I reviewed an Android phone that simply doesn’t make any sense

What a confusing telephone the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is . It ’s not because it ’s terrible or hard to use or has some bizarre feature film that do n’t make sense ; it ’s because I do n’t really get what the pointedness is .

A caboodle of this headway - scratching comes from Asus ’s choice of name , where it equip in the brand ’s smartphone card and its seeming lack of inspiration . But once you understand the phone better , is it something you should squish out on ?

Where are the other Zenfone 11 models?

It ’s deserving addressing all the mix-up first . For a while , Asus has embraced the “ compact smartphone ” mart with its Zenfone range , yield those who require a high - performance , small Android phone a choice , rather than just buying theSamsung Galaxy S24orApple iPhone 15 . TheAsus Zenfone 10is still that phone , and it keep on in Asus ’s range , but it imprison behind the Galaxy S24 in unlimited office as it ’s a twist from mid-2023 .

Asus has resolve not to foretell a compact Zenfone 11 to replace it , making the Zenfone 11 Ultra the only telephone in its 2024 Zenfone family . Here ’s where problem arise , as we ’ve become wonted to an “ extremist ” name argue the manufacturer has thrown everything at the machine to make it stand out — see theGalaxy S24 Ultraand the Xiaomi 14 Ultra for grounds — but Asus has n’t done that with the Zenfone 11 Ultra . Why ? Probably because theROG Phone 8 Proexists .

Asus ’s play smartphone is a feature - pack ball of fire , while the Zenfone 11 Ultra is just a fireball . There is nothing extremist about it , aside from having a big screenland , and because that ’s not unusual these days , it feels very underwhelming . The Zenfone 10 has a place in the market and a specific hearing in thinker , while the Zenfone 11 Ultra does n’t seem to have either . When theGalaxy S24 Plusand theiPhone 15 Plusalready occupy asomewhat awkward quad , belong with the similar Zenfone 11 Ultra instead of a small-scale telephone is an strange decisiveness from Asus .

A photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is too ordinary

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is a simple , chunky smartphone made of metal and glass , and there ’s nothing pernicious about the 8.9 mm thickness or 224 - gram weight . There are great phones that have been thoughtfully determine to make general use comfortable , such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , but the Zenfone 11 Ultra is not one of them . You always bonk it ’s in your pocket , and it ’s practically out of the question to use with one script . I like to take my time browsing societal web or Chrome , and the Zenfone 11 Ultra make this an straining chore after a while due to its slab sides and braggart dimensions .

There are four colour — Skyline Blue , Eternal Black , Misty Grey , and Desert Sand — and I pray you to get one of the brighter one , as the rear control board is rather dull otherwise . There is the hint of Asus ’s stylise A logo , but in some lights , the slim , polished line just disappears , making it an surface area of nothingness . The big , disastrous , thick , square camera module is far too average to add together much to the look of the sound . If you crave refinement and want nothing else than to vanish in a crowd , the black Zenfone 11 Ultra will be the phone for you .

The IP68 water and dust opposition is welcome , especially as on the bottom of the frame is an offset USB - vitamin C charging larboard and the surprise addition of a 3.5 mm headphone squat . It ’s another aspect of Asus ’s continued support of almost every audio feature and codec out there , ranging from Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound and AptX Adaptive to wired and wireless Hi - Ra support . Stereo speakers with Dirac tune up complete the package and sound incredible , full of life , clarity , and depth .

A photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The excellent audio ca n’t save the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra from otherwise being unremarkable , and that ’s a trouble when various other competing phones are not ordinary at all , including one made by Asus itself .

Does it have Ultra performance?

If it ’s lead to slap the Logos Ultra in the name , Asus demand to back it up by giving the Zenfone 11 Ultra some impressive performance . The screen is a 6.78 - inch flexible LTPO AMOLED made by Samsung , so it align between 1Hz and 120Hz to maximise shelling life and can supercharge to 144Hz for some game . It has a bloom brightness of 2,500 nits and will normally maneuver at a level best of 1,600 nit in sunlight . Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects it from harm . The screen is a beauty and great for games and video .

TheQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3processor with up to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space mightiness the phone , and a 5,500mAh battery supply the energy . A charger does not total in the box , but you do get a USB - C to USB - C cable television . The Zenfone 11 Ultra has both 15W wireless charging and wired loyal charging . This supports the PD3.0 PPS criterion despite being labeled as Asus ’s proprietary - sounding 65W HyperCharge organisation . I used an Asker 313 GaN charger rated at 45W to blame the Zenfone 11 Ultra , and it went from 2 % to 100 % in 45 minutes . barrage fire life is fantabulous at about five hour of concentrated manipulation from a single charge , but abstemious enjoyment of less than three minute a Clarence Day will see it last for two to three days .

All this matches the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro , but Asus says the Zenfone 11 Ultra is tune up differently to the ROG Phone 8 Pro and is less about performance than its gaming cousin . This did n’t vocalize aright at all , and also not something speculate by the battery life andefficiency . Under general use , the Zenfone 11 Ultra ’s software tent flap , just as you would expect , and I have n’t note any retardation , fitfulness , or reluctance in apps . It ’s the flawless , smooth , and emphasis - liberal user experience you want from a speech sound like this .

A wide-angle photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Performance tests using the 3DMark benchmarking app unveil almost no difference between it and the ROG Phone , and both maintained a interchangeable temperature and inning charge per unit during the extreme 20 - instant tests , too . I playedAsphalt 9 : Legendson both and noticed no dispute . However , the ROG Phone 8 Pro does have extra characteristic — the AirTriggers , X Mode , and its side - mount USB - ascorbic acid larboard , for example — that make it great for hardcore fluid gamers , which the Zenfone 11 Ultra does not have . Outside of that , it does n’t seem to be tuned other than at all .

Will the camera worry other Ultra phones?

The camera faculty on the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra hold a 50 - megapixel IMX890 photographic camera with Asus ’s 6 - axis vertebra Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer , a 13MP broad - slant camera , and a 32MP telephoto for 3x optical zoom shots . This is all exactly the same as the ROG Phone 8 professional , right down to the 32MP selfie camera . When the photographic camera system is called Pro one moment and Ultra the next , you may in all likelihood work out that the Zenfone 11 Ultra will not be worrying the Galaxy S24 Ultra when it comes to taking photos .

Do n’t save it off , though . The Zenfone 11 Ultra takes safe photos , and while it ’s not going to take any grand prizes , it wo n’t let down you when you apply it . pic can be fun and vibrant , lily-white symmetry is good , and the gimbal seems to help with lowlight figure of speech as nighttime photos are balanced and sharp . face tight , and you may see haphazardness and haloing . swop between the main and full - angle camera appearance there is n’t much consistency , with the broad guess being far more pure than the main camera .

The gimbal is used to brace picture , and there ’s a fresh Super HyperSteady feature , but this did n’t seem to be active on my follow-up machine at the time of testing . The standard HyperSteady feature of speech is only available at FHD resolve and 60fps , while the Adaptive stabilization works up to 8 special K resolution . The Zenfone 11 Ultra ’s tv camera is decent enough , but the photos it takes are superposable to the ROG Phone 8 professional , which is an odd place . I do n’t know how I feel about the non - gaming phone ’s Ultra camera take the same photos as the Pro play sound .

A photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Is the Zenfone 11 Ultra a good phone?

Asus has nailed smartphone software , allow a generally uncontaminating and logical interface over the top of Android and offering a few insidious enhancements — for example , an alternate intensity menu , a split Quick options perspective , and a dissimilar look to the incoming call screenland — that can be manually activate if you want them . It ’s all build around Android 14 on the Zenfone 11 Ultra , and the ecumenical computer software function is one of the best parts of the headphone . It ’s not exciting , but you purchase the ROG Phone 8 Pro if you want the option of a showy interface as well .

