Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Review | Samsung & Xiaomi Killer?

Reviewing Asus' Zenfone 11 Ultra, a 6.8-inch super-sized smartphone sporting similar camera tech and specs to the ROG Phone 8. There's no compact version yet, only the Zenfone 11 Ultra - but is it a rival to the Samsung S24 Ultra, Pixel 8 Pro etc?
Well, no, not really. It's considerably cheaper than the Galaxy, but as a package Google's flagship phone is better. For one, the camera on the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra isn't as dependable when the lighting isn't great. I also prefer the design of the Pixel 8 phones.
That said, Asus has nailed the performance here. Genshin Impact plays with a stable frame rate for hours at a time, while the Zenfone 11 Ultra keeps its cool. Plus, the battery life is excellent so you can keep going all day with no worries.
I like the stock Android experience here, but right now this smartphone is one of the jankiest of 2024. Here's hoping that several bugs and other bits are sorted in an update soon. But the Samsung screen is stunning and I love the audio chops of the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra. You've even got a headphone jack!
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Review Chapters:
0:00 - Where's My Mini??
1:10 - Design
4:04 - Android & Features
6:34 - AI
9:09 - Display & audio
11:05 - Performance & gaming
12:45 - Battery life
13:42 - Cameras
17:24 - Verdict

[@TheRealAstro_]

2 years of OS updates for a phone which now no longer has a unique selling point of being the best compact phone (by far) on the market. Good job Asus you've outplayed yourself

[@HShango]

Wholeheartedly agree 💯

[@josepharoh7958]

They did it because people don't buy compact phones

[@awesome9671]

They loves 2 years os update. Asus will leave alot of bugs at the last couple of update and sell new phone. Old market strategy

[@victorlincurve675]

Ok sheep, Addicted to os update

[@TheRealAstro_]

@@victorlincurve675 look up 'planned obsolescence' and re-read what u replied with

[@violetskydiver7684]

Why why why would they do this? ZenFone was in it's own league as by far the best compact blower, and yet they decide to take all that good will away and make a massive phone with nothing that makes it unique. I don't expect Zenfone to stick around for much longer after this

[@mikaisfake]

It's so over

[@m.a.ahad9388]

They didn't sell well because people don't buy compact phones as much as they used to😢

[@Svid1701D]

Bigger is better! 🍆

[@nofriendhuh]

It's zenover

[@haruyanto8085]

They didn't sell well, they weren't gonna stick around any longer doing compact phones either, ZenFone was in a league of its own but even then the sales failed them, now they are going the safer approach

[@ShellymanStudios]

Ain't no way. Regular Zenfone 11 has to come out eventually.

[@camotech1314]

Don't think so bru

[@Raage.]

Yeah exactly

[@lancergt1000]

Wait until June, for some reason Asus also registered the regular Zenfone 11 (with the same screen size as the Galaxy S23) on the Google Play Console

[@mataayyinich5008]

Of course .. I mean, in ur dearms 😂 ..

[@ChrisJohannsen]

No one buys it

[@prathmeshpatil6425]

Only 2 years of major OS upgrades, that's literally crime by Asus.

[@ahsokaincognito]

This is gonna flop so hard. Just a rebranded ROG phone, completely abandons its previous audience and then doesn't even provide software support as long as some cheap phones

[@JR-be1jf]

It's a crime to leave any working devices without updates.

[@nizamulbhuyan9624]

2 years of OS updates is a joke...you get that literally spending 3 times less

[@jihigh482]

But is the actual phone better? You people use the phone or the "OS updates"? Always talk about OS updates as if the phones catch fire if they are not running the last one They still work as intended

[@victorlincurve675]

@@jihigh482Well said

[@nizamulbhuyan9624]

@jihigh482 naah mate...if I have to spend that much I would rather spend it on a flagship Samsung or pixel device which will give same hardware quality and better os support. Chill

[@boyangles6405]

Pixels are often buggy as hell... More updates doesn't mean better. "Good" updates are what matter

[@TheRealAstro_]

