Price: £869 from fave.co/4aKrsd3
In recent years, Asus’s Zenfone line has become synonymous with small phones. The Zenfone 10 remains one of the best compact devices you can buy, with its 5.9-inch screen bucking the ongoing trend for huge handsets.
However, the Zenfone 11 Ultra couldn’t be more different if it tried. Its 6.78-inch display is in line with many flagships, as is the £869 starting price.
On paper, the device has more in common with the ROG Phone 8 Pro, Asus’s gaming smartphone which has ditched the gamer-focused design for something much more mainstream.
It’s not clear if a regular Zenfone 11 model will ever be released. So, is the Zenfone 11 Ultra worth buying? I spent a week using it as my main phone to find out.
DESIGN
The Zenfone 11 Ultra is a phone that Asus wants to stand out from the crowd, and that starts with the design. From the back, it looks quite different to any other smartphone – including the Zenfone 10. That phone’s circular camera islands are gone, replaced by a single square module. I think the camera bump looks ugly and sticks out from the back of the phone too far, but you can’t argue it’s not distinctive.
Fortunately, the rest of the back of the phone is much more attractive. The glass here has a matt coating, meaning it shimmers in the light without becoming a mirror or showing fingerprint smudges.
I really like how the Skyline Blue version I tested looks in person, though you may prefer Eternal Black, the other version available in the UK. Misty Grey and Desert Sand finishes are only on sale in other markets.
Regardless of the colour you choose, the subtle angular pattern on the back
