Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Review: Upsized and Upgraded

The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra moves away from the compact phone form factor of the last three Zenfones, instead it is now a 6.8-inch "Ultra" flagship with a proper telephoto lens to boot. The battery is also much larger, at 5,500 mAh. The phone is powered by, of course, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The main Sony IMX890 camera is still built on-top of a miniature six-axis gimbal for enhanced stabilization.

[@Stfnstya]

It's basically non-gaming version of ROG Phone 8. Such a shame.

[@seaneckhart9914]

Exactly the same mold, same battery capacity. Asus doesnt even try anymore

[@eme981]

na, Rog has trash cameras

[@thegreif911]

They’re going to go the way of HTC and LG. Nothing special anymore

[@SomeRandomUser]

At this point, you'll just be paying for the design. Other flaghships offer pretty much the same or better specs already, not to mention longer software support.

[@Stfnstya]

@@eme981 now they're literally sharing the same specs of camera

[@yemns]

dad so chill, just vibing with the camera

[@MrOrtmeier]

Ben you're on a roll today! I just finished watching your xiaomi video not long ago and now you drop another! 🔥

[@jamesendurance4919]

Didn't i just watch your xiaomi 14 ultra vid? On a roll today. Keep yp the good work

[@NitinK-ej3uq]

You are the best Chinese/Chinese origin reviewer Ben. You speak English really well without an accent or a weird twang. All your videos are either great or good. No poor editing job seen ever. Keep up the good work.

[@p0tr3bit3l]

Yes, we do want compact good battery phone!!!

[@artdogg50]

Unfortunately I think this may turn out to be a counterproductive move by Asus. They were already trying to sell a small phone with no telephoto lense for $850. Now they are trying to compete with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Oppo Find X7 Pro, Vivo X100 Pro, Iphones 15s, Samsung s24 Plus, and new Honor. It's a very crowded space.

[@Eihei]

Those are not even Asus competition. The worst thing that at almost identical price(even cheaper) we have OnePlus 12 which is much better in every way, especially camera.

[@chinsengfatt]

I've always like your videos with your dad as your subject. ❤

[@willzdemy]

I use to wait for your videos because your videos are minimal and lively

[@mxmus08]

Basically guys, size DOES matter in some departments.😊 @4:14 Everybody better smash the like button like you lost your mind cus our man lost $400 on parking for filming a video for our viewing pleasure.

[@Phoenix56801]

S24 is the only compact phone worth buying, why others didn't sell was because there was always a compromise, battery life, 60Hz, subpar camera. S24 is balanced

[@pudinichigo91]

yeah but I think the S23 would be better than S24 since all of us can get snapdragon variant, but now with S24 onlyc certain customer can buy snapdragon officially

[@fantasytky28]

Anything over 69mm isnt even a compact phone

[@a1000island]

​@@pudinichigo91totally agree great point

[@lpka]

they lost me at 6.8 inch--- we have 100 phones that size. Asus was great at small factor - only problem was the same price as other big ones.

[@usmanabdulkadir3334]

Amazing review keep it up as always Ben's brother

[@airtioteclint]

Tow truck guy planted that tree. Does it have stereo speakers and does it get loud?

[@SanjayaLimbu1]

I'll be waiting for full review. I really love the design of this device.

[@LksMuller]

Actually, the reason why I buy bigger phone instead of the small one isn’t the size of the screen, but what comes with the bigger screen - battery, bigger camera sensor (could be) and a periscop camera. 😅

[@xanxus8272]

People only talking that they want a small phone, but won't buy it when they see a bigger smartphone? I'm sorry but that's nonsense Ben. There are more people out there that want a big phone, but that doesn't change the fact that there are also still people who want a compact phone. Preferably one that doesn't cost 1000 bucks.

[@artdogg50]

I think Asus should have just kept it smaller but included all of the newer and better specs and tech. Whenever they get a good thing going they always seem to shoot themselves in the foot.

[@DawnCrusader4213]

No Ben is 1000% right on this. No one outside of Tech enthusiasts (loud vocal minority of a minority who probably wont even buy the small phones they praise so much) wants small phones anymore. Especially the normal everyday people that aren't interested in tech. Even Apple couldn't keep the the Mini lineup alive and they bring gazillion $$$ in profit every year but it wasn't bringing much profit. Big phone users outnumber small phone users 95% to 5% (5% is very generous).

