ZenFone Max M1 and Lite L1 hands-on review

Introduction

The ZenFone Lite L1 and the ZenFone Max M1 are two of Asus' latest smartphones that also happen to be the cheapest the brand has to offer. These are entry-level smartphones usually for first time buyers, with the Lite L1 being the more affordable of the two and the Max M1 being similar but with a few extra features and bling for the more discerning customer with slightly deeper pockets.

The two phones are quite similar, however. They both have the same chipset, the same display, and the same camera on the back but the Max does come with a few extra features such as a larger battery, more memory, fingerprint sensor and an improved camera on the front.

Asus Zenfone Max M1 ZB556KL specs:

• Design: Polycarbonate
• Display: 5.45-inch, 1440x720 IPS LCD, 18:9 295 PPI, 2.5D glass
• Rear Camera: 13MP, f2.0 PDAF, 1080p30 video, LED flash
• Front Camera: 8MP f2.0, LED flash
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 1.4GHz octa-core Cortex-A53, Adreno 505
• Memory: 3GB LPDDR3, 32GB eMCP, microSD support (up to 256GB)
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/GLONASS
• Battery: 4000mAh, 10W charging
• Misc: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, FM radio

Asus ZenFone Lite L1 ZA551KL specs:

• Design: Polycarbonate
• Display: 5.45-inch, 1440x720 IPS LCD, 18:9 295 PPI
• Rear Camera: 13MP, f2.0 PDAF, 1080p30 video, LED flash
• Front Camera: 5MP f2.4, LED flash
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 1.4GHz octa-core Cortex-A53, Adreno 505
• Memory: 2GB LPDDR3, 16GB eMCP, microSD support (up to 256GB)
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/GLONASS
• Battery: 3000mAh, 10W charging
• Misc: Face unlock, FM radio

While nothing about the specs is meant to get your pulse racing, these phones are designed to offer a respectable smartphone experience for those on a tight budget. They compete head-on with the Xiaomi Redmi 6A and Redmi 6, which currently rule the segment.

We spent some time with the phones to see if they are worth your money.