@@jihigh482 In the current phone market, I would say 80% of the value of a phone is related to its software and OS. In this tier (flagship) you're getting very similar hardware to all other flagship phones, so the distinguishing factor is the OS features. Having only 2 years of OS support and updates means that after 2 years your phone will become progressively worse than every other phone at this pricepoint. Idk why people keep voicing this opinion when the OS is one of the biggest factors in buying a phone in 2024 so you'd think more people would realize how important it and software support is. In 4 years phones will have become marginally better but software will have been updated and changed drastically. The 2 years update support is planned obsolescence and also shows Asus is not confident

[@waleedn900]

RIP Zenfone

[@Phatnaru0002]

The problem is not that small phones won't sell well. The problem is that no manufacturer sticks with it long enough to succeed. I only just heard about the Zenfones 9 and 10 4 months ago, and I'm online pretty often. We've gone so long without decent options that you can't expect the average user to hanging with baited breath on every smartphone announcement hoping that companies will randomly make a good compact smartphone. It needs to be around for a few iterations and several years before the average consumer will know it's an option. The Zenfone has already been gaining some massive traction. They are fools to abandon it now. Absolute fools.

[@mursie100]

Again, we still don't know if there isn't going to be a regular Zenfone 11, my theory is they had to announce the Ultra sooner than they wanted to because it was leaked last month.

[@Phatnaru0002]

@@mursie100 Unlikely. Last year they layed off almost all the Zenfone staff, which lead to rumors they were discontinuing the line. They issued a press release to tell people they weren't and now we see that was just damage control to maintain sales. They just left a few people responsible for rebranding an ROG phone to "Zenfone" to cover the obvious lie.

[@lancergt1000]

Cool AI features! Now where's the regular Zenfone 11, Asus?

[@Jam2109]

8:21 I cant find these ai wallpaper Features on my side anywere in the settings Do I need to activate something I missed during phone migration? Or do I need to use the stock overview instead of Asus optimized?

[@DeadSilverNFG]

How does hazbin manage to sneak into by life in every way possible bruh

[@Decepticon215]

Thumbs up for you and the awesome video but thumbs down for the phone!

[@Benzo97]

I'm wondering if if they'll release a "Zenfone 11" (non ultra) later this year? Seems a bit weird they'd have ultra in the name, and not have a "regular" version. Then again, this is the decade of "Pro's & Ultra's" it seems

[@tonywith2e]

Its like xiaomi with their pad, they have a pad 6s pro but not a 6s

[@arifhossainshikder8555]

6.2" - 6.4"display is almost perfect as a ideal smart phone 😊

[@sukehiroyami8846]

No regular Zenfone 11 this time?

[@information9415]

What would you chose between this and honor magic 6 pro

[@Yakikitsu]

love your cat! looking gentle af

[@RICHARD-TYLER]

That hazbin hotel wallpaper looks sick asf.

[@elChefsito735]

Lit XD

[@aanand_babu]

I don't know why they stopped their zenfone market in India 😢. Zenfone Max Pro M1 was my first phone and it killed the market here. We want ASUS back!!

[@mubienkvape]

So what's make this different than the newest Rog except beside those led light on the back?

[@GayashanBandara-lw5ov]

2 yrs updates 😂😂😂

[@mikeyhope7577]

asus makes their phones irrelevant thanks to only two years of support. what a joke.

[@NCcruz666]

as always, great review!!!!

[@cresbonz5554]

Such a shame that compact phones aren’t selling well, I still have my Zenfone 9 and it’s amazing. Funnily enough I see more iPhone mini models around than the Plus versions.

[@vijeykumar7429]

If this is the "Ultra", then surely a regular version follows right? (Hopefully small sized)

[@yazzman13]

You are my favourite phone reviewer. Such informative and funny reviews. What happens to the phone when the 2 updates run out? Will it be a brick?

[@Qvik_]

Your kitty is absolutely classy rocking that moustache.

[@MrChristocentric]

1k for 2 years is outrageous

[@prateeksoni1798]

We want small size back 😤

[@ColdCrush]

No we don't

[@Phatnaru0002]

@@ColdCrush Yes, we do. Massive phones suck, and I refuse to get one. Get yourself a tablet if you want a tablet. I want a phone.

[@ColdCrush]

@@Phatnaru0002 mmm....nope, no small phones.

[@pawel8682]

​@@Phatnaru0002exactly, I switched from s10+ to regular s24 and now I am 100% sure that I love small phones ;)

[@firstawahono9259]

@@Phatnaru0002so why the smaller phone sold less?