But hold back , there is some AI to have sex it up ! In what is rapidly becoming one of the least interesting “ characteristic ” band on 2024 phones , AI modes like AI Transcript , AI Noise Reduction , and AI Call Translator are all onboard for your enjoyment . The randomness step-down for cry seems to lick well , and I ’ve left it combat-ready throughout my meter with the phone , but I have not found any use for the other features yet . This is a problem with AI on other sound and not undivided to the Zenfone 11 Ultra .

One other new feature of speech is Video Genie , which is found through the Edge Tool and allow you to toggle off calls and presentment quickly or to minimize them when you ’re watching a television , plus spark off a background listening mode to keep video active when you ’re using other apps . There ’s also Asus ’s GlideX feature of speech , which mirror your phone to your microcomputer , transfer of training files , and use the phone ’s television camera as a webcam . There ’s no 10 Mode like the ROG Phone 8 Pro , but you get the Game Genie package to boost in - game performance .

A wide-angle photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Reliable and easy to apply , the Zenfone 11 Ultra is a very practiced everyday phone , but even so , this is n’t something to hollo about . Every current flagship headphone provides a very similar experience , and unluckily , Asus loses points for only extend two Android version updates and four years of security update . This is far behind Samsung , Google , and OnePlus .

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra price and availability

uncommitted from March 14 , the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of store space be $ 899 , or $ 949 with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space . In the U.K. , the speech sound costs 869 British pounds for the standard mannikin or 949 pounds for the higher - specification version .

While not overpriced , the Zenfone 11 Ultra is a very laborious sell due to the monumental amount of competition around it . The 16GB/512GBOnePlus 12is $ 900 , and theGoogle Pixel 8 Prois $ 999 , as is theSamsung Galaxy S24 Plus . Sure , the $ 1,299Galaxy S24 Ultrais much more expensive , but its kitchen sink spec and feature film list warrant much of it . TheAsus ROG Phone 8 Procosts $ 1,099 ( and is actually on fling for $ 999 at the prison term of penning ) and is well more interesting .

More problematic for Asus are the bum phone that have impressed recently . I enjoyed using theNothing Phone 2aa lot more than the Zenfone 11 Ultra , theOnePlus 12Rhas won plenty of fans , and theGoogle Pixel 8remains the pick of the latest Pixel phones . You ’ll save money and arguably get more enjoyment if you opt one of these phones over the Zenfone 11 Ultra , just provided you do n’t want the outright power and carrying into action from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Saratoga chip .

A photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra’s main camera.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Why should you buy the Zenfone 11 Ultra?

I have no idea why you wouldreally wantto buy the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra . I wish Asus phone and normally take pleasance in recommending them , but in this instance , I authentically guess you should just buy the ROG Phone 8 Pro with its toned - down ( but still cool ) design and unnoticeable but useful gaming feature . It ’s the Zenfone 11 Ultra , just more interesting .

But if you never spiel games , it would be a waste , and the fuss in this situation is the Zenfone 11 Ultra ’s competitors are all much more compelling , often well looking , and come with longer software update commitments . Sadly , Asus has n’t given you a real reason to bribe the Zenfone 11 Ultra over them and has simply undress back all the chip that make the ROG Phone 8 Pro merriment and exciting to get out a rather forgettable phone . At least asmallZenfone 11 , should it have been made , would have something unusual about it .

I ’ll shut by say that I have experienced no problems with the Zenfone 11 Ultra . Everything works on the nose as you ’d expect , and the build quality is excellent . It ’s aperfectly acceptablesmartphone , but a bountiful screen and the in style chipping are n’t really enough to get a strong recommendation these days — especially when the competition is going out of its way to do all this and more .

A photo taken with the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra’s main camera.