For the past three years, if you wanted a small Android phone, your only option was the Zenfone series from Taiwanese tech brand Asus. Every other phonemaker has thrown in the towel on small phones, including Apple, which killed off its iPhone Mini series after just two years. The general consensus from phones brands is that consumers want larger screens.
Well, Asus has apparently came to that realization too, because its latest release, the Zenfone 11 Ultra, jumps to a very standard 6.78-inch screen size, which towers over the Zenfone 9 and 10’s 5.9-inch screen. Although Asus did not confirm officially, company reps strongly hinted that the Ultra is the only Zenfone 11 phone launching this year; there would be no smaller non-Ultra variant.
I don’t mind at all. As I’ve said in almost every review of small phones, I am fully on board the large screen bandwagon. I do too many things on my phone (including work) to opt for a small display. And so when I picked up the Zenfone 11 Ultra for the first time, I liked what I saw.
The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra appears to be a continuation of the company’s ROG Phone than the Zenfone series. It’s not just the larger screen size, but also the camera module and back design are reminiscent of the ROG Phone more than the Zenfone. I think that’s a shame, as I thought the Zenfone 9 and 10 had a unique design language.
But nonetheless, the 11 Ultra is a good looking device, with a flat OLED screen that can get up to 144Hz in refresh rate, and a grippy matte glass back with a textured pattern. The camera module is a bit oddly high up on the phone’s back, but it houses a solid triple camera system headlined by a Sony IMX890 camera with a gimbal.
The gimbal helps smooth out movements when filming video. While it does work, I am not sure it’s needed in 2024, when smartphone stabilization have improved by leaps and bounds over a few years ago. I did some side-by-side testing, and sure, if I’m actively trying to be shaky, like jumping down a few steps of stairs, I can see the Zenfone 11 Ultra video footage is slightly more stable than the iPhone 15 Pro’s footage. But unless you’re using the phone to film your runs or mountain biking, 90% of the time the Zenfone 11 Ultra video isn’t any more stable than another flagship phone camera.
I am happy to see there’s a 32-megapixel telephoto zoom lens, which has been missing from previous Zenfones. The zoom lens is solid, producing crisp 3X shots with a bit of bokeh. An ultra-wide shooter rounds out the camera package, and it’s also a capable shooter.
Elsewhere, I think the phone has tremendous haptics and speakers, as well as a very good battery life thanks to a gigantic 5,500mAh battery — three traits clearly carried over from the ROG gaming phones. Add the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and up to 16GB of RAM, and you have a phone that’s a top notch performer. So this phone nails all the basics and checks every box.
But is that enough? Asus is an underdog in the “normal” smartphone space, constantly overshadowed by not just Apple, Google and Samsung, but Chinese brands that have clearly superior camera hardware. Previous Zenfone phones had the clear benefit of being unique — it’s the only small phone in town — and that edge is no more.
Still, Asus should appeal to someone who wants a large screen phone at a slightly lower price. Or someone who wants excellent battery life and speakers in a phone. The company is selling the phone at $850-$899 depending on location, and that’s a couple hundred dollars less than what Samsung and Apple asks of their phones.
The smartphone space is very crowded, and I can’t say the Zenfone 11 Ultra really stands out, but it is a polished and well-rounded device that won’t disappoint those who give it a chance.
