New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS): A month after announcing the plans to manufacture Zenfone 3 Max smartphone in India, Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer ASUS on Monday said the Zenfone 3 Max 5.5-inch (ZC553KL) variant is now available in India.

The device can be purchased from select ASUS preferred partner's retail outlets and all major online sales portals.

Priced at Rs 17,999, the device was launched along with Zenfone 3 Max (5.2-inch variant) last month.

"We have received a tremendous response from the Indian market for 5.2-inch variant. With the powerful battery of Zenfone 3 Max, we have been able to provide a smartphone that ensures the users are able to enjoy the specs and photography experience for a longer duration of time," said Peter Chang, Region Head, South Asia and Country Manager for ASUS India.

In November, the company said it would manufacture the smartphone at its facility in Daman (Union Territory of Daman and Diu).

Zenfone 3 Max is the the third smartphone that is being locally manufactured by ASUS after it initiated production of Zenfone 2 Laser and Zenfone Go last year.

The smartphone features a high capacity 4,100mAh lithium-polymer battery and the device doubles up as a fast-charge power bank for charging other devices.

Designed for photography enthusiasts, the 5.5-inch device features 16MP primary and 8MP secondary cameras. Zenfone 3 Max has a fingerprint sensor near the top of the rear panel.