This year, ASUS is back with its latest flagship series with the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra. The device replaces the ASUS Zenfone 10 and now comes in a form factor that is very different from all its predecessors. The price is quite attractive, starting from IDR 9.999 million (during the promo period) for the most affordable variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal memory – making it the cheapest smartphone with a Snapdragon 8 gen 3 chip on the market today.
The quite revolutionary design changes in the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra invite many pros and cons. Pros, because the large screen and much larger battery support daily productivity better. Cons, because the previous Zenfone series was known for its uniqueness, especially the compact body size that is easy to hold with one hand – missing in the latest series.
What's it like to use a Zenfone with this new 'format'? Check out the following ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra review.
Design
Unlike the three previous ASUS Zenfone series (Zenfone 8, 9, and 10) which were small and easy to hold with one hand, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra uses a new design with a large size like most Android smartphones on the market. Before using this smartphone, I tested using the ASUS ROG Phone 8. It feels like they both feel like two similar smartphones.
As it turns out, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra shares the exact same dimensions with a length of 163.8 mm, width 76.8 mm, and a thinness of 8.9mm. Their weights are only 1 gram apart, with the Zenfone 11 Ultra being lighter at 224 g. The difference lies in the absence of AirTrigger and a second USB-C on the side of the Zenfone 11 Ultra, as well as a calmer back cover and camera design.
Even though it is similar to the ASUS ROG Phone 8, I think the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra still looks attractive with an elegant style. The color options available for the 16/256GB variant are quite attractive, such as Eternal Black, Misty Grey, and Skyline Blue – the latter being the variant I tested using. I love the blue glow of the back cover of this smartphone, it looks unobtrusive but charming and fits perfectly with the black aluminum frame.
While the previous Zenfone series was easy to hold with one hand and was not felt when put in a trouser pocket, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is more comfortable to use with two hands and its weight is quite noticeable when put in a pocket. It can be a weakness, but it also has a ton of advantages. The larger size makes the screen more spacious and the battery lasts longer.
Baca juga: Review ASUS ROG Phone 8: Flagship Gaming yang Nyaman untuk Semua
Screen
In line with the enlarged body size, the screen on the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra has increased to 6 inches.78 inches. Using an LTPO AMOLED panel, it supports a variable refresh rate of up to 144Hz and is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. In my opinion, the most special point on this screen is the brightness which can reach up to 2500 nits, much brighter than its predecessor.
Flagship class screen specifications, I feel comfortable when using the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra in my daily activities. The touch panel feels very responsive in responding to quick touches and typing with two fingers, I never experienced typos when typing. The quality panel delivers vivid colors and supports HDR content.
When it comes to screen protection, the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 feels strong and can withstand scratches when put together with keys and other items in a sling bag. The glass material is also very comfortable to touch with fingers, feels smooth and premium. A refresh rate of up to 144Hz makes the experience of scrolling between menus and playing games smooth without ghosting which makes the smartphone feel slow.
Even though it doesn't use a curved OLED panel model like some competitors from China, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra still has a flagship-class screen that feels luxurious and comfortable to use. In fact, the thick Gorilla Glass Victus 2 material ensures better durability even without a screen protector. Suitable for those of you who pay more attention to panel quality and screen durability.
Camera
The camera has always been the main advantage of the Zenfone series, and the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is no exception. In fact, this smartphone camera is similar to the ASUS ROG Phone 8 with a 50MP main lens and a 13MP ultra-wide lens. However, there is an additional lens that makes it different from the ROG Phone 8 – namely a 32MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom. On the front, ASUS equips this smartphone with a 32MP lens.
I think the most interesting thing about the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra camera is its stabilization technology. It is equipped with a 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0. The gimbal stabilization type allows the results of photos and videos to remain stable even when your hands are shaking, and I feel the benefits when taking everyday photo and video documentation. No need to keep your hands completely still, the camera always manages to capture clear images.
For photo quality, I think the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is as reliable as flagship smartphones in general. A small note is that the processing is quite aggressive, resulting in photos that sometimes look too high in contrast or too sharp. Fortunately, it can produce good photos in a variety of conditions with natural colors and good dynamic range. The camera is also reliable for taking photos in low light or at night, thanks to gimbal stabilization which allows for longer shutter speeds.
The presence of a 3x telephoto lens on this ASUS flagship smartphone provides space for zoom photography. After I tested it, the results were still good up to 5x zoom. The wide camera can be relied on to take photos with a wider angle, and the results have minimal distortion. For the front camera, the quality is fairly ordinary – enough for selfies but not superior for a flagship.
You can access the camera results from the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra from the following Google Photos gallery.
