Asus ZenFone 3 Max Price in the Philippines is Php 8,995 : PH Gets MediaTek MT6737T Powered Version

With official price tag of Php 8,995, the new Asus ZenFone 3 Max is the most budget-friendly of all new ZenFone models unveiled at last Sunday's #ZenvolutionPH held at the Harbour Garden Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza -- making it practically the darling of the crowd during the event.

If you ask me, though, what's truly amazing about this affordable model - apart from its SRP - is that its unique features are just as interesting and useful as that of its far more expensive siblings.

Despite having a smaller display and less battery capacity compared to its predecessor from earlier this year, ZF3Max still represents a solid upgrade in many departments.

In terms of design and build, the level-up is clear. Compared to ZC550KL which had a predominantly plastic exterior, Asus ZenFone 3 ZC520TL now has an anodized aluminum shell that definitely looks more elegant and luxurious.

This new model's internal hardware also saw an upgrade albeit not by much. ZF3Max's 64-Bit Quad Core MediaTek MT6737T chipset incorporates a slightly more powerful Mali T720 GPU compared to Adreno 306 that's integrated with ZenFone Max's Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. The amount of RAM and ROM had been increased on the fresh release. ZF3Max now has 3GB of RAM for improved multitasking performance and a more sizable 32GB of expandable storage.

Asus ZenFone 3 Max sports a Fingerprint Scanner below the camera module, allowing the user to unlock the handset with just a touch of a finger. This feature was absent on the earlier model.

Now, as for imaging capabilities, ZF3Max is equipped with 13 MegaPixel f/2.2 autofocus camera with LED flash at the back complemented by a 5MP f/2.0 selfie cam in front. On paper, this duo is largely the same as what was on ZC550KL.

ZC520TL features a 5.2-inch HD IPS display with pixel density of 282 ppi. It's hardly the most crisp handset screen out there but it certainly doesn't look blurry or washed out. For me, the display quality is more than acceptable. Also, as you can see in this image, the colors are quite vibrant.

Asus ZenFone 3 Max's back plate is non-removable. You'll have to use the ejector pin to access to tray for the SIM card slots found on the left panel.

Of course, the main highlight of this model is its extra-large battery pack. ZF3Max is powered by a non-removable 4,130 mAh battery, which is - needless to day - unusually big for a smartphone with this display size.

Such ginormous power pack allows this device to deliver a greatly extended uptime on a full charge. A whopping 20 Hours of Web Browsing or 15 Hours of Video Playback, to be exact! If you hate bringing a powerbank anywhere you go or always having to charge your smartphone during lunch break just to make sure that it won't die on you on your way home in the evening, you'll love this model.

On top of that, Asus ZenFone 3 Max comes with Reverse Charging Technology, which means that you can use phone to charge another device! Isn't that amazing?

The coolest part: Despite having a really large battery, ZenFone 3 Max only measures 8.6mm at its thickest point and weighs just 148 grams! It's even lighter than ZenFone 3 Laser (but yeah, that model has a bigger display)!

Asus ZenFone 3 Max is hitting Asus Store shelves across the archipelago within this month, August 2016. I believe it will also be up for purchase via the company's authorized retail partners nationwide including the ones that are online. ZF3Max will be available in three stunning colors, namely, Titanium Grey, Glacier Silver, and Sand Gold.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST) Name : Asus ZenFone 3 Max
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category : Midrange
Dimensions : 149.5 x 73.7 x 8.6 mm
Weight : 148 grams
Available Colors : Sand Gold, Glacier Silver, Titanium Grey
Operating System : Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI
Display : 5.2 inches (~67.7% screen-to-body ratio), 720 x 1280 pixels (~282 ppi pixel density), IPS, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor : 64-Bit Quad Core 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 600MHz Mali-T720MP2 GPU, MediaTek MT6737T chipset
RAM : 3GB RAM options
Internal Storage : 32GB ROM, expandable via microSD card expansion slot supporting up to 256GB
Camera : Back: 13 MegaPixels, f/2.2 aperture, laser autofocus, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR
Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/2.0
Video Capture : Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second for main camera, Full HD for front camera
Audio and Video Playback : MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports : microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+; LTE Cat4
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
FM Radio : Yes
Sensors : Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Scanner
Network : 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2,
3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 (TBC)
4G LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 8(900), 40(2300) (TBC)
SIM Card Type : Dual SIM = microSIM + nanoSIM
Battery : Non-removable 4,130 mAh Li-Ion battery
Uptime : 720 Hours of Standby, Almost 80 Hours of Music Playback (TBC)
Value-Added Features :Large Battery, Reverse Charging, Premium Design, Fingerprint Scanner, Zen UI and Experience
Announcement : August 14, 2016 ~ Philippines
Availability : August 2016
Price : Php 8,995