When you're on the hunt for one of the best Android phones on the market, a little personality can go a long way. That could be something as simple as a quirky colour, or as grandiose as a small footprint which goes against the grain.
Both were true of the Asus Zenfone 10. When I tested that back in June, it blew me away, offering a truly flagship performance in a small format. But beyond just having horsepower under the hood, it was jam packed with personality.
From the fetching green hue of the textured back panel to the stepped dual-camera setup or the blink-and-you'll-miss-it 5.9-inch display, the whole thing felt like a product designed to do its own thing – and do it well!
Can the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra follow in those footsteps? Well, let's dive in and take a closer look.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Price and Release Date
The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra comes in two different storage variants. You'll pay £869.99 / $899.99 for the 12+256GB model, or £949.99 for the 16+512GB model. Pricing for that one isn't given in dollars, so it may not be on offer in that region.
The model was unveiled on the 14th of March 2024.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: What's new?
The first thing you'll notice here is the size. As mentioned in the intro, the Zenfone 10 was a pocket-sized powerhouse, with a 5.9-inch display. That's absolutely not the case here, though.
A 6.78-inch display places this firmly back among the pack of large Android handsets. In fact, if you're wondering how big it is, it's exactly the same size as the Asus ROG Phone 8.
Let's quickly address that elephant in the room. Because yes, these two devices are almost identical. They use the same chassis, with the buttons in the same location. The camera modules are shaped very slightly differently, though broadly the same there too.
What the Zenfone 11 Ultra does is strip away some of the gaming finery from the ROG Phone. You won't find the Air Triggers or the AniMe Vision display on the rear. You also won't find the side-mounted USB-C port.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Design and Display
Quite aside from the growth spurt this model has had, the whole design is very pretty. This is an anniversary year for Asus, and they have a nice geometric pattern on the rear which is present here, too.
My review unit has a grey finish, which is really smart. There's an almost holographic quality as you roll the phone across a light source, which gives a lovely three dimensional quality.
Then there's the display. You'll find an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate on this 6.78-inch AMOLED panel. That can even boost up to 144Hz when gaming, for smooth motion when you really need it.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Camera
Let's take a look at the camera system. A triple rear sensor system can be found here, with main, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses.
The main sensor is a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor. That is coupled with a 13MP ultra-wide with a 120 degree field of view, and a 32MP 3x telephoto with an f/2.4 minimum aperture.
So, is it any good? Well, yes, by and large. The cameras are pretty good, with decent colour grading across the spectrum. The 2x zoom setting is the only one which looks out of place, with a pale character that loses some saturation.
The three lenses are impressive and detailed, with the telephoto my pick of the bunch. That offers some really lovely images, with the low minimum aperture offering neatly blurred backgrounds.
That being said, the images which come out of this device can often appear pretty over-sharpened. That's not entirely uncommon with modern smartphone cameras, but it can be frustrating, lending a slightly unnatural look.
One saving grace here is the videography. That main sensor is loaded up with the Hybrid Gimbal Stabiliser 3.0, meaning you can enjoy brilliantly smooth video footage. It's one of the shining lights of the Asus phone range, and it's every bit as good here.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Performance
There is very little to say here. If you've used any device powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, you'll know the kind of thing to expect. Day-to-day use wouldn't even cause it to break a sweat, while all but the most intense of tasks will be easy pickings.
I've tested this with all sorts of regular tasks and seen it perform really well. Throwing something more intense like a mobile gaming session at it is still well within remit. Performance was generally good, only lagging after a while of use.
I did notice a distinct drop in battery life in these settings, though. While regular use can see the battery last for days, the gaming test saw it drop by 5% in half an hour. That would see the full battery drain in just ten hours.
That's not exactly the best performance on the block. However, there is a saving grace for this device in the form of wired charging speed. 65W charging will fuel that 5,500mAh battery in no time, making it easy to get topped up again in a jiffy.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Verdict
This is an unusual review to write. There is no question that the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is a good phone. It's almost like the blueprint for an Android phone in 2024, and it's solid.
With that being said, it doesn't really offer anything to get too excited about. The performance is good, though it can fall down under intense load. The camera is good, but has issues with over-sharpening.
Ultimately, the biggest issue it's going to face is comparison to the Asus ROG Phone 8. Sure, these models run a little cheaper than the ROG range, but I'd wager that it probably isn't enough to steer people away – particularly when the ROG Phone has dialled down its gamer-centric design language.
In short, this is a really capable handset which represents decent value in the current market. If you're a fan of the design – and want some really top-tier videography hardware – this should certainly be on your list.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review: Alternatives
As we've mentioned countless times here, the Asus ROG Phone 8 is the most direct competitor. The two spec sheets are almost identical, and the chassis' are almost the same, too.
If you're just on the hunt for a top Android handset, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a safe bet. That offers a similarly gargantuan footprint, with top hardware and software in a really familiar package.
If you're on the hunt for a small phone, the Asus Zenfone 10 is probably still your best bet. It's a little outdated now, but as it was the only real competitor in that space, it remains a top pick.