[@LX_B]

What is the difference between Rog 8 and Zenfone 11 ultra? Asus has gone insane apparently

[@Parallel_]

Outside of the design, nothing. (And the design seems pretty close anyway!)

[@farthurf.5221]

​@@Parallel_ dual USB C 3.2 😅 and some matrix led other just same

[@Parallel_]

@@farthurf.5221 ah yes, I forget the extra USB port! Good shout

[@ALienJeff]

If they were going to do this, why even make the ROG Phone 8 "mainstream"? 🤔

[@Parallel_]

@@ALienJeff yeah that's a fair point. The RoG Phone could have remained the overly gamer version with the Zenfone being the mainstream variant...

[@sTuPiDiScOoL_]

I need my glasses and i can't find them but man ulefone seem to have stepped up there design massively props to them

[@mystichr.]

Can u please please do a comparison review between nubia z60 pro and Asus Zenfone 11 ultra..please please. They both came out recently.

[@jon-eg6be]

Apparently the regular zenfone 11 was listed in Google Play Console

[@BozQ]

I suppose why not many people go for the standard compact ZenFone is the short update cycle. 2 years OS updates and 3 years security is lacking behind most other brands. Quite disappointing to learn it's only the "ultra" variant this year.

[@playerzking]

and Asus also locked the bootloader. No custom ROM=no love for the community... a downward spiral

[@artichokie791]

I hope they release a compact Zenfone 11 as well.

[@zenaxel]

i hope the regular 11 comes out. love compact phones and my zenfone8's battery is getting quite annoying :D

[@Hydra_1377]

I think zenfone 6 size is good. ( still using it)

[@xamava]

@@Hydra_1377 damn I'm on my zenfone 7 pro, I'm so disappointed I really wanted to upgrade to a compact zenfone generation. but now that we're on the topic of flip cameras lol, how many times did you have to get yours repaired?

[@Hydra_1377]

@@xamava bro 0 times, only did a battery replacement

[@Hydra_1377]

@@xamava Bro actually my father bought zenfone 6 known as 6z in India 2019 and he bought a oneplus open in 2023 and gave it to me and my crush and every one got Damm impressed from its flip camera. It was the second last zenfone that was launched by Asus in India, after zenfone 8 (8z India).

[@xamava]

@@Hydra_1377 damn I must be doing something wrong I had to replace that camera motor twice lmfao

[@chouaibidiablo]

The yellow watch strap is Dope !🤓

[@stevil2006]

Love to see a K70 Pro review!

[@veryscousemike7822]

Is that a Hazbin Hotel wallpaper? Looks similar in animation style

[@deanclarke3227]

I always enjoy your reviews and unique style of humour and now I need your expertise on what smart watch to buy. I can't decide between the Oneplus watch 2 and the Samsung Galaxy watch. Keep up the great work.

[@Mike.Tech.]

What phone do you have? If its a Samsung then depending on your region you can use the blood pressure and ecg functions. Also the camera app only works on Samsung phones. I feel that the oneplus watch 2 is actually smoother than my watch 6 classic.

[@HouseMusicAllNightLong]

I have the Garmin Venu 3 and while the integration with Android isn't quite as good as WearOS devices I do get 8-9 days of battery life.

[@christopher480]

does it have a headphone jack or take a microsd card?

[@user-tv4dz4vx9d]

I got my Xiaomi 14 ultra this morning from mi UK. You get the pad 6 and camera attachment accessories.

[@Mike.Tech.]

I saw that. Also if you have points from the app you can get some money off. Was thinking about it to replace my S23 Ultra. How is it?

[@el_ibacache]

So last year, when they denied they'd kill Zenfone, it was more like let it bleed out. Why would you get a ZF11U at this point. It's a skinned version of the ROG and does not justify its price for the 6.7+ inch category. S24+ offers more value and OS support.....truly sad

[@Movies4ALL-gf9qs]

2 years of OS updates for a flagship phone LOL

[@pokvirus5705]

As a head phone jack user i need this

[@IlijaUrosevic]

Was it confirmed that there will be no small version? Maybe summer like last few years?

[@markedwards7109]

One Plus would be a better option no in terms of power because of the cooling system plus better cameras?

