ASUS Zenfone Max Pro (2018)

Great built quality, great price, no bloatware ... an outstanding smartphone – This is my son's first smartphone. After considering a number of different options, we settled on the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 (ZB602KL) and he's absolutely stoked with it. The camera quality is pretty good, although that's not what he really uses it for. It's mainly used for apps and games, and he hasn't complained about any lag. A decent… Read more

processor (Snapdragon 636) with 4GB of RAM helps, as does stock Android and zero manufacturer-specific apps i.e. bloatware. The screen is clear and bright ... again, important considerations for gaming. Even with all the gaming, the phone still lasts a solid 24 hours between recharges.

As I helped him set his phone up, I had a chance to play with it whilst installing system updates (the phone has Android 8.1 Oreo installed, but Android 9.0 Pie is available as an OTA update), along with a screen protector and cover purchased separately. I am really impressed with the build quality: curved glass at the front and a solid metal body all round. I haven't felt build quality like this since the HTC smartphones of the early '10s.

Whilst it's unlikely he'll use this feature, the Max Pro M1 has dual SIM capability. Bear in mind that in dual SIM mode, one card will be on 4G while the other will be forced back onto 3G. Not really that much of a big deal, and that's pretty standard for dual SIM phones in this price bracket.

The only thing that might put some people off is that this phone is not officially sold in Australia, therefore you'll need to buy online from overseas. We bought this phone via a Chinese e-commerce site called Banggood. Despite the slightly odd name, the transaction was very smooth and we received the phone within 2 weeks of ordering.

Overall, the boy is happy with his phone ... and his old man was so impressed with this that he decided to buy another ASUS Zenfone for himself (a cheaper model).

great phone – its a great phone that doesnt lag or isnt buggy it has great battery life and its been the best phone ive had to date takes good pics aswell i cant really fault this phone at all only maybe keyboard is a tad small Show details

Absolute bargain! – Bought this mostly for the massive battery (5000mh) and great display and was not dissappointed. At the price point (I paid about $249 for tobydeals) it's a steal from a bang for buck perspective. Only downside would be lack of wireless charging but don't use that anyway.