Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra

The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra, launched on April 14, 2024, is a substantial device measuring 163.8 mm in height, 76.8 mm in width, and 8.9 mm in depth, weighing in at 224 grams.

Build Quality

The Zenfone 11 Ultra presents a robust build, although the specific materials used are not detailed in this specification sheet, the device feels substantial. It's not a foldable phone, and its dimensions, combined with its weight, suggest a durable, albeit not particularly compact, design. Available color options include Eternal Black, Skyline Blue, Misty Gray, and Desert Sand.

Screen Quality

The device boasts a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 388 ppi. The screen features a 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10 support, and a peak brightness of 2500 nits (1600 nits HBM), ensuring a vibrant and smooth visual experience. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Other notable features include a hole-punch notch, 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 107% NTSC coverage, Always-On Display, DCI-P3 and full sRGB color standards, and is both capacitive and multi-touch. The display uses LTPO technology for power efficiency.

Camera Performance

The Zenfone 11 Ultra features a versatile triple-camera system on the rear. The main camera is a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, 1.00µm pixel size, and 1/1.56” sensor size, utilizing 2x2 pixel binning. Accompanying it is a 13MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 1.12µm pixel size. The third lens is a 32MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and a 0.70µm pixel size. The front-facing selfie camera is a 32MP Omnivision OV32C sensor with an f/2.5 aperture, 0.70µm pixel size, and 2x2 pixel binning.

Video capabilities include 8K recording at 24fps with HDR and EIS, as well as 4K recording at 30 and 60fps with HDR and EIS. Additional modes range from 1080p at 30, 60, 120, and 240fps with HDR and EIS, as well as 720p at 480fps with HDR and EIS. Extra features include a second depth and macro camera, night and panoramic modes, optical zoom 3x with OIS, and 6-axis gimbal stabilization. The camera software offers a wide array of features, including digital zoom, digital image stabilization, optical stabilization, autofocus, HDR, face detection, and RAW capture. The device also has dual-LED flash. DxOMark scores show a main score of 125, with a photo score of 131 and a video score of 115.

Software Experience

The Zenfone 11 Ultra runs on Android 14, with an upgrade path to Android 16. The specific user interface is not mentioned, but the phone includes standard Android features and is powered by a robust chipset.

Battery Performance

The device is powered by a 5500mAh Li-Polymer battery, supporting 65W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. The battery also supports 10W reverse wired charging. The battery is non-removable.

Hardware and Performance

The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) chipset, featuring an octa-core CPU with a 3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 prime core, three 3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 performance cores, two 3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 cores, and two 2.3 GHz Cortex-A520 efficiency cores. Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 750 GPU. The device comes in versions with 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. It achieves an Antutu v10 benchmark score of 1,532,000, confirming its high-performance capabilities. It does not include an SD card slot. It features a cooling system, but not dedicated gaming buttons. The device includes a variety of sensors, including fingerprint (under display), proximity, light, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, gravity, and hall sensors. Audio features include Hi-Res Audio, noise cancellation microphone, and stereo speakers. It also has 2 microphones. There is no notification LED.

Connectivity

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with dual-band, hotspot, direct, display, and MiMO functionalities. Bluetooth 5.4 with LE, AVRCP, HID, OPP, APT-x, LDAC, SBC, and AAC codecs is included. GPS features cover GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, Galileo, and NavIC. It also supports a dual SIM setup, with two nano SIM slots, with dual standby functionality. Network bands include extensive 5G, 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G support. The device has a USB Type-C port with USB charging, mass storage, OTG, and host functionalities but no video output capability.

Value for Money

The Zenfone 11 Ultra is positioned as a medium-priced phone, with prices varying by the RAM/ROM configuration as well as retailer. For the 16GB/512GB version, the prices range from $699.99 to $1064.20. Given the high-end processor, display, and camera specs, it appears to offer considerable value for the price bracket.