Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review

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Introduction

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is here, and it's a lot more than we expected. Quite literally even - its large size took us by surprise. It's not extra large, but we've grown to identify the Zenfones as the compact flagships. Taking it out of the cardboard box, the 11 Ultra took us by surprise.

The new Zenfone 11 Ultra has a 6.78-inch display, compared to 5.92 inches on the Zenfone 10. That's quite the growth spurt and a rather unexpected one, seeing how the Zenfone line has built a solid pedigree of compact flagships in recent years.

There were rumors hinting that the Zenfone line is "going away". It was quickly debunked by Asus by saying that they: "will continue [the] two main phone business product lines, the ROG Phone and the Zenfone". There is no mention of size or this sudden inclusion of "Ultra" into the name.

For now, your guess is as good as ours. Will there be a regular, non-Ultra compact Zenfone? Is this the end of the compact Zenfone? We just don't know. In any case, the Zenfone family is no stranger to experimentation. You might remember that not that long ago, Zenfone models used to have a flip-up camera, which was their defining feature of sorts. So, going forward, anything is possible.

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra specs at a glance:

• Body: 163.8x76.8x8.9mm, 224g; aluminum frame, glass front and back; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.78" LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz, 1600 nits (HBM), 2500 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 388ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM.
• OS/Software: Android 14.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, gimbal OIS; Telephoto: 32 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.2", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/3.0", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 22mm (wide), 1/3.2", 0.7µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K, 1080p, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5500mAh; 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC5, 100% in 39 min, 15W wireless (Qi), 10W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.3, aptX HD; NFC; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.

Some visual elements aside, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is actually very similar to the ROG Phone 8 in practically every aspect. As we mentioned, this entails a larger display, for one, and also a larger 5,500 mAh battery. There was also ample space to fit an impressive camera setup inside the body, and there should be ample space for cooling the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Much more than inside a compact body like that of the previous Zenfone 10 generation.

Unboxing

The Zenfone 11 Ultra ships in a stylish beige-colored retail box. It is a standard two-piece affair made of very sturdy cardboard. There is no plastic in sight, but there is still a cradle for the phone on the inside, which keeps things snug and secure. According to Asus, the packaging is more eco-friendly than ever, with 36% less paper used, and the overall packaging efficiency has been improved by 31%.

Unfortunately, the Zenfone 11 Ultra does not come with a charger. Interestingly enough, the included Type-C to Type-C cable seems to lack an e-marker chip. This means that by specification, it is limited to 3A power transfer or a total of 60W at 20V. The Zenfone 11 Ultra can technically charge at a rate of up to 65W. This could pose a problem, but we'll be sure to check how the Zenfone 11 Ultra charger with the included cable and a proper 5A one. Speaking from experience, it shouldn't be a big problem, but we will still investigate. Hop on over to the charging section for finings.

You do get a nice plastic bumper case inside the box made from 50% post-consumer recycled materials, so there's that.