Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL (asus-z010d)

Features
Flashing Whether it is possible to flash the device with pmbootstrap flasher.	Works
USB Networking After connecting the device with USB to your PC, you can connect to it via telnet (initramfs) or SSH (booted system).	Works
Internal storage eMMC, SD cards, UFS...	Works
SD card Also includes other external storage cards.	Works
Battery Whether charging and battery level reporting work.	Partial
Screen Whether the display works; ideally with sleep mode and brightness control.	Partial
Touchscreen	Works
Multimedia
3D Acceleration	Works
Audio Audio playback, microphone, headset and buttons.	Partial
Camera	Broken
Camera Flash	Broken
Connectivity
WiFi	Works
Bluetooth	Works
GPS	Works
Modem
Calls	Works
SMS	Works
Mobile data	Works
Miscellaneous
FDE Full disk encryption and unlocking with unl0kr.	Untested
USB OTG USB On-The-Go or USB-C Role switching.	Untested
Sensors
Accelerometer Handles automatic screen rotation in many interfaces.	Works
Magnetometer Sensor to measure the Earth's magnetism	Untested
Ambient Light Measures the light level; used for automatic screen dimming in many interfaces.	Partial
Proximity	Partial
Hall Effect Measures magnetic fields; usually used as a flip cover sensor	Works
Haptics	Works
Power Sensor Sensor to monitor current, voltage and power. Not fuel gauge!	Partial

Asus Zenfone Max
	; Asus Zenfone Max
Manufacturer	Asus
Name	Zenfone Max
Codename	asus-z010d
Released	2016
Type	handset
Hardware
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
CPU	Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 306
Display	720x1280 pixels
Storage	8/16 GB
Memory	2 GB
Architecture	aarch64
Software
Original software The software and version the device was shipped with.	Android 5.0.1
Extended version The most recent supported version from the manufacturer.	Android
Nura
Category	testing
Mainline Instead of a Linux kernel fork, it is possible to run (Close to) Mainline.	yes
Optional Generic Port	Qualcomm MSM8916 (qcom-msm8916)
Device package	device-asus-z010d
Kernel package	linux-postmarketos-qcom-msm8916

This page is about the dedicated port of this device. There is also an optional generic port available for this device - see Qualcomm MSM8916 (qcom-msm8916).

This device is based on the Snapdragon 410.
See the SoC page for common tips, guides and troubleshooting steps

Contributors

devajithvs

Maintainer(s)

Alderpaw

Users owning this device

Alderpaw (Notes: You can ask about unofficial unlocking)
Bam (Notes: Ready to give out)
Devajithvs (Notes: Runs Mainline Kernel)
Kevinwidjaja21 (Notes: running stock OS, waiting for Asus to re-enable unlocking.)
Maj113

How to enter flash mode

Recovery: Power on the device while pressing Power+Volume Down.
Stock fastboot: Power on the device while pressing Power+Volume Up. You only need this to install lk2nd.
lk2nd Fastboot: Power on the device. After it vibrates/the display shows up, hold Volume Down.

Note: Pressing the keys too early will cause the stock bootloader to handle the key combination. You will end up in the wrong Fastboot interface.

Unlocking the bootloader

TODO: describe a method for unofficial unlocking. Until the guide is ready, use these instructions, presented at XDA

ASUS has officially stopped maintaining older devices. As a result, it's now impossible to unlock the bootloader with the official app.

Installation

Install lk2nd (alternative bootloader that provides a standard fastboot interface)
Follow Qualcomm_Snapdragon_410/412_(MSM8916)#Installation.

WLAN/BT module issues

WARNING: It worked on the author's device, but be careful when using it on your own.

If your device does not have the WLAN module (not shown in ifconfig, for example), then your dmesg output probably contains something like:

qcom-wcnss-pil a204000.remoteproc: error -22 initializing firmware wcnss.mdt
remoteproc remoteproc1: Failed to load program segments: -22

It means that the firmware files on your device (/dev/mmcblk0p39) are different. It can be fixed easily:

Unmount /lib/firmware/msm-firmware-loader/mnt/modem
Unmount /lib/firmware/msm-firmware-loader
Mount /dev/mmcblk0p39 to /mnt (for example)
Backup your /mnt/image/wcnss.* because we will overwrite it
Copy firmware files from here (files I found through browsing...) to your /mnt/image

Now you have different firmware files. After rebooting, if everything is OK, you will have working Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Status

Runs on mainline kernel.

Works: USB Network, WiFi, Bluetooth, Display, Touchscreen, Volume buttons, Hall Effect Sensor, Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Notification Lights Audio (Headphones, Earpiece, Speaker, MIC), Voice calls (VoLTE not supported), SMS, Mobile Internet