As I wrote before I have received a new firmware update on my new ASUS ZenFone Max Plus (M1) phone. The new update has finished and the version data on the phone is now WW_Phone-14.02.1803.52-20180318.

From what I can see in a few hours the new update brings at least the following:

• Improved battery life. After I have updated the firmware the battery doesn’t drain so fast. Let’s see in a few days.
• Option to auto-hide navigation bar. It’s not hidden somewhere in the options, but it’s available right on the left of the navigation bar itself. There is a new button on the left that toggles the option to hide or not hide.
• Security updates dated to March 5, 2018.

Here are some screens of the updated system.

Asus Zenfone Max (M1) updated to firmware WW_Phone-14.02.1803.52-20180318

Asus ZenFone Max (M1) About screen after update to WW_Phone-14.02.1803.52-20180318

Here are the official release notes and a download link for this version of firmware:

I was expecting other updates too, but they did NOT come with the version WW_Phone-14.02.1803.52-20180318:

• Upgrade Android to 7.1.1.
• Ability to save default data to SD card memory instead of internal memory.
• Ability to schedule phone turn on and off.

I hope we will see some of these feature upgrades in the next firmware update. If you own Asus, you can request new features in the product forum.