[@xanxus8272]

@@DawnCrusader4213 I know reading can be very difficult for some people, but please, at least read twice before you write something in response. His nonsensical argument starts around 0:40. I can only repeat what I wrote in my first comment.

[@yansakovich]

I am so disappointed that they abandoned a motorized flippable camera module. I have Zenfone 7 Pro and it opens so many new possibilities such as quick and high quality panorama photos, convenient way to take photos of tall buildings or from positions close to a ground, chose between normal and wide cameras to take selfies. And it works perfectly even three years later. I hope someone will reintroduce a flippable camera module.

[@BrtoLopz]

I just can't with that camera design!

[@badimpulses17]

Watching on my revisited Galaxy S10E.

[@marasion0862]

5:49 Agreed. Thankfully Asus allows you to adjust the layout in the settings

[@neljerez1810]

zenfone 10 all the way!

[@gugugalnoot]

I don't need flagship specs and I will never pay more than $500 for a phone. But that's because I don't need all the power, fancy stuff. I now have a Motorola Edge 30 NEO (6.2")and it does everything I need. 120hz screen, fast charging (68W), camera is very average but for my purpose enough, like the UI, the colour (verify peri purple). Small phones didn't sell because of specs/hardware because more or less flagship specs, but I think they didn't sell because there was/is not a midrange alternative (believe me I looked / still looking for it. I would still be using my Sony Xperia xz2 compact (5") if it wouldn't be stuck on Android 10 and have 2 SIM card possibility. I use 5G but do not notice a huge difference with 4G. I eyed the Zenfone 9 and 10 but just not willing to pay those prices

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

​@@gugugalnootJust say you're a cheap-ass. You want a small phone for yourself right? You owe it to yourself to buy a phone that delivers what you want. Zenfone 10 is a ONE TIME purchase. Not a recurring fee until the end of time. Seek better instead of limiting yourself to $500 or less especially when the purchase is for YOU and not someone else.

[@DariuszTech]

Very interesting device. I like it a lot 😊

[@SunsetNova]

Another great review Ben ❤

[@BLAKEEATS1988]

1/1.56 main sensor at the back and 1080p front cam barely makes it an ultra. I hate it when companies use the world ultra but doesn't have ultra hardwares and features. xiaomi, vivo and oppo finally understood that the front camera is part of the ultra package and anything less than 4k is a travesty.

[@hadenkriztenzen]

Guess why people are not buying small phones? It is because they are not putting the top-tier flagship specs on them. Compact phones are always trim-down devices. Slap em the right specs and people will buy it. Not all people want big phones and that includes me. I still have my s10e, Xiaomi 12, and s22.

[@gugugalnoot]

I don't need flagship specs and I will never pay more than $500 for a phone. But that's because I don't need all the power, fancy stuff. I now have a Motorola Edge 30 NEO (6.2")and it does everything I need. 120hz screen, fast charging (68W), camera is very average but for my purpose enough, like the UI, the colour (verify peri purple). The SD 695 (I think) is even okay for me. You said the small phones didn't sell because of specs/hardware and you are probably right for the flagship users, but I think they didn't sell because there was/is not a midrange alternative (believe me I looked / still looking for it. I would still be using my Sony Xperia xz2 compact (5") if it wouldn't be stuck on Android 10 and have 2 SIM card possibility. I use 5G but do not notice a huge difference with 4G. So a 5" or 5.5" for $500 with the things I need/want would have me running to the shop immediately.

[@pudinichigo91]

what about the software update ? still giving 2 years OS update for the "Ultra" phone ? Asus phone not that cheap anyway and their last year model Zenphone 10 with dual camera & 2 years of OS update still cost the same as S23 that have triple camera with 4 years OS update policy

[@subhaa_]

Asus should start making mid rangers again. They are good at making mid-range phones people here in India did seem to love them back in 2017.

[@sensaznal]

No the mid range and low end markets are too saturated. This is a good market the entry high end . Not flagship. Realme and Redmi basically dominate that low to mid range market.

[@subhaa_]

@sensaznal compete or leave

[@wouwout]

The gimbal keeps the video also (more) horizontal, compared to the iPhone? That's a nice benefit. My videos are always off by a few degrees, the gimbal would be beneficial. Love the headphone jack and front facing speakers.

[@دکلمهعاشقانهها]

What about Meizu new flagship?

[@IkesTechTalk]

Dope vid Ben!!!!

