ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra: A Powerful Phone You Shouldn’t Buy

The ASUS Zenfone 9 and Zenfone 10 were noteworthy for their compact size and powerful hardware. However, ASUS’s departure from this winning formula with the Zenfone 11 Ultra and now the Zenfone 12 Ultra is puzzling. While the latest model boasts impressive specs, several shortcomings make it a difficult recommendation, especially considering the price.

Pricing and Availability

The ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra, unveiled on February 6th, launched initially in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Europe. It’s available in a single configuration: 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The original price was €1,099 ($1,141), but a €100 discount brought it down to €999 ($1,037) for a limited time. There are currently no confirmed plans for a US or UK release, although a later launch isn’t entirely out of the question, given past practices.

Design and Build Quality

My experience with the Zenfone 12 Ultra started poorly; after just three days, a minor drop led to a spiderweb of cracks on the back. This highlights the phone’s vulnerability. While the front features Gorilla Glass Victus 2, providing excellent scratch resistance, the back uses the older Gorilla Glass 3, which proved less durable in my accidental test.

Competitors like Vivo and Honor utilize superior glass protection on their flagships, often surviving multiple drops without damage. The limited availability of the Zenfone 12 Ultra also presents a problem: repairing a cracked back glass might be challenging, especially outside of the initial launch regions. The lack of readily available third-party cases further complicates matters. ASUS did include a bulky Rhinoshield case, which I was forced to resort to.

The design itself isn’t remarkable. It features a simple glass back with a rectangular camera module, lacking the distinctiveness of the Zenfone 9 and 10. The overall design feels underwhelming for a phone priced over $1,000. While employing 100% recycled aluminum for the frame is commendable, it fails to elevate the phone’s aesthetic appeal. The side-mounted USB-C port, inherited from ASUS’s gaming phone lineage, is inconvenient for using mobile controllers or placing the phone on certain stands. Despite being slightly lighter than its predecessor at 220g, its size prevents the phone from being conveniently portable. The phone’s overall look and feel are disappointing for this level of flagship.

Display

The Zenfone 12 Ultra retains the 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED display seen in its predecessor. The screen boasts LTPO technology, allowing for adaptive refresh rates from 1Hz to 120Hz (reaching 144Hz for some games),. The 2400 x 1080 resolution and 2500-nit peak brightness (for HDR content) are unchanged. While some competitors offer brighter displays in typical usage, the Zenfone 12 Ultra’s display remains vibrant and readable in direct sunlight.

ASUS’s color calibration is excellent, resulting in accurate and pleasing colors out of the box, with further customization options available. The minimal bezels enhance the visual experience. The in-display fingerprint sensor is well-placed and responsive. The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a welcome feature, rarely seen in high-end phones. ASUS’s audio optimization with Dirac improves the listening experience considerably. The use of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the display is a positive, improving its resilience to accidental damage.

Hardware and Battery

The Zenfone 12 Ultra packs the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm chipset, among the fastest mobile processors available. The 16GB/512GB configuration, offered globally, provides ample power and storage. The phone’s performance is exceptional; it’s consistently quick and handles demanding tasks, including gaming, with ease. Despite its robust performance, the phone maintains reasonable thermal management, preventing excessive heat buildup, even during extended gaming sessions, which are quite fluid in this flagship.

Additional features like customizable back-tap gestures (even with a case) and support for high-quality audio codecs (AptX HD, AptX Adaptive, AptX Lossless) further enhance the user experience. Connectivity is reliable, both indoors and outdoors. Apart from the slightly less precise vibration motor, the hardware performs flawlessly. Gamers, especially, will appreciate its processing power.

The phone houses a 5500mAh (dual 2750mAh cells) battery which delivers excellent all-day performance, even under heavy use. Though the 65W USB PD fast charging is supported (you’ll need to buy your own charger), the charging speed is quick at 44 minutes from empty to full with a compatible charger. While not the longest-lasting of 2025’s phones, it easily manages a full day without issues.

Cameras

The Zenfone 12 Ultra utilizes a 50MP main camera with Sony’s Lytia-700 sensor, a 32MP 3x optical zoom telephoto lens, and a 13MP wide-angle lens. Improved gimbal stabilization enhances video recording significantly. The camera interface has minor updates, including document scanning and an easier timer. AI-assisted modes are serviceable.

While daylight photos show good dynamic range and color accuracy, with fine details in foliage, it struggles with focusing on fast-moving subjects. The performance of the auxiliary lenses is adequate but lags behind competitor flagships, most notably in low-light scenarios. Low-light image quality is a considerable downside for this model. Nonetheless, the main camera shows vast improvