Asus has now announced that it managed to sell one million units of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 in India since the launch back in April this year. Even after six months of launch, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the cheapest smartphone with Snapdragon 636 chipset on board and this number comes as a no surprise because Indians love affordably priced smartphones. Asus, however, did not reveal which variant it sold the most, but it should be between the 3GB and 4GB RAM variants as the premium 6GB RAM variant went on for sale just a couple of months ago. For the unaware, the Zenfone Max Pro M1 was launched with Snapdragon 636 chipset back in April this year at a starting price of Rs 10,999, way lower than the price of Xiaomi's Redmi Note 5 Pro which is retailing for Rs 14,999 in the country.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: What's the Reason Behind its Success?
In the last two years or so, Asus moved away from being an aggressive brand to a Tier I brand- a move which didn't go well with the users. However, earlier this year, Asus announced that it's coming back with aggressive pricing strategy and the first smartphone to come is the Zenfone Max Pro M1, tailored for the Indian audience. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 starts at Rs 10,999 and goes up to Rs 14,999 for the premium variant with upgraded cameras.
For the asking price of Rs 10,999, the Max Pro M1 offers an 18:9 display, Snapdragon 636 chipset, stock Android and a massive 5000mAh battery. It's the cheapest smartphone with Snapdragon 636 chipset and 5000mAh battery to retail in India. Before the arrival of Max Pro M1, the only smartphone with Snapdragon 636 chipset was the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. But the Redmi Note 5 Pro was retailing for Rs 13,999 (got hiked to Rs 14,999 later) back then, so Asus has hit the right spot by pricing its smartphone at Rs 10,999.
Even the 4GB RAM variant with 64GB of internal storage of the Max Pro M1 retailed at Rs 12,999, considerably lower than the price of Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, one million sales is still a small number as Asus faced difficulties during initial days with the stock.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Can Now Be Purchased Via Open Sale
For nearly three months, Asus sold the Zenfone Max Pro M1 via weekly flash sales on Flipkart. However, the Taiwanese smartphone company made the device available via the open sale in August this year. But only the 3GB and 4GB RAM variants of the Max Pro M1 are available via open sale, and the 6GB RAM variant is still being sold via flash sales.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Specifications and Features
Specifications and pricing is everything to be successful in India, Asus proved it again. The Zenfone Max Pro M1 flaunts a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display on the front with 18:9 aspect ratio. Underneath, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset, clubbed with 3GB/4GB/6GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB storage. The phone also ships with a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 256GB.
The 3GB,4GB RAM variants of the Max Pro M1 features dual rear cameras of 13MP+5MP, while the 6GB RAM variant comes with a 16MP+5MP camera setup. The 6GB RAM variant of the Max Pro M1 has a 16MP selfie shooter, while the other two variants offer 8MP front-facing camera.
The phone boots stock Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, but it's not part of Google's Android One programme. The phone is armed with a 5000mAh battery, and it offers Dual 4G too.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1: Pricing and Availability
The Zenfone Max Pro M1's base variant with 3GB+32GB storage is priced at Rs 10,999, followed by the 4GB+64GB variant at Rs 12,999. The premium variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage along with upgraded front and rear cameras is priced at Rs 14,999. Asus is promising that it will discount the Max Pro M1 during the Flipkart Big Billion Days between October 10 and October 15.
