Everything we know so far/what we want to see

The ASUS Zenfone 10 stands out as one of the most compact flagship-level phones on the market, and there’s a lot to like about the series. If you’re a Zenfone fan waiting to upgrade to the next generation of the phone, you may be wondering what to expect. In this hub, we’ll break down all the rumors and leaks about the upcoming smartphone. Here’s everything we know so far about the ASUS Zenfone 11.

The ASUS Zenfone series has been around since 2014, making it a well-known staple in the Android world, even if it’s never been as popular as the best Android phones from Samsung, Apple, or even Google.

Despite a debunked rumor claiming ASUS was throwing in the towel on the Zenfone, it turns out we have nothing to fear. ASUS has since issued a press release making it clear it isn’t backing down from the Zenfone series just yet. So yes, an ASUS Zenfone 11 is pretty much inevitable. That said, the Zenfone series is still very much in danger unless it starts performing better.

• ASUS Zenfone 10 — June 29, 2023
• ASUS Zenfone 9 — July 28, 2022
• ASUS Zenfone 8 — May 12, 2021

No launch date or even launch window has been leaked yet. It will probably be a while before we hear anything regarding a launch. Until then, we’ll just have to put on our speculation hats and guesstimate a time. In the last three years, the ASUS Zenfone arrived sometime in the summer, and there’s no reason to believe the Zenfone 11 release date will be any different. Judging by the company’s history, we’d imagine a release sometime between late May and mid-August of 2024.

Although details are still a bit sparse, we do have some information to go on. We’ll continue adding more information to this section as it becomes available.

In January 2024, the Zenfone 11 was spotted on the Google Play Console by folks over at 91Mobiles. The listing revealed that the handset would have an octa-core Qualcomm SM8650 CPU, which is the internal codename for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It also claimed the chip would be paired with an Adreno 830 GPU. This is a little confusing as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should have an Adreno 750; the Adreno 830 is expected to come with the next generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip.

It’s not clear what’s going on here. It would only make sense for ASUS to opt for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for this year’s flagship instead of the next-gen Qualcomm SoC. Maybe the company plans to launch the Zenfone 11 a little later this year? But there’s also a possibility that the discrepancy in the listing is just a mistake.

The listing also mentions that the Zenfone 11 will get 16GB of RAM and will have Android 14.

Zenfone 11 Ultra specs

In the last few months, we’ve seen evidence of the existence of a Zenfone 11 Ultra. This would be the first time the Zenfone line had an Ultra model. The first reference to this model was spotted back in December 2023 in a Bluetooth SIG listing along with the ROG Phone 8. Being grouped with the latest ROG Phone and the fact that the model number was almost identical to the ROG series suggests this Ultra model is actually a rebranded ROG handset.

Fast forward to February 2024, there was a sizeable leak that delivered many details about the phone and a few renders. Let’s start with renders:

Based on the images, it appears the Ultra will resemble the ROG Phone 8 with its flat frame, flat back, and curved edges. While the camera bump is slightly different, it has similar positioning to the latest ROG Phone. We also get a look at five different colorways, which are believed to be called Eternal Black, Misty Gray, Desert Sienna, Skyline Blue, and Verdure Green.

Surprisingly, ASUS was the one at fault for the leak of the Ultra’s images. Spotted by Redditor Td3v1l, renders related to the Zenfone 11 Ultra were found inside the latest firmware of the ASUS ROG Phone 8. You can see the renders down below.

Something else that was included with these renders was a basic spec sheet. According to the spec sheet, the Zenfone 11 Ultra will have a 6.78-inch, 2,400 x 1,080 AMOLED display, with LTPO switching between 1-120Hz and a max refresh rate of 144Hz for some games. This sheet also confirms it will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, which will be joined by 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.

It appears you can also expect a 5,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. The Ultra could also come with a 3.5mm headphone jack and dual stereo speakers.

As for the cameras, it may come with a triple camera setup. That setup would include a 50MP Sony IMX890 with gimbal OIS for the primary sensor, a 13MP ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 32MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3x optical zoom. Flipping over to the front of the handset, it looks like there will be a 32MP RGBW sensor located at the top center.

• ASUS Zenfone 10 — $699
• ASUS Zenfone 9 — $699
• ASUS Zenfone 8 — $629

It’s still a little early to expect any information about the price point to leak. However, the ASUS Zenfone has a track record of sticking to a similar price from year to year. Although there was a slight price increase between the Zenfone 8 and 9, the price has stayed close to $700 over the last three years. Given the trend, it would probably be safe to assume that ASUS will shoot for $699 once again for Zenfone 11.

