ASUS Enters Lower Budget Segment With ZenFone Max M1 & ZenFone Lite L1

ASUS India has had a fantastic run this year. The company's ZenFone Max Pro M1 (starting Rs 10,999( and ZenFone 5Z (starting Rs 29,999) have been very well received in the country. After finding successes in the budget and upper mid-range segments, ASUS is now entering India's lower budget segment with two phones announced today: the ZenFone Lite L1 and the ZenFone Max M1.

ZenFone Lite L1

Priced at Rs 6,999, the Lite L1 is set to compete with the Redmi 6A. The smartphone packs in a 5.45-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution. It's powered by the Snapdragon 430 with 2GB RAM and 3000mAh battery. There is a single 13MP rear camera at the back with f/2.0 and 1.12-micrometre sized pixels. The selfie camera is a 5MP snapper with a flash to assist in low light.

On the security front, there is no fingerprint scanner (Redmi 6A has one), but ASUS does provide software-assisted face unlock. The Lite L1 runs Android 8.0 with ZenUI 5.0 on top.

The specification sheet for the Lite L1 is given just below.

Device	ZenFone Lite L1
Display	5.45" HD+ (720×1440 pixels) IPS LCD 295ppi 800:1 contrast ratio
Aspect Ratio	18:9
Dimensions (Length x Breadth x Height)	147.3 x 71.8 x 8.2 mm
Weight	140 g
SoC & GPU	Snapdragon 430 (4x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53, 28nm) Adreno 505 GPU
RAM & Storage	2GB + 16GB (expandable up to 256GB)
Rear Camera	13MP, f/2.0, 1/3", 1.12µm Video: 1080p 30fps
Front Camera	5MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm Video: 1080p 30fps
Battery	3000mAh Non-removable
Charging	micro-USB
Software	ZenUI 5.0 (Android Oreo 8.0)
NFC	No
Headphone jack	Yes
Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Compass
Dust/Water Resistance	No
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Colours	Black, Gold
Pricing	Rs 6,999 Special Launch Price: Rs 5,999

ZenFone Max M1

ASUS' Max series phones are known for their long battery lives, and the Max M1 doesn't seem to disappoint here as it comes with a large 4000mAh battery. The huge battery is coupled with the energy efficient Snapdragon 430 and 3GB RAM. The M1 has the same 5.45" IPS LCD as the Lite L1. The internal storage capacity is 32GB which can further be expanded via microSD.

Coming to the camera department, the selfie camera is 8MP with f/2.0 aperture and 1.12-micrometre pixel size. The rear camera is the same 13MP sensor as in the Lite L1. Unlike the L1, the Max M1 features both a fingerprint scanner and face unlocking. The Max M1 starts at Rs 8,999 which puts it in a contest with Xiaomi's Redmi 6.

Device	ZenFone Max M1
Display	5.45" HD+ (720×1440 pixels) IPS LCD 295ppi 800:1 contrast ratio
Aspect Ratio	18:9
Dimensions (Length x Breadth x Height)	147.3 x 70.9 x 8.7 mm
Weight	150 g
SoC & GPU	Snapdragon 430 (4x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53, 28nm) Adreno 505 GPU
RAM & Storage	3GB + 32GB (expandable up to 256GB)
Rear Camera	13MP, f/2.0, 1/3", 1.12µm Video: 1080p 30fps
Front Camera	8MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm Video: 1080p 30fps
Battery	4000mAh Non-removable
Charging	micro-USB
Software	ZenUI 5.0 (Android Oreo 8.0)
NFC	No
Headphone jack	Yes
Sensors	Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Proximity, Gyro, Compass
Dust/Water Resistance	No
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Colours	Black, Gold
Pricing	Rs 8,999 Special Launch Price: Rs 7,499

Availability & Launch Offers

The Lite L1 and the Max M1 will go on sale during Flipkart's Festive Dhamaka sale (both the products are Flipkart exclusive). ASUS India Head Dinesh Sharma mentioned that there will be "special bank offers" (most likely an instant 10% discount) that will make the Lite L1 and the Max M1 an interesting deal.

ASUS will be selling the L1 and the M1 at discounted rates keeping the festive season in mind. The L1 will be sold a thousand bucks cheaper at Rs 5,999. The Max M1 has its price cut by Rs 1500, and it will be priced at Rs 7,499.

In addition to the discounted prices, there are a couple of other launch offers. Reliance Jio will be providing Rs 2200 in the form of 'credits' (I'm guessing coupons worth Rs 2200) and 50GB free data to all Lite L1 and Max M1 buyers. As mentioned before, both the phones will be sold exclusively via Flipkart. Initial buyers of the two phones will be able to get Flipkart's Complete Mobile Protection at Rs 99 instead of the usual Rs 399. There is a 6-month no-cost EMI offer on the Max M1. The EMI offer will be applicable with credit and debit cards of leading banks.

All Lite L1 and Max M1 users will also get free 100GB storage on Google Drive valid for one year.

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.