[@TheShotka]

Im really sad i switched from mi 12t pro to zenfone 9 and im loving it its hard to explain but a phone that can do everything without needing to carry a half tablet is something to enjoy But i do understand that its not for everyone but this video just killed my upgrade path 😭

[@rolins3279]

The problem with the iPhones 12/13 Mini is that they were too expensive, and today, because they are quite easy to find between $350-$450, many people buy them. The problem with the Zenphone 9/10, they weren't really the best-looking smartphone, and Asus software tracking is catastrophic 🤦🏽‍♂️, no one today is going to agree to pay $600/$700 for only 2 years of software updates 🤷🏽‍♂️ And honestly, I think that this Asus Zenphone 11 Ultra has no reason to exist, it doesn't bring anything more than the Asus Rog Phone 8 and even a OnePlus 12 or S24 Plus, quite the opposite 🤷🏽‍♂️ And even, for those who are not much of selfie camera addict, who live in Asia (and even elsewhere) and want a smartphone with the latest technology that is good in photo-video and cheaper, the Nubia Z60 Ultra is the answer. Asus should have taken the design of the Zenphone 7 Pro with its rotating selfie camera, and moved to 4 years of Android update. 🙏🏽

[@bensgadgetreviews]

I don't think the Mini didn't well because of price. People buy those bland ass non-Pro iphone 12/13/14/15 at a price that not worth it either. People just don't want small phones. Every company has done studies and came to this conclusion. It's always just the same 47 people on the internet saying they want small phones.

[@rolins3279]

@@bensgadgetreviews Lol 🤣 ''The same 47 people on the internet'' It's clear that the real demand for small smartphones is not very strong, but I think it's mostly due to the fact that except in developed countries, the smartphone is now the multimedia hub of most people, so it has to be a fairly large screen. But it's also and mostly due to the fact that manufacturers themselves have sold the idea that the best of the best is necessarily a big smartphone, and for many people having a small smartphone is like screaming that you're broke.

[@joelconolly5574]

Two videos in one day. Must've been rough. I think when people say they want small phones they want a one handable phone. The Xiaomi 14 and soon to be iPhone 16 Pro is the best example of this since it sits in the middle of gaudy and mini. It's one handable which is both media ready and OTG ready. Xperia 1 V is the only prosumer flagship smartphones holding in to this threshold. Since we now get Exmor T and silicone lithium batteries, we could probably see high end ultra features in compact, one handable bodies. We may finally reach Goldilocks smartphone territory as soon as this year.

[@PaulBrunache]

Still hope you review the Z60 Nubia one day 😔☺️. Love asus tho

[@idpro83]

I just want a upper mid range phone with the size of the ZenFone 10 for a reasonable price. Why is that so hard for manufacturers?

[@dailymobaaddict]

Hi ben, does the cases of zenfone 11 ultra cases fit on rog phone 8?

[@namelesssnitchy]

you moved to the usa?

[@chausk0]

I have an off topic question. How many streaming services do you have? (I'm asking out of curiosity) 😅

[@bensgadgetreviews]

I only use Spotify

[@UteGirlz]

Yes. Tough sell competing with a dozen other big phones including yourself with the ROG. How about making your compact better than the S23 and S24 like including 7 years of updates? Then maybe it might sell.

[@asdfgh98349]

Why would they place usb-c there... Is it comfy to charge and hold in horizontal?

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

It's for gaming.

[@chinsengfatt]

Maybe some day when smartphones are boring, we'll come back to compact phone, calling, messaging, photo capture.

[@corsinivideos]

Damn this is one ugly bland looking phone design. Rear camera isn't even aligned properly

[@russkidj19zeta7]

it's a shame they ditched the flip cams from 6, 7 and 8. front camera holes are always distracting for me and they tend to trigger me... otherwise i love this phone.

[@RJ_Uploads]

I actually enjoy a compact phone, and one of probably the main reasons iphone killed off their small lineu is because most people with iphones don't upgrade hardly as much, there is a very small percentage of reviewers out there and a ton of people that just don't buy new phones that much especially expensive phones, but i personally enjoy my pixel fold because of the small outer display, and i have a bunch of phones but i always tend to head back to the pixel fold for the outer display or even my pixel 5 for the compactness.

[@harryvlogs7833]

Disappointed with the bad 1080p e6 not e7 ambled and no dolby vision or hdr10+. Plus the disappointing zoom camera at the price

[@stephenuchenna8229]

This is an incredible phone

[@maarteneh]

How does this man know what my eyes do?

