ASUS ZENFONE 11 ULTRA

If you’re after a flat-screened, specced-out Android phone with long battery life, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is exactly that. Its huge 6.78in AMOLED screen is perfect for watching videos and gaming; and matched with expansive stereo speakers and HDR support across Amazon and Youtube, this is a dream media mobile.

Running rings around Apple and Samsung with its battery specs, this Zenfone packs a huge 5500mah cell, easily getting you through a full day – and with 65W fast charging and a power brick in the box, plus the option of going wireless, fuelling up is nippy and nimble.

That’s the AI – like it?

Asus is taking a leaf out of Samsung’s book by adding AI to everything – so whether you want to summarise a transcription, live-translate a phone call or generate a wallpaper, there’s an automated feature for that. Some elements (like the transcription) work well; others (like the call translator) are clunky. And some – notably the AI wallpaper – feel like a swing and a miss.

With so many top-class phones cropping up with stellar cameras now, the Zenfone 11 Ultra’s photo skills are a letdown. The gimbal-stabilised system has plenty of promise, but with poor photo processing, an ultrawide camera that misses out on autofocus and a modest zoom, this setup hardly feels ‘Ultra’.

On the plus side, with ample storage, stellar gaming performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a clean interface and a headphone port, despite its shortcomings the Zenfone 11 Ultra is fun to use and could be a fantastic choice if you find it at the right price.

from £870 / go.stuff.tv/11ultra

Key specs

● 6.78in 2400x1080 144Hz OLED

● Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ● 256/512GB

● 50+32+13MP rear, 32MP front ● 5500mah

● 164x77x8.9mm, 224g