) - 2100(1), 1800(3), LTE (TDD) - Band 38/39/40/41
User Interface	Asus ZenUI 2.0
Graphics	Adreno 306
OS	Android v5 (Lollipop)
Processor	1 GHz + Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Quad Core

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note - The Big Review

Lenovo has been in the news for quite a while now. The Chinese giant is thinking of eliminating the Motorola brand and bring it as its own sub brand - 'Moto by Lenovo'. Lenovo grabbed eyeballs with the K3 Note and that’s the reason why expectations from the Vibe K4 Note have increased by manifolds. Adding to the hype, Lenovo has also been teasing its killer display all along, adding to the curiosity about what’s on offer. With the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note finally launched in India at Rs 11,999, It is time to take a close look at the specs to see what it holds within.

PROCESSOR

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note packs the Mediatek MT6753 chipset .Two key hardware additions to Lenovo Vibe K4 Note over the predecessor are fingerprint sensor and NFC.

DISPLAY & DESIGN

Where the K3 Note sported an uninspiring, blocky design and all-plastic build, the new handset features a curved back panel and metal on the sides. Lenovo Vibe K4 Note, at nearly 160 grams, is a little heavy but not too much so. Plus, the curved rear casing makes it easy to grip the smartphone. The metal on the side adds a premium feel to the budget handset. The fingerprint sensor and camera are placed in a metal-finish module on the back.
The display of Lenovo Vibe K4 Note measures 5.5-inch and sports Full HD (1080p) resolution, same as that of the predecessor.

CAMERA

The K4 Note sports a 13MP rear snapper and a 5MP front-facing camera. The rear snapper features PDAF technology for improved focus and ISOCELL technology for clearer images.

SOFTWARE

The Lenovo Vibe K4 Note will run rather older Android 5.1 Lollipop with a layer of the Vibe UI on top. The Vibe UI is Lenovo’s custom made user interface that overlays Android. Adding a fingerprint to the smartphone’s memory is pretty easy; the fingerprint sensor worked accurately each time we tried it. If you touch the fingerprint sensor while operating any app, it will bring you straight to the home screen. However, an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow seems to be coming.

MEMORY

Lenovo has bumped up the RAM from 2GB to 3GB, which should be more than enough to handle a plethora of apps and we also hope a slick UI experience.It maintains 16GB onboard storage. However, on the brighter side, it support microSD card slot that lets you expand the storage up to 128GB.

BATTERY

A 3,300mAh battery and support for faster charging is promised by the company for the K4 Note. The battery is slightly improved, however, we can comment on the battery life, only once we have taken the device for a spin in our labs. And yes, it supports Quick Charging!!

PRICE

Lenovo Vibe K4 Note is priced at Rs 11,999 and is available exclusively on Amazon via flash sales starting 19 January. The K4 Note bundled with the ANTVR headset (costs Rs 1299) will cost Rs 12,499.

Detailed Specifications

Processor	64-bit MediaTek® MT6753 Octa-core processor
Operating System	Andriod™ 5.1 and 10 point multi-touch
GPU	Mali T720-MP3 (up to 450MHz 3D graphics accelerator)
Memory	RAM: 3GB LP DDR3 Internal storage: 16GB eMMC built-in storage Expandable: Up to 128GB microSD
Display	Size: 5.5" Full HD (1920X1080) at >403ppi, IPS 178° wide-view display Type: Capacitive 10-point multi-touch
Dimensions (mm)	3.8 - 9.15 (curved back panel for enhanced ergonomics)
Dimensions (inches)	3.01" x 0.36" x 6.05"
Weight	Starting at 0.34lbs (158g)
Materials	Rear Cover: Polycarbonate Display: Scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 display
Audio	Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound Front ported 2X1.5W stereo speakers WM8281 audio codec
Security	Fingerprint reader with gesture support
SAR Value	Head - 0.844 W/kg Body - 0.711 W/kg
Battery	Type: 3300mAh (Li-polymer), embedded Standby time: 265hrs Talktime: 22hrs
Color	Tuxedo Black
SIM	Type: Dual micro SIM
Camera	Rear: 13MP PDAF w/ Dual-color LED flash Front: 5MP fixed-focus
Sensors	Gravitation, Proximity, Light, E-Compass
Connectivity/Radios	Data: GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+, LTE Speed: LTE TDD Band 40/41 NW (2555MHz--2655MHz); FDD Band 1/3/5/7 /8/20 3G Network: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz 2G Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz Speed: LTE (4G) 150Mbps (DL) / 50Mbps (UL) CAT4 WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 4.0 LE A-GPS Support: Yes Radio: FM radio NFC

Software Offering

OFFERINGS	DESCRIPTION
Social Networking	Skype™, Twitter™ , Facebook®
Tools, Productivity & Daily Life	Guvera Music, Shazam, Route 66 Navi + Maps, Evernote®, UC Browser
Google	Play, Store, Chrome, Drive, Gmail, Hangouts, Maps, Play Music, Photos, Google Search, Play Movies & TV, YouTube, Google+, Google Calendar, Google Settings
Games	Gamestore, Tap the Frog
Lenovo Apps	SHAREit with CLONEit, SYNCit, SNAPit Camera
Security	McAfee Security

Source - Lenovo.com