Video recording is also a strong point of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra. In addition to being equipped with a gimbal stabilizer, it can also record videos up to very high resolution – 8K 24fps with the main lens. For the ultra-wide lens, it supports up to 4K 30 fps, and 1080p 60fps with the telephoto lens. When recording, all three lenses can be used simultaneously at 1080p resolution. The results are very stable with all lenses, both in sufficient lighting conditions and at night. Likewise with the audio recording, it is clear thanks to 3D audio recording.
Feature
On the software side, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra looks clean with Android 14, which has an interface that is close to stock Android. The bloatware that comes with this smartphone is also fairly minimal, suitable for smartphone lovers with clean software. Even so, the features included are quite a lot – especially with the AI technology present on this affordable flagship smartphone.
A number of AI features on the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra can be used immediately without additional costs or settings. For example, AI Noise Cancellation eliminates ambient noise when making phone calls via cellular networks, messaging apps, or games. There is also an AI Call Translator that can translate phone calls from voice to text with many language options. Need to search for photo files with keywords in the form of objects or writing without having to remember the date or title? There is a reliable Semantic Search to search for photos in the gallery.
Apart from the AI features, there are many other features that could be said to be typical of ASUS smartphones. Like the audio features that are always superior with the quality of the stereo speakers on the front which are capable and the presence of a 35mm jack.5mm with Hi-Res Audio. I think the sound output is very clear and powerful, even for audiophiles. If you want more precise audio settings, you can adjust them again via the AudioWizard menu which provides super complete settings.
The Android software running on the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra feels comfortable when I use it every day. Stable without bugs or annoying errors, and has enough features to support daily use. During using the smartphone for almost a month, I got at least five software updates that improved the smartphone's performance. Unfortunately, ASUS only promises two versions of Android updates and four years of security updates – less than some of its competitors.
Performance
Speaking of performance, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra relies on the fastest chip available in an Android smartphone today. Snapdragon 8 gen 3! The chip is combined with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4 ROM.0 with a capacity of 256GB for the lowest variant as I tested it. There is also a variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB ROM capacity for those who need more memory.
Like the latest flagships, the performance of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra feels smooth without any annoying lag during daily use. Starting from simple activities such as messaging, opening several social media applications simultaneously, editing 4K videos with Capcut, to browsing with many tabs open in Chrome, everything can be done smoothly. The smartphone temperature feels cool, both with 4G and Wi-Fi networks.
What if it is used to play games? Even though it is not a gaming smartphone, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra can be used to play any game stably with the highest graphics settings. I tested this smartphone with games that I like such as Mobile Legends, a MOBA game that is quite light but requires screen accuracy and network stability, as well as Genshin Impact as an open-world game that requires high-class graphic processing at its highest graphic settings.
After using the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra for gaming, I was able to use this smartphone to play Genshin Impact for more than an hour at the highest settings and 60fps without experiencing FPS drops or overheating when used indoors. Playing Mobile Legends is also fun thanks to its responsive screen and stable signal reception.
Battery
The most enjoyable part of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra for me is the battery. In the previous generation (ASUS Zenfone 10), the 4300mAh capacity was actually quite efficient – able to last a day with normal non-gaming use. However, the battery which is now 5500mAh on the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra feels even more efficient.
How economical? Using a smartphone without gaming for everyday use such as messaging, social media, taking photos and videos regularly, and occasionally Wi-Fi tethering with a 4G network, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra can last from 7 am to 10 am the next day with 10% battery remaining. Battery life like a mid-range smartphone, but with the performance of a current flagship – it's really impressive.
The next fun point comes when the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra runs out of battery and needs charging. While the previous generation only supported 30 watt charging, it now supports 65 watt HyperCharge. Charging from 20-100% is complete in just 30 minutes, which is quite fast. The smartphone also supports wireless charging up to 15 watts, which takes longer as the new battery will only be fully charged after three hours – but there's no need to use a cable to charge.
Conclusion
After using it every day, I think the change in shape of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, which is now a large smartphone, has brought many positive impacts. The screen is getting better, the body temperature is cooler when doing heavy tasks, the battery lasts longer – it is very comfortable to use this flagship smartphone for daily use. Moreover, it is the most affordable smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset available on the market, so its selling value is quite high.
A number of weaknesses of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lie in the processing of the resulting photos which is sometimes too aggressive, making the photos less natural. The 65 watt HyperCharge support cannot be enjoyed immediately after unboxing because the power adapter is not provided in the sales package. Android version update support which is only guaranteed up to two versions is also a weakness when compared to its competitors. If these shortcomings are not a problem, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is worth having for Gizmo friends.
ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra Specifications
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