Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra review

14 March 2024


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  • Pige0n
  • 7vH
  • 14 Mar 2024

Don't worry, Asus will dump their software support after they release ZenFone 12 mega, or Rog 9 RgbPro.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • LkB
    • 14 Mar 2024

    Darth Caesium, 14 Mar 2024Only because HTC got purchased by a Chinese ODM. And HTC di... moreU series is not ODM, only Wildfire is.
    If their U series was ODM, specs would be way worse and phone would cost half.

      • n
      • neco
      • S0w
      • 14 Mar 2024

      it's so over

        NoteBookCheck.ne / Tom's / : "Zenfone 11 Ultra will only receive two Android OS upgrades"

        + Can't unlock the bootloader anymore.

        Total Fail Asus. You clearly want Zenfone to fail. Bye-bye. Been nice knowing ya.

          Anonymous, 14 Mar 2024Htc is still around, you know right? U24 duo in 2 months. Only because HTC got purchased by a Chinese ODM. And HTC did actually exit the market for a while before re-entering. HTC today is not at all the same company.

            too much heavy, this is a brick not a "smart"phone

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • 0p}
              • 14 Mar 2024

              Darth Caesium, 14 Mar 2024Terrible phone. Should've at most gotten 3.7★. Camera ... moreHtc is still around, you know right?
              U24 duo in 2 months.

                Can someone explain what drvg GSMArena is on by rewarding this phone 4.4, Xiaomi 14 4.5 AND rewarding Find X7 Ultra 4.5. Y'all need multiple sections, something like Quality, Value, Photography etc.

                  Another respectable, informative review. Seems asus are going the way of the "mainstream" route and becoming less "standout" and more in line with things but try and perfect a certain aspect of a phone as its selling point.

                  Bit of a shame really, I'd honestly suggest any of the recommended devices from GSMs recommended list, unless your market the zenfone ultra is cheaper (and you prefer asus ecosystem/devices etc) the others are just better all rounders (maybe not in charging for some).

                  I'd like to see a section just before the final verdict which gives a more "opinion" based view of the phone (say the reviewer uses it for a month 1st before the review etc) and just give a more user experience, say device seems to get a few bugs more than regular or what the phone really excells at in a formative way.

                  (essentially like a short summary of the long term review but more a general usage type performance the device will give, doesnt need to point out an issue that can/is fixed and a rare occurance between users of that device just general niggles that keep popping up).

                    Anonymous, 14 Mar 2024This would have been an ok phone if not for the measly two ... moreAsus possibly could update their software policy which this device would be included in it so possibly thats a hope (unless its just the standard 3 years really not 2 anymore). Or just a mistake by them, it is just peace of mind having atleast 3 years.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • m4B
                      • 14 Mar 2024

                      Guys, who are saying about camera's software, just google what camera hardware this smartphone has. It's uw module dates back to 2019(!), selfie module is from 2013(!!) and zoom module was originally introduced in 2021 for selfie cameras(!) and cant record in 4k(!), atleast in the review. My 1+8 pro has better setup than this, as well as 30 watt Qi charging. No wonder why it shoots worse photos then the Realme 12 pro+, that costs fraction of it.
                      Even more strange was in the conclusion, "well rounded camera performance". For 1k$? Can you compare it with the others then? Well, against Vivo X100 pro atleast, that you've just reviewed.

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                        • Anonymous
                        • YT%
                        • 14 Mar 2024

                        This would have been an ok phone if not for the measly two years of software updates. How did GSMArena not mention this as a con?!

                          AnonD-1147675, 14 Mar 2024Cmon people, this phone is SO much better than S24+ and eve... moreWhile you're not objectively wrong, the cameras are still terrible. They're almost like an afterthought. Don't get me wrong, I love the curved frame and edges, the headphone jack and the [mostly] stock UI. But this phone just doesn't justify its existence, and locking down the bootloader is going to drive away quite some people from getting an Asus phone, since the people that use them are already a niche market. At $900, there are a whole plethora of devices that could outdo it in every way (headphone jack aside, even more so since Sony doesn't make a $900 phone). At this price point, you could get yourself the OnePlus 12 or the Vivo X100 Pro if you value performance over anything else, or even the OnePlus 12R if you're on a tighter budget for almost half the price. You could also get a Google Pixel 8 Pro (prices have already fallen) or again the Vivo X100 Pro if you value cameras over anything else like I do. The Zenfone 11 Ultra's battery life also isn't much better in PRACTICE than the Vivo X100 Pro. In fact, the Vivo phone's only real fault is the terrible UI, so if you can tolerate Funtouch OS, then just get that one instead.

