The Asus ZenFone series is known for offering top-tier compact smartphones with all the latest bells and whistles. However, as much as people show their love for compact phones, they eventually tend to gravitate towards larger devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra for their sheer practicality. A bigger phone offers a larger viewing experience and longer battery stamina, two crucial factors for most buyers.
Hence, it was inevitable that the Asus ZenFone series would follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 13 mini and be axed. For 2024, Asus has unveiled the ZenFone 11 Ultra as its flagship non-gaming smartphone and as the name suggests, it is as big as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Keen-eyed readers may even spot a lot of similarities with the Asus ROG Phone 8, which was announced a few months ago.
Intending to dethrone the Galaxy S24 Ultra as the biggest and most loaded Android phone, the ZenFone 11 Ultra gets all the top-tier features we come to expect from a premium phone. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a versatile triple camera system, a large battery and a fast charging solution are part of the ZenFone 11 Ultra’s foundations. Are these enough to let Asus take the bragging rights?
An Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison is the only way to find our answers.
Delving deep into our Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comparison
Design
Asus’ design team did an incredible job with the design of the previous ZenFone series flagship phones. With the ZenFone 11 Ultra, it seems that they got too lazy to draw up something fresh and copied the homework of the ROG team. The ZenFone 11 Ultra is essentially a ROG Phone 8 Pro minus the gaming lights and the wild body graphics. The plain colours along with the protruding camera hump look unusual for a phone of this category. You also get the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a rarity in premium smartphones of today.
In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra feels way more luxurious and pretty with its Titanium rails, a neat camera module design, a desirable boxy shape and an overall elite look. Despite having similar dimensions as the Asus, Samsung also managed to house a stylus inside without compromising the battery life.
Hence, for this round, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes the win.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Nothing Phone 2a vs Nothing Phone (2): Is The New Smartphone A Fitting Sidekick?
Upcoming Smartphones Of 2024: 20 Coolest Android Devices And iPhones To Look Out For
Display
The Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra offers a nice enough 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a variable refresh rate of up to 144Hz, a peak brightness of 2,500 nits and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. For a premium smartphone, this is good enough.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra triumphs not only the ZenFone 11 Ultra but everything else with its class-leading display. Its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with a variable refresh rate of 1Hz-120Hz, QuadHD+ resolution, peak brightness of 2,600 nits and its ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Moreover, Samsung offers stronger Gorilla Glass Armor for protection against scratches and cracks in the case of accidental drops.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Performance
For two phones that claim to offer an ‘Ultra experience’, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 becomes an obvious choice for the chipset. This 4nm chip offers the best raw performance on any Android phone and both these brands have tweaked it optimally to offer a great overall experience.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes another point away from the ZenFone 11 Ultra by the slightest of margins, courtesy of its One UI 6.1 experience. Other than an aesthetically pleasing interface and the vast array of features, the Galaxy AI suite of gen-AI features gives it an edge over every other smartphone in range, save for the Google Pixel 8 Pro. You can use Gen-AI to edit photos, translate calls in real-time, summarise a webpage on the native browser and more.
Asus’ ZenUI interface offers a more familiar look and feel to the Pixel UI but its Gen-AI features are far fewer than what Samsung offers. You get features like call translation, AI video bokeh, transcriptions, noise cancellation and AI wallpapers.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Cameras
With its combination of a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 32-megapixel 3x telephoto shooter and a 13-megapixel ultrawide tertiary sensor, the Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra’s rear camera system is substantial for most buyers in the premium segment. However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s quad-camera system is superior in every possible way.
The optical system on the Galaxy S24 Ultra includes a 200-megapixel primary camera which is accompanied by a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto sensor, a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto shooter and a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. Paired with Samsung’s excellent post-processing and AI assists, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will keep every shutterbug happy.
Hence, if you want a great mobile camera, look no further than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Battery
Asus’ phones have always been considered the battery champion in their respective segments and the case remains unchanged here as well. The 5,500mAh capacity battery on the ZenFone 11 Ultra should theoretically outlast the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery.
The Asus phone also offers a much faster (and more convenient) 65W wired charging solution compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 45W wired solution. Both phones support 15W wireless charging with a compatible Qi-certified charger.
Winner: Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra
Price
So far, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has maintained a lead courtesy of its technical superiority but all those advancements come at a price. The Galaxy S24 Ultra in its base spec of 12GB/256GB costs HKD 9,898 and goes up to HKD 12,898 for the top-end 12GB/1TB variant.
In comparison, the Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra seems like a bargain. The ZenFone 11 Ultra in its base spec of 12GB/256GB costs HKD 7,498 whereas the top-spec variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage costs HKD 8,498.
Hence, the Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra takes its second win.
Winner: Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra
Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Our verdict
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra may have the ‘Ultra’ moniker in its name but it cannot match the sheer magnificence of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is currently the phone to beat. Despite having the same chipset, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a far superior user experience with its Galaxy AI suite of apps and a streamlined One UI skin. You also get a great camera system, good battery life and an amazing display, thereby offering a good overall package.
However, the Asus ZenFone 11 Ultra costs a lot less than Samsung’s Ultra phone and as far as battery life is concerned, it fares better than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The rest of the package is impressive for a premium phone but not quite on par with Samsung’s best. With Samsung’s track record in timely software updates, the ZenFone 11 Ultra falls out of favour.
Are Foldable Apple Phones And MacBooks Closer To Being A Reality? We Have Some Updates
Everything We Know About The Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Including Its Specs
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Samsung and Asus)
