ASUS continues to refine its flagship Zenfone lineup, shifting from compact designs to more feature-rich, large-format smartphones. The Zenfone 11 Ultra represented a major departure in size and capability, while the Zenfone 12 Ultra builds on that foundation with targeted enhancements.
The Zenfone 11 Ultra marked a significant leap in design, introducing a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It included a 5,500mAh battery, 65W wired charging, and 15W wireless charging. The camera system comprised a 50MP main sensor with gimbal stabilization, a 32MP telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultrawide. ASUS’s clean software experience was well-received, though some noted inconsistent camera results, the absence of an in-box charger, and limited software support as drawbacks.
Building directly on this platform, the Zenfone 12 Ultra retains the same display, battery, and camera setup, but introduces enhanced performance through continued use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, now leveraged for new on-device AI features such as semantic photo search, AI-powered noise cancellation, and document summarization.
However, despite these refinements, the 12 Ultra has been met with criticism for its incremental updates and premium pricing. Concerns persist around ASUS’s continued stance on two years of OS updates and four years of security patches, leaving some to question whether the changes justify an upgrade from the previous model.