                            Oddly generic and uninspired for an Asus smartphone.
                            Especially considering their record of original & playful devices.

                              Terrible phone. Should've at most gotten 3.7★. Camera software is terrible, camera specs are underwhelming. In fact, it's the same exact camera setup as the Oppo Find N3 Flip, but that one does it so much better even if I personally really dislike expensive phones having underwhelming cameras. At least that phone has an excuse, since it's a flip-style foldable where space is very limited.

                              Also, the display is 1080p, so it's really not sharp (only 388 PPI), and it just feels like they cloned the ROG Phone 8, gave it a non-gaming look, and sold it for cheaper. It shares basically everything but the back (and that one's extremely similar), which makes me question the price justification for both phones. This is a pathetic excuse for a phone, and while the ROG Phone 8 has a reason to exist (even if they took what was great with past ROG Phones and chucked it into the bin), this just doesn't in any way, shape or form. Nobody asked for this. Nobody needed this. Asus, either get your act together, or just go like LG and HTC have done. You were great with the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip, but you have fallen off a cliff so tall since then that it probably happened in the Grand Canyon.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-1147675
                                • 03P
                                • 14 Mar 2024

                                Cmon people, this phone is SO much better than S24+ and even S24U in most regards:
                                1: A bigger battery, and FAR better battery life.
                                2: Game Genie and 144hz for gaming.
                                3: No Exynos!
                                4: Has a 3.5mm jack! This should be normal, yet it isn't! But here it is! This alone makes it the flagship of the year for me.
                                5: The telephoto is 32MP rather than 10MP on the S24+, letting you zoom in digitally even further.
                                6: Up to 16GB of RAM.
                                7: Charges at 65W.
                                8: Stock Android, with optimizations selectable on/off. Why isn't this normal on all phones?!
                                9: Historically, Zenfone's camera processing was actually better than Samsung's, in fact second after the Pixels'. Might not be the case this year though. :(
                                10: Its edges won't cut into your hand.
                                11: It has WiFi7, unlike S24+.
                                12: Extremely effective High Performance Mode.
                                13: You call this a generic camera bump? Look at Samsung for a moment! lol
                                14: Has "AI" features as well, but without naming the entire event after them, Samsung.
                                15: Comes with a case, which is even more important than a charger, as cases are model-specific.

                                The cons do exist, unfortunately:
                                1: Much shorter software support.
                                2: Bootloader might not be unlockable.
                                3: No microSD, and no 1TB version.
                                4: Glass back? Really Asus? I LOVE the grippy back of my Zenfone 9, and here you do exactly the opposite, a shattering glass back. Same goes for most competitors, though.
                                5: No charger this year. Same goes for $amsung, but not for, say, OnePlus.
                                6: No IR blaster. Again, same goes for Samsung, but not for the Chinese competitors.
                                7: We do not know whether we will see a small version. :(
                                8: 1080p rather than 1440p. (Would you notice at this size though?)

                                  What goes through the head of a phone company when they put a telephoto camera that can't be used in portrait mode? Anyway, it looks solid. I don't like it, but it isn't bad at all. I just hope it doesn't mean the small Zenfone is dead. Those were great.

                                    • R
                                    • Rkm
                                    • CbI
                                    • 14 Mar 2024

                                    If they were going to release an ultra, why would they make they rog 8 more mainstream friendly. IMO Asus fumbled their product lineup big this year. Lets see if they will even launch the compact 11.

                                      Anonymous, 14 Mar 2024How to fix zenfone Front design of Rog 7 with dual spea... moreAlso, at least 4y of Android upgrades.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0p}
                                        • 14 Mar 2024

                                        How to fix zenfone

                                        Front design of Rog 7 with dual speakers
                                        6,5" QHD screen
                                        Imx902 24mm + LYT600 70-110mm
                                        Lyt500 selfie.
                                        Side finger scanner
                                        Earphone jack
                                        Micro sd slot
                                        Gorilla Armor front + victus 2 back
                                        Usb c3.2

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