[@animatedlife5768]

13:42 you got a very cute meow-meow, I absolutely adore meow-meows.❤

[@theompman]

Give me one good reason why anyone would skip the oneplus 12 (or even 11) to get the ZF11U. I have the ZF10 and tbh, i'm only kinda impressed by its size. If you set it against the iphone mini, it's size is not even that impressive. Ultra fast though.

[@Mini_Samir]

Samsung A55 Review?

[@igorS92]

Everyone is so sad because it got bigger, yet again none of you bought the 10 or any other asus phone what so ever.

[@pixelgaming7261]

13:42 If the ROG Phone 8 Pro is anything to go by, the wireless charging coil is very high up the phone, so that could be why. Try turning it sideways. Also, you forgot to mention, Asus no longer includes a charger in the box. 15:42 Because it isn't as ultra wide as a lot of other phones' ultrawides. 17:42 Couldn't the Zenfone 9 shoot 4K selfie video? Another alternative is the Nubia Z60 Ultra.

[@konradc12]

My view of the Asus Zenfone is a good value for the specs. I am not fussy about the lack of compact version, but for some who prefer a smaller phone, that's not good. 4 years of security updates is more important than the 2 years of OS updates, in my opinion and from experience having a Samsung S20FE 5G on Android 13 and S23 Ultra running Android 14. Not much difference and some features get filtered down! Good review.

[@green9227]

Does this phone support mmwave 5g?

[@dimancor2925]

Once I bought an Asus Transformer Pad tf101g and it turned out to have broken pixels, fortunately it was immediately replaced. A few years later, I bought an Asus Zenphone 5z and it also turned out to have broken pixels, but this time there was no replacement and I returned the money)

[@laoma4131]

Headphone jack vs Software Updates hmm hard one to decide. It is also a bit big for me!

[@ShaunaJagan]

17:12 WAIT, NO 4K ON THE FRONTAL CAMERA??? even my Zenfone 9 has! Definitely strange to say at least..

[@gizmo6746]

Can you do like an award episode, judging on price/quality . I'm having trouble choosing what phone to buy.

[@mikiswordbreaker4805]

That background audio play tho..next update Google would likely make Asus remove that feature..like how Google made Xiaomi removed the same feature on their MIUI..now HyperOS..

[@Saji_0]

wait what? no small regular zenfone 11, they really evolve backwards, I really love compact phone, I plan to upgrade my old lg phone to zenfone because of the compactness, now I would probably go for the last gen

[@Nedlius]

I'm definitely picking up the 10 myself

[@Dew4lk]

Just go for s23/24, same size but more years of OS upgrades. Or consider pixel 8.

[@Saji_0]

@@Dew4lk on samsung I hate exynos chip (they only sell exynos in my country), maybe I'll look into pixel phone

[@Dew4lk]

@@Saji_0 pixel currently uses rebranded exynos, rumours has it that will change with pixel 10. In the meantime you could look at s23 (or other options) if you dont like exynos. It should have Snapdragon worldwide.

[@zico352]

I really like the way you talk sir

[@therealcjc]

Is that Charlie from Hazbin Hotel?

[@NurseAmamiya]

Yup

[@Caleb653]

I like the wallpaper

[@narender9968]

It's launch in india ?

[@Foukez]

2 years android updates is a joke. Deal breaker for me. Samsung is offering 7. Oneplus offers 4. No way I will pay $900 to be android stuck in 2 years.

[@kbtriplesix]

Literally no one will buy this phone, it has nothing which makes it special and the worst thing are the updates.

[@DeadSilverNFG]

The IQOO 12 has 3 years of OS updates. They min should have given it 3 years.

[@gericjohnm.olivar9563]

This would've been understandable on a low end device but flagship? Yeah.

[@WhenANoobPlaysgames]

that 2 years of software support is preventing me from buying another zenfone my last one was zenfone 5z

[@harutori790]

what's the difference with rog phone 8 ? 🤔

[@lasvista2tech]

No cringe gaming features

[@user-iu5tm8fu3u]

What wallpaper are you using?

[@adrian4mani]

charlie from hazbin hotel

[@ILLRICARDO]

How does it handle hen¥ai??