[@sh1va353]

Games name please

[@jonb9374]

does the 11 ultra support bypass charging?

[@Olj-pimpson]

I'll rather they have an expandable SD CARD slot than a headphone jack

[@Carecxion]

Meh... In my opinion it is a €/$600 mobile, pay more than that, there are much better options. If they were more realistic with the price, it would have been groundbreaking.

[@brunosantana5957]

Já que a asus sempre teve um smartphone nichado, poderia ter vindo como o que a sony faz que é trazer um aparelho de tela com proporção de 21/9 e uma tela de 6.5 , 6.4 , seria mais nichado e teria um tamanho menor de tela perante a concorrência.

[@mole1596]

4:30 "I just lost $400" Asus: Sounds like a great reason to buy the $900 Zenfone 11 Ultra instead of the $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra!

[@arilegend4]

what about the touch sampling rate?

[@soggz9190]

The Samsung 23 and Zenphone 10 was almost identical in size. Meanwhile the Iphone 13mini ... from 10m away a you could tell by eye it was a LOT smaller. They could have doubled down and made a zen 11 mini that was significantly smaller and actually tried to make a phone that was what people claimed small enough you could see a physical difference by eye and not by reading the specs.

[@jpringle1290]

The size is not the issue it’s the bland design for me

[@sebastianlejon1313]

I think some people want small phones, but they don't want to compromise on specs. Since companies that make small phones usually compromise and make it less capable than their larger phones (sometimes by necessity, sometimes to artificially separate between their products). But it's the thing right? People who want small phones don't necessarily want it because they don't use their phones often and companies seem to think that small phone-users are not power users etc, so they nerf their small phones which makes it a non-starter for many just by that alone. Let's take iPhone as an example. I would love to have seen an iPhone Pro Mini or something like that, it could possibly even lure me back to the dark side (iOS) even though I'm having a hard time stepping away from foldables right now. But alas... That probably won't ever happen.

[@kyawzinnyein496]

Can I get your Iphone wallpaper pls ?

[@StarNumbers]

Waiting for a phone I can use with an external microphone via the 3.5 jack. Will this Zen phone handle it?

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

USB-C microphones are better vs analog.

[@chandrakaladhar1182]

Waiting for your review..as usual it is crisp and straight..this mobile is looking like a futile attempt

[@muthukumaranc]

It has lost all of its USPs. I don't mind customized software but this direction of Asus doesn't seem good.

[@adithyagulab]

The reason why most of the people go for the bigger models is because it has better camera feature than the small models. I have never seen Samsung or Apple making a small phone with same camera features as their ultra or pro level models. If phone companies can do that then for sure you will see people buying small phones.

[@a1000island]

Pixel 6a and 7a are small with really good cameras says the world far as MKBHD and that blind camera test is concerned I think people like larger phones because it's easier on the eyes

[@lancergt1000]

cool AI software features! Now where's the regular version Asus

[@CZP-01]

$400 fee is crazy. Especially since it wasn't stored over 24 hours

[@abbottheights8928]

Damn man hate to hear you extorted for $400.00 smh keep up the good work

[@nizaramanchar8735]

I'm running a pixel 7 and I think its small in today standards as we have 8 inch folding phones 11 inch tablets

[@JohnRossOfficialYT]

First thing i noticed with this design was there ASUS ROG PHONE 8 Pro 😅😅 but with shoulder triggers.

[@JohnRossOfficialYT]

I would say ASUS kinda copy ZTE Nubia with the design because Nubia Z60 Ultra has same Chassis with RedMagic 9 Pro. But ASUS really never put effort into this new Zenfone 11 Ultra because it look identical to the ROG Phone 8 Pro. 8:06 but ben this is tough for ASUS to sell this.

[@powerplayer75]

This sucks, I recently got an S20 Plus and I just cant get over how uncomfortable it is to use. Been thinking about going down to a regular S20. At the very least 6.1 inches seems to be the standard for now which isnt too big.

[@melonhoney949]

Just a rebranded ROG Phone 8🙄 It is more pricy than its predecessor.

[@1vbAPiYk]

I just want a phone with Android Open Source Project without Google spyware...

[@theflyingempanada]

bring back the flip!