As for the Zenfone 11 Ultra, that’s a little harder to guess as this will be the first ultra model in the series. Since it has specs that are similar to the ROG Phone 8 Pro, it’s possible it could also have a price akin to it. For reference, the ROG Phone 8 Pro launched at a price of $1,199.

If you’re looking for a compact flagship, the ASUS Zenfone 11 might not be what you want. While we’ve seen a lot of information about the Zenfone 11 Ultra, we haven’t seen much on the vanilla model. As such, we don’t know if the Zenfone 11 will be of similar size as the Zenfone 10.

If you like the look of the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, the ROG Phone 8 Pro (on the product’s website) is already here and looks to be very similar. There’s also the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ($1419.99 at Samsung) if you need something super powerful.

ASUS Zenfone 11: What we want to see

Above, we’ve told you what we expect based on leaks and rumors. Below, we’re going to tell you what we hope to see, although we have no evidence to support it yet.

The ASUS Zenfone has stuck to the same body for two years now, aside from really minor changes like adding a metallic ring around the camera sensors. I hope they do more for the ASUS Zenfone 11. I’d like to see it maintain the same general size and shape, but I believe there is room for improvement on the back.

The current design features two oversized cameras stacked on top of each other and a plastic rear. It would be desirable if ASUS introduced a true glass back and a configuration that includes a telephoto camera.

How plausible is it that ASUS would completely revamp its design? That’s harder to say. ASUS faces challenges in the smartphone arena, which could lead it down two very different potential paths: either keeping things reserved to cut costs or going all out with significant changes to see if they can make a more substantial impact. If the Zenfone 11 Ultra is any indication, it’s possible we could see the base model be brought closer to the Ultra’s aesthetics.

The Zenfone 10 doesn’t have a bad camera, to be fair. We found that it captures solid shots in good lighting conditions, and even low-light shots produce a decent amount of detail as long as you minimize movement. Additionally, it boasts a six-axis gimbal stabilizer system that performs well in 4K, although, at resolutions like 1080p, it may not match up to devices like the Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 8. Nevertheless, two aspects hinder the Zenfone 10 from becoming one of the best camera phones.

Firstly, images can appear oversharpened, and there are occasional side effects of object segmentation processing in HDR-heavy environments. This could be easily addressed through either sensor improvements or optimizations to the software.

The second factor is the reliance on software upscaling for its 4x to 8x zoom capability. Not only does this method take a while to process, but the level of detail isn’t particularly impressive. It’s time for ASUS to consider adopting a telephoto lens with the Zenfone 11. This move would significantly enhance its zoom capabilities and position it better to compete with other flagship smartphones out there.

While the ASUS Zenfone 10 doesn’t exhibit overheating issues in everyday use, it can become uncomfortably warm during demanding tasks such as gaming, as we witnessed in our Zenfone 10 review. Some of this is challenging to prevent, given the current design, as compact phones often struggle with heat management.

However, the Galaxy S23 experiences no issues with thermal management, despite being very similar in size and weight. I would appreciate seeing the ASUS Zenfone 11 handle heat more effectively, even if that entails slightly increasing its profile to something more in line with the Galaxy S23.

The ASUS Zenfone 10 was launched on June 29, 2023, in Europe and parts of Asia, with availability shortly thereafter. However, the United States began pre-orders much later, on August 22, and didn’t commence shipping until mid-September.

Much of this delay is attributed to the fact that the US uses different bands for its 5G and LTE networks, which may not align seamlessly with the international version. Despite this, the US market presents significant potential for ASUS, lacking serious competitors outside of Apple, Samsung, and, to a lesser extent, Google and Motorola.

For the Zenfone 11 to make a substantial impact, ASUS needs to up its launch game significantly. A universal release in North America and Europe would be a positive step. Moreover, securing partnerships with carriers like Verizon could further enhance its market penetration and success.

Currently, Google and Samsung hold the crown for long-term Android software support, providing seven years of OS updates on the Pixel 8 series and Galaxy S24 series, respectively. In contrast, the ASUS Zenfone 10 follows a more modest update policy, offering just two major OS updates and four years of security updates.

Considering the Zenfone 10’s capable hardware, which is more than sufficient for extended use, extending the OS commitment by another year or two would have been beneficial. ASUS, not as established or renowned in the mobile space, faces challenges in consumer confidence due to its limited update commitment. Aiming for a software update policy similar to Samsung with the ASUS Zenfone 11 would significantly contribute to building trust among consumers.