ASUS is really fond of doing tricky stuff. Or shall we say, they are really creative in dealing with their customers? First, 5.2-inch Zenfone Max (ZC520TL) was launched together with the Zenfone 3 flagship devices. Today, we saw a bigger Zenfone 3 Max armed with a different CPU, the ZC553KL. And the laser AF is back.
The first obvious difference is the display. The ZC520TL has 5.2-inch while the ZC553KL has 5.5-inch display.
The second is the CPU that powers the device. The is powered by a 1.25GHZ Mediatek MT6735 64-bit quad-core CPU processor while the ZC553KL has 64-bit Qualcomm Octa-Core Processor Snapdragon 430.
Both battery capacity is the same.
Both has dual SIM cards, but they have different configurations. The newest Max has Micro+Nano config while the old one has both Micro+Micro. These are both hybrid slots. Meaning the second one can act as microSD support.
ZC520TL vs ZC553KL comparison chart
| Comparison | ZenFone 3 Max (ZC520TL) | ZenFone 3 Max (ZC553KL) |
| Dimension | 149.5 x 73.7 x 8.55 (LxWxH) | 151.4 x 76.24 x 8.3 mm (LxWxH) |
| Weight | 148 g | 175 g |
| Operating System | Android™ 6.0 with brand-new ASUS ZenUI 3.0 | Android™ 6.0 with brand-new ASUS ZenUI 3.0 |
| Processor | 1.25GHZ Mediatek MT6735 64-bit Quad-Core CPU | 64-bit Qualcomm® Octa-Core Processor Snapdragon™ 430 |
| GPU | Mali T720 | Adreno™ 505 |
| Display | 5.2-inch
HD(1280 x 720) IPS display 75% screen-to-body ratio 400nits brightness |
5.5-inch
FHD(1920 x 1080) IPS display 73% screen-to-body ratio 450nits brightness Bluelight Filter for Eye Care 2.5D Contoured Glass |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB/3GB |
| ROM | 32G | 32G |
| Battery | 4100mAh Lithium (non-removable) | 4100mAh (non-removable) |
| SIM Cards | Micro/Micro | Micro/Nano |
| Camera | Rear: 13MP Camera, f/2.2 aperture, 5 P Largan lens
Front: 5MP Camera |
Rear: 16MP Camera, f/2.0 aperture, 5 P Largan lens
Front: 8MP Camera , f/2.2 aperture, 4 P Largan lens |

Pricing of the new Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) is not yet announced including its availability.

