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Here are some detailed insights into the battery usage duration of Asus Zenfone 3 Max. Please follow along.
1. Detailed Assessment of Asus Zenfone 3 Max Battery Life: Substantially Lower Than Zenfone Max
Compared to the Asus Zenfone Max from last year equipped with a 5000 mAh battery, Zenfone 3 Max appears to be 'weaker' with only a 4130 mAh battery. Through real-world testing, the battery of Zenfone 3 Max lasts for a mixed usage of 18 hours and 40 minutes, with an on-screen time of 7 hours and 28 minutes, significantly lower than its predecessor. However, in return, we have a more compact and lightweight device. Inside the box, Asus includes an OTG cable for charging other devices, which is quite useful for emergency situations. During usage, the device warms up during light tasks such as web browsing or Facebook and gets quite hot if you continuously play games.
Here are some detailed insights into the battery usage duration of Asus Zenfone 3 Max. Please follow along.
Specifications:
- Display: IPS 5.2' 720p
- Processor: MediaTek MT6737, quad-core 1.25 GHz, 64-bit
- RAM: 3 GB
- Operating System: Android 6.0
- Internal Storage: 32 GB
- Rear Camera: 13 MP
- Front Camera: 5 MP
- Battery: 4130 mAh
Test Parameters:
- Running stock Android 6.0 without customization, not Rooted.
- Screen brightness always maintained at 50% (not on auto).
- Wifi + 3G + Location + Sync always on.
- Test environment: outdoor temperature ranging from 27℃ - 31℃ (throughout the day).
- Software used during testing: Facebook, Messenger (FB), Stock Browser (Chrome), Asphalt 8, CPU-Z, Battery Widget, MX Player..
Testing Procedure:
- Testing each task for 30 minutes until battery depletion including: web browsing (web + chat + fb + reading news), watching Youtube, gaming (Asphalt 8), all done on Wifi.
- Standby process with continuous mail push and Facebook message receipt.
- Continuous movie playback, with The Jungle Book 720p x264 used for testing.
Mixed usage lasted for 18 hours and 40 minutes, on screen time reached 7 hours and 28 minutes
Comparing to the previous Zenfone Max generation, Zenfone 3 Max offers a significantly shorter battery life. However, this reduction in battery capacity results in a considerable reduction in weight as well, from 202g down to 148g. Coupled with a slightly smaller screen size, the new device caters well to those in need of a long-lasting battery but don't prioritize entertainment in their phone purchase decisions. Despite the decrease, Zenfone 3 Max's battery provides sufficient power for users to go through the day without much concern.
Following the same testing procedure, Zenfone 3 Max achieved an on-screen time of 7 hours and 28 minutes. This translates to an estimated mixed usage time of up to 18 hours and 40 minutes. This mixed usage time roughly means if you fully charge it and unplug it at 7 a.m., you can use it until 1:40 a.m. the next morning before the battery runs out. However, the actual mixed usage time heavily depends on your smartphone usage habits. Despite having moderate and acceptable specifications for its price range, the device's performance remains commendable. Even when performing heavy tasks like gaming, the device maintains a smooth experience, albeit with some latency in certain operations.
Continuous gaming can lead to a considerable increase in the device's temperature, making it one of the most notable downsides of this smartphone. After prolonged gaming sessions, the device heats up significantly, particularly around the camera cluster. Additionally, the screen also heats up, making phone calls uncomfortable. Even during lighter tasks like web browsing or watching YouTube, the device warms up, though it doesn't become too uncomfortable to hold. Perhaps due to the metal body construction, heat dissipation is relatively efficient, affecting the user's grip experience.
Continuous movie playback lasted for 10 hours and 30 minutes
The 720p resolution screen makes movie-watching on the ZenFone 3 Max less than ideal. Furthermore, despite the large external speaker, the sound quality is subpar, detracting from the movie-watching experience with this device. Zenfone 3 Max provides a continuous movie playback time of around 10 hours and 30 minutes, significantly lower than its predecessor, Zenfone Max.
Thanks to its large battery capacity, Zenfone 3 Max can also function as a power bank in certain situations. However, my testing revealed that the device's charging time for other devices is quite slow. It took 1 hour and 30 minutes for Zenfone 3 Max to charge an iPhone 6s from 1% to 50%, and it took 3 hours and 40 minutes for a full charge. When Zenfone 3 Max began charging, the battery level was at 100%, but after charging the iPhone, it dropped to 32%. The device will automatically stop charging if the battery level drops below 30%. With these results, I believe using Zenfone 3 Max to charge other phones is quite challenging and should only be used in emergency situations.
Using the 5V/2A charger included in the box, it takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to charge Zenfone 3 Max from 0% to 100%, which is quite slow.
Comparison with other devices:
