Asus’ new Zenfone 11 Ultra is nothing like its predecessors

Asus might be known for its gaming smartphones, but the company makes regular handsets too.

Its Zenfone brand has long been associated with compact handsets – the 5.9-inch Zenfone 10 is one of the best small phones you can buy.

However, Asus has switched things up on the Zenfone 11 Ultra, which has much more in common with other Android phones, including a large display. But what does that mean for the regular model? Here’s everything you need to know.

When will the Asus Zenfone 11 be released?

Asus officially launched in Zenfone 11 Ultra on 14 March 2024.

Pre-orders are live now, ahead of its release on 14 April 2024, and there are some pre-order perks in both the UK and US:

• Pre-order the Zenfone 11 Ultra in the UK – £50 off either model
• Pre-order the Zenfone 11 Ultra in the US – free ROG Cetra wireless earbuds

However, there’s no word on when, or if, the regular Zenfone 11 will launch. Asus denied that the line had been shut down in entirely in August 2023, which has proven to be true. But there’s been no specific commitment to the smaller model.

If it does arrive, a summer launch is most likely based on recent releases:

• Asus Zenfone 10 – July 2023
• Asus Zenfone 9 – July 2022
• Asus Zenfone 8 – May 2021
• Asus Zenfone 7 – August 2020

How much does the Asus Zenfone 11 cost?

Here’s how much you can expect to pay for the Zenfone 11 Ultra:

• 12GB RAM, 256GB storage – £869.99/$899.99
• 16GB RAM, 512GB storage – £949.99 (not available in the US)

However, a pre-order offer in the UK means you can get them for £819.99 (256GB) and £899.99 (512GB) respectively.

Even at full price, it’s cheaper than Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, which starts at £1,249/$1,299.99. It’s also much more affordable than the ROG Phone 8 Pro, cost you at least $1,199.99/£1,099 when paying full price.

If the regular Zenfone 11 ever arrives, it should be cheaper. Here’s how much the previous generations have cost:

• Asus Zenfone 10 – £749/$699
• Asus Zenfone 9 – £699/$699 
• Asus Zenfone 8 – £599/$629
• Asus Zenfone 7 – £569/$749

What specs and features does the Asus Zenfone 11 have?

The Zenfone 11 Ultra has now been revealed, so we know everything about it. But there’s no word regarding the regular Zenfone 11.

Design

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is a much larger phone than the Zenfone 10, measuring 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm. That’s not particularly thin by modern smartphone standards, and it’s relatively heavy at 224.4g.

A premium build uses a combination of aluminium and glass, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 helping to protect the display. The phone also has an IP68 rating, meaning it’s protected against dust and submersion in up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

A large camera bump on the back holds all three lenses, and there’s a unique angular pattern on top of the matt rear coating. ‘Skyline Blue’ and ‘Eternal Black’ finishes are available in the UK, though ‘Misty Grey’ and ‘Desert Sand’ are available in other markets.

There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, something you won’t find on many smartphones these days.

Display

Display is another area where the 11 Ultra is very different to its predecessors.

A 6.78-inch panel is identical to Asus’ own ROG Phone 8 Pro gaming phone, even if the 144Hz refresh rate is slightly lower and only activated while gaming. Even the 120Hz is plenty smooth enough for most tasks, and LTPO tech means it can automatically drop as low as 1Hz to conserve battery life.

It’s an OLED screen with FHD+ (2400×1080) resolution, plus a claim from Asus of up to 2500 nits of brightness.

Within the display is an optical fingerprint scanner, which is more secure than the face unlock and can be used to log into the likes of banking apps.

Performance

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile chip at the time of launch.

In the UK, you can pair it with either 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. However, the 512GB model isn’t available in the US.

There’s also a dedicated ‘High performance’ mode, which kicks in automatically while gaming but can be manually enabled elsewhere.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

While there’s no support for expandable storage, you do get slots for two SIM cards.

Cameras

Again, the camera hardware on the Zenfone 11 Ultra is identical to the ROG Phone 8 Pro. It means you get a triple rear setup, comprised of 50Mp main, 13Mp ultrawide and 32Mp telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

On the front, there’s a 32Mp selfie camera within a small punch-hole at the top of the display.

The phone also supports video at up to 8K at 24fps.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Battery and charging

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is equipped with a 5500mAh battery, which Asus says lasted for over 26 hours in internal testing.

More significantly, it means full day of even heavy usage should still be within reach on a single charge.

65W wireless charging is supported, though there’s only a cable included in the box. However, any USB Power Delivery 3.0 charger of 65W or higher will apparently be able to get the phone from 0-100% in 39 minutes.

There’s also support for Qi wireless charging at up to 15W, but no reverse wireless charging, so it can’t be used to power up other phones.

Software

Out of the box, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is running Android 14.

It has Asus’ Zen UI skin over the top, but this is relatively light touch. A couple of extra pre-installed apps and redesigned Quick Settings menu are the main differences you’ll notice.

There are also several AI features: a Samsung-eque call translator, noise cancellation for calls, transcripts and summaries for voice recordings, a natural-language search for the Gallery and other system apps, and AI-generated wallpapers.

However, none of these will be available on the device at launch – they’ll be coming in a later software update.

In terms of software support, Asus is only offering two major Android versions. Security patches will continue for four years, though.

Read our review of the Zenfone 11 Ultra to see how it compares to the best Android phones you can buy.

Author: Anyron Copeman, Senior Staff Writer