Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Launched: An Android Tank with AI Goodies
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Asus is one of those very few last Android manufacturers that still makes compact smartphones. However, the Taiwanese confirmed today that it is drastically shifting away from smaller handsets, as it's announced the Zenfone 11 Ultra with beefed up specs and significantly larger footprint than the Zenfone 10 (review).
The Zenfone 11 Ultra's features and specs were mostly revealed from extensive leaks before, but the company is finally making it official today. The device is revealed in a streamed recorded launch event that details the availability of the flagship phone in major markets including the USA.
Zenfone 11 Ultra is a mainstream version of ROG Phone 8
The Zenfone 11 Ultra is a mainstream off version of Asus' ROG Phone 8, which makes it a relatively massive device. It features a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with unimpressive FHD+ resolution and brightness level that can top 2,500 nits. Similar to the gaming phone counterpart, the panel, which is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, can go up to 144 Hz in gaming mode but stays between 1 and 120 Hz for the most of the time.
Another protection the Zenfone 11 Ultra boasts is IP68 dust and water resistance. The device's frame is made from aluminum and Asus says the material is partially made from recycled parts as with other components on the device. The back glass an etched monogram that can be found in recent company's laptops. It will be offered in blue, black, gray, and brown.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC headlines the internals while memory can be configured in 12/256 GB or 16/512 GB. With a 5500 mAh cell, it's one of the largest capacities we've seen, but this also adds a sizeable weight to the device. This is complemented by wireless and wired 65-watt fast charging that promises of 0 to 100 percent top up under 40 minutes, though an adapter is not included in the box.
Regarding the cameras, a familiar setup is found on the back which is consisting of a 50 MP IMX890 shooter paired with 32 MP telephoto and 13 MP ultrawide. The primary sensor is backed by a 6-axis hybrid Gimbal stabilizer that enables ultra-stable video recordings. Moreover, the 32 MP selfie camera uses pixel binning to produce sharper photos at a lower resolution.
A few of the AI capabilities on-board the Zenfone 11 Ultra boost imaging usability on the camera phone such as Bokeh Portrait. The other AI features include call translation, transcript, end-to-end noise cancelation in calls, and wallpaper generations.
Lastly, the Zenfone 11 Ultra features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and retains a 3.5 mm audio jack. It gets hi-res audio certification for both wired and wireless in 32-bit and 384 kHz frequency.
How much the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra costs
The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is already available for pre-orders from major retailers and Asus' online store starting for $899. In the US, Asus will only offer it in unlocked with dual-SIM standby support for AT&T and T-Mobile. Meanwhile, Asus says it plans to start shipping the device by April.
Is the Zenfone 11 Ultra a worthy upgrade from the Zenfone 10? Do you think Asus should have kept the compact line? Let us hear your thoughts on this.