[@user-er9hq8dc7t]

J’aime beaucoup ce zenfone 11 ❤👌

[@RaginYak]

finally ! getting zenphone 11 🎉🎉🎉

[@solo451]

The first time that i saw the phone i immediately realized that it looks like the ROG phone 8 but without all those gaming features. I wish they didn't remove the side charging port so that they can still use the ROG aerocooler X but i am not happy with their decision to follow ROG tracks on design and overall specs.

[@RavenousTactix]

With compact phones they at least had a unique selling point. With that I can go and buy me a one Plus instead. Sorry ASUS, I think we are done now💔

[@Reconseal4050]

You are better off sticking with the Zenfone 10 or buying one when the price goes down. The classic compact look with a ton of horsepower is long gone. But bear in mind that ASUS did this since there was a major restructuring in their department last year.

[@sTOPzTARINGAlright]

Just when I was gearing up to get the compact phone as using massive phones is makinh no sense to me anymore

[@Parallel_]

I really like this but it's literally the Rog Phone 8 without the gamer design?

[@GlynTaylor]

Why 😭😭😭😭 I miss that red godliness. Those camera bumps 😍😭 RIP Zenphone

[@rqmld]

Yo cool looking smartwatch, what brand is that?

[@ChrisJohannsen]

Xiaomi watch s3

[@jezbrown5446]

Why did they make it bigger? WHY?!

[@MasterKoala777]

The Zen Master at the corner, at 10:01

[@mohammadtazrianahmed1793]

If they were gonna release this phone then why did they cut off the bezels on the rog phone. Now both phone is almost the same.

[@MrOrtmeier]

2 years of OS updates for that money? No way! Even freaking Sony gives you 3 updates typically!! Rather get a Samsung S24 or S24 plus and get 4 years OS updates, 5 years security, fantastic warranty and support, 1 hour walk-in repairs and loads of cool accessories on the market....plus better cameras

[@jordanjackson8873]

The s24 and s24+ will receive 7 years of software & security updates.

[@Dannn19]

samsung galaxy s24 series have 7 years of OS updates, where did you get that 4 years?

[@MrOrtmeier]

@@Dannn19 Yes you are correct. My mistake

[@Nemi9]

Why can't they stick to the zenfone 10 camera design.

[@martins.hbr7]

Sir, permission to take video takes to make a short for my channel, I will leave the channel and the appropriate copyright in the description pls

[@wowmawc]

Torn between this one and the oneplus 12. The headphone jack on this one is 🎉 but that software support... Lol

[@udaykumarediga6683]

Next hmd 3310 5G unboxing july

[@SALSN]

I was hoping it would be a bit smaller but it is way larger..?! I'm out, getting a different model next time!

[@abamlong5064]

Ultra instinct next😊

[@konkeydong6907]

Its been proven time and time again, the small fraction of the market that wants a small device just doesn't cut it for companies to justify making a small phone. Its just unfortunate how the phones we use are shaped by the majority of the market.

[@neoanderz]

As per MKBHD they "didnt sell enough Zenfone 9 and 10" why kill the small phone? keep it as an option!

[@stickergamer]

Although I'm disappointed in Asus for not releasing a smaller version of the phone, at the very least they still included then 3.5mm jack which I still use on a daily basis.

[@stanky6131]

"You either die a villain" or something idk 🤷‍♂️

[@cl114c0777498d]

So it's just another giant phone in a sea of giant phones, with no particular reason to choose it over any others with better cameras or better software support? Cool cool. Good product decision probably.

[@RovexHD]

So it basically has no feature that sets it apart from every other big phone..

[@Real_ACL]

Asus nevermore, gave them a chance with the zf8 but my device now is no longer being updated. The last security patch is from nov23, and they also killed the bootloader unlock app. I now have a glorified "flagship" that is virtually dead.

[@axi6ne8us]

Unfortunately none of the Asus phones work on the Verizon network.

[@Brainiac5]

Why did they decide to go backwards....🤦‍♂

[@marlowencna]

No smalllliie?

[@upashah]

When a headphone jack was mentioned, it more or less sold me. 😅

[@user-xm1ox4vk5d]

Next. Sony Xperia 1 Mark VI. 😊❤

[@dailytiktok2087]

They should make a lite version of this phone (with around same large size screen) for around $400. That would be amazing but I don't think that's going to happen 😢

[@kooralive3222]

Just how many sims tech spurt have i wonder 🤨

[@kingsuicide5446]

10:01 the perfect loaf