Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra

Combining the Asus ROG Phone 8's body with the Zenfone 10's sensibilities has resulted in a phone that the average flagship Android buyer will love for how long it lasts on a charge, or how beautiful its display makes things look. The problem is that this is an Ultra-branded phone that isn't camera-focused, and that has a surprisingly short software support window, so buyers with their sights set on getting the best in these areas may decide to steer clear.

As for the Zenfone 11 Ultra itself as a product, we can't find any glaring faults. The only thing that rubbed us the wrong way was the absence of a charger in the retail box. Oh, and perhaps cooling could be better for the beastly Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

This is not the compact Zenfone we know, but the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra's aggressive pricing and impressive feature set keep it in contention as a big Galaxy or iPhone alternative.

The Zenfone 11 Ultra uses the ROG Phone 8 as a foundation, and it retains the same chassis with a few tweaks. The design is minimalist, but you don't get much in the way of a unique identity — not surprising given it is a rebadged model. What you'll like more is the hardware; the Zenfone 11 Ultra has a large AMOLED panel that's terrific in daily use, it retains a 3.5mm jack and IP68 ingress protection, a large battery that lasts longer than just about any other device, and it is one of the fastest phones around.

ASUS went big this year, with the display gaining nearly an inch. But ASUS is sticking to its no-frills approach with its smartphone. You won't find a lot of features that you'll likely never use on the Zenfone 11 Ultra. It's more of a "Keep it simple, stupid" approach from ASUS.

A powerful and long-lasting Android phone – but with size no longer on its side, the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra lands in a sea of superior rivals.

Asus has made a rod for its own back by going Ultra, pitting itself against giants like the S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra without having a key point of differentiation. So while the Zenfone 11 Ultra has many highlights – loads of storage, a great screen, near-gaming-phone power and a relatively clean interface – its punchy price and mediocre camera make it a tough sell in a world with the OnePlus 12.

An excellent phone... er, we mean fone, albeit one that lacks the ‘wow’ factor you see in other flagships. Conservatively designed but well-specced and responsive, this year’s ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra has a bigger screen, thinner bezel and larger battery than previous models. Still, its cameras don’t live up to the best on the market. It’s cursed with being a merely good phone, still a fine choice, in a market dominated by giants.