As much as we adore the ZenFone 3 Max with its large battery and sleek physique, we can’t help but feel ASUS could do better — and, we may be right. Based on a newly launched product page on the company’s official website, there’s a larger 5.5-inch model on the way. With a ZC553KL model name, it looks to be more than a cosmetic update. Here are five reasons why we think the upcoming ZenFone 3 Max will rock.

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It’s larger yet thinner than the ZenFone 3 Max…

The most obvious upgrade is the more generous 5.5-inch display. Up from the original ZenFone 3 Max’s 5.2-inch screen, gaming and movie watching will be far more enjoyable on this amount of real estate. On top of that, the resolution is given a boost, going from a measly 720p on the original to a Full HD 1080p resolution on the newer model.

Surprisingly, the added size doesn’t affect the thinness of the phone. In fact, the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Max is thinner than the 5.2-inch version: 8.3mm compared to 8.6mm. Woah!

… but its battery is still massive

Seriously, the real highlight is the battery capacity. Still having a 4100mAh battery despite the shaved profile means you’re getting 19 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and 72 hours of music playback on a single charge.

With a 4G standby time of 38 days (even more if you rely on 3G), going over a day of heavy usage shouldn’t be any trouble at all. Turn on Super Saving mode, and you’ll be able to squeeze out 30 hours of standby time when your battery’s down to 10 percent.

It doesn’t settle for low-end specs anymore…

One qualm we had with the smaller ZenFone 3 Max was its entry-level, quad-core MediaTek processor. While we appreciate the chip’s battery-conscious energy consumption, it simply didn’t meet our performance standards. That changes with the larger ZenFone 3 Max’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor.

It’s such a step up in quality, we wonder why ASUS didn’t implement it in the first place. Even last year’s battery life king, the 5000mAh-capacity ZenFone Max, had an older version of this Qualcomm processor. The updated chipset is a lot more capable of handling graphics-heavy games, and shouldn’t significantly reduce the overall battery life.

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… and has an even better camera than the ZenFone 3 Laser’s

The biggest surprise — and we’re not making this up — is how the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Max has a better camera setup than the ZenFone 3 Laser’s. For those unfamiliar with the ASUS lineups, the Max series is designed to have the longest battery lives, while the Laser line specializes in offering the best shooting performance in its price range.

For some reason, ASUS decided to disrupt the flow by equipping the new ZenFone 3 Max with a 16-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture camera, along with a laser and phase detection autofocus system for better subject tracking, plus three-axis electronic image stabilization. This is like having the two lineups mashed together, but better.

Let’s not forget: It’s a power bank in disguise

You won’t have to worry about running out of juice when you have the upcoming ZenFone 3 Max with you, but sadly, this doesn’t apply to all your gadgets. Carrying an extra power bank is also out of the question for some light travelers. Luckily, this Max has you covered, too.

Using the bundled USB OTG (on-the-go) adapter, you can connect any mobile device to the 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Max and treat it like any other portable charger. Trust us, your friends will thank you.

Bonus: It comes in four sweet flavors!

Sand gold, titanium gray, glacier silver, and rose pink are so hot right now. Unfortunately, there’s no official word on price or the release date yet.

Are you as excited as we are? Let us know if you’re looking forward to more from GadgetMatch on this maxed-out ZenFone. For now, watch this promo video from ASUS:

Source: ASUS