Asus ZenFone Max Shot, ZenFone Max Plus M2 are the latest smartphones to join the Taiwanese tech giant's growing lineup of smartphones. Unveiled in Brazil earlier today, the two ZenFone models are the world's first smartphones to pack Qualcomm's new Snapdragon System in Package (SiP). Both smartphones are now on sale in Brazil, but there is no word on the international availability. The Asus ZenFone Max Shot and ZenFone Max Plus M2 sport almost identical designs with wide display notches and come with 6.26-inch screens. The phones are running on older Android 8.1 Oreo but will be receiving updates to Android 9 Pie.
According to Asus Brazil, the ZenFone Max Shot has been priced BRL 1,349 (roughly Rs. 25,800) for the 3GB + 32GB model, whereas the 4GB + 64GB model will retail at BRL 1,549 (roughly Rs. 29,600). On the other hand, the ZenFone Max Plus M2 has been priced at BRL 1,299 (roughly Rs. 24,800). As we mentioned earlier, both smartphones are now on sale in the country.
Snapdragon SiP, which is powering the new ZenFone smartphones, it is Qualcomm's attempt to further reduce the size of the mobile chipsets. Basically, the Snapdragon SiP integrates various components that are normally a part of the Snapdragon SoC, including the application processor, power management, RF front end, and audio codec, into a single semiconductor system in package. The SiP chips are designed to help the OEMs to simplify manufacturing processes and quickly churn out new devices.
"Snapdragon SiP is designed to offer the connectivity, security and accessibility that our customers need to create innovative products and superior user experiences, and I am proud to see the first Snapdragon SiP devices become available in the country of Brazil from Asus,” said Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm, in a statement.
The ZenFone Max Shot and ZenFone Max Plus M2 are using Snapdragon SiP 1, which is the first SiP being released by Qualcomm. It houses an 14nm manufacturing process-based octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz and Adreno 506 GPU. Among other specifications, the ZenFone Max Shot and ZenFone Max Plus M2 feature a 6.26-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) IPS display with 19:9 aspect ratio, 4,000mAh battery, 4G, dual-SIM support, and a microSD card slot. The phones are running on Android 8.1 Oreo but will be upgraded to Android Pie.
On the imaging front, the ZenFone Max Shot packs a triple rear camera setup with a 12-megapixel sensor, an 8-megapixel sensor, and a 5-megapixel sensor. There is an 8-megapixel front shooter as well. On the other hand, the ZenFone Max Plus M2 comes with a dual-camera setup with a 12-megapixel sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor. It also packs an 8-megapixel selfie shooter, like the ZenFone Max Shot.
In terms of the storage and RAM, the ZenFone Max Shot will be offered in two RAM and storage variants – 3GB RAM + 32GB onboard storage – and 4GB RAM + 64GB onboard storage. The ZenFone Max Plus M2 will come in the lone 3GB RAM + 32GB onboard storage version.
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