[@David.Juventino]

Uploading videos like a champ today 😎 Asus Zenfone: Short and sweet: Disappointing. They lost all their appeal and standout features…. TOO SAD

[@victorutomo7244]

Two things I considered weird 1. Why called it Ultra while there are no other variants? 2. The ROG gets more mainstream. So this ultra gonna be so close with their gaming cousin.

[@pfariswinata]

ROG in new shell😊

[@bad65dad]

Good review sorry about the 400 dollars buddy.

[@MrOrtmeier]

I'm not a fan of this new one: too square, that dual notification shade/controls swiping nonsense like iphone is terrible and like you said the power button isn't swipeable. All the things that set it apart are gone. I can understand going larger but throwing almost everything out that was good isn't a good idea. I used to have the LG V30 then got the Xperia 10ii because I didn't want a big phone. However I was checking out a Galaxy A54 the other day and as you said, was drawn to the larger screen. And in practice it's only a few mm wider and taller. So I can see why Asus went bigger. I fee like they needed something more special this year - something like the Xiaomi 14 ultra you just tested - a mean camera phone - but at a better price point to really make a splash and have people pay attention. Instead it looks like a VERY generic slab phone with no soul and no purpose. don't expect good sales.....

[@RealTechnoPanda]

Sorry for your $400 parking fine. I wish I could contribute some money, but I'm broke. So here are few emojis ❤ 😂

[@aryankhan1985]

Just wanted rog 8 ultimate with dual usb type-c port .

[@kalsangtashi3040]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Phoun]

Benny sins!!! Let's go!!!

[@TiggerLyOne]

I want a "good" smaller phone at "much smaller" price.

[@Usersf134ssk]

I guess we can slap Ultra on anything nowadays

[@maxoo._]

Only 2 major Android updates is a big drawback ! Asus still doesn't know what makes smartphones sales going up... 🤷🙅🤦

[@johnnydoe3603]

Apple was Charging Premium Prices for their Mini Series and Zenfone 10 wasn’t even Launched in Most of the Countries. Taking the Inference that People are Not Buying from that would be Illogical. 😊

[@bensgadgetreviews]

599 is not premium pricing. And apple has proven people will pay higher prices for them. And there have been reports that Zenfone series wasn't selling well. I mean, every brand has decided to not make small phones for a reason. This isn't something I just made up. If apple can't sell them no one can

[@yowie1175]

They should have just made this a bigger ZenFone 10. Huge miss by Asus in my opinion. Very little reason to get it against it's competitors

[@milpatel83]

It’s nice Asus has branched to a bigger phone for the masses but what a disappointing design, so generic and boring.

[@yogeeg90]

the back looks cheap i'm sorry

[@max03tube]

Asus weakness was their software.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

OnePlus 12 wipes the floor with this phone for less money. Asus has lost their minds with that price. 🤣🤣🤣

[@localblackman427]

Broooo them no parking signs be purposefully hidden I swear

[@bensgadgetreviews]

For real I feel scammed

[@celloferrariman]

I'm so so sad about this. My one hope left for a good small android phone is gone 😢

[@ucasryan]

s24 is 6.2

[@andytjhin7670]

Just buy samsung s series, wasnt their also came with 6,2 inch display

[@lltechview]

Xiaomi 14

[@arwlyx]

@@lltechview I don't know if I'd call that a small phone. Also hurry up on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comparison, I'm waiting xd

[@lltechview]

@@arwlyx Finalizing it hopefully today.

[@rudolftang4750]

i want a small phone easy on the hand

[@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter]

So the normal users are now forced to buy >6" phablets because there is no good "compact" sized phone on the market.

[@MILABRRA]

THE DESIGN RESEMBLES ASUS ROG PHONE

[@PTYC933]

Why buy this. And it’s no longer small. Just get a s24 for small phone or for a big phone oneplus nothing poco oppo vivo redmagic realme pixel whatever big phone. This is just rog twin, market data should also inform them premium gaming phones are quite niche, razer and blackshark are mostly gone, only maybe poco x6 or f6 or realme narzo are doing pretty well in the semi mid range gaming focused phones.

[@donif]

I prefer the design of the Zenfone 9 and 10... and the user interface of the Zenfone 11 Ultra weird 😂

[@Raphi86]

i want a small phone !

[@JohnlordMMiras]

😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@Maochan81]

I got a big phone, because most of the smaller phones have worse specs. If you want the top stuff, you are forced to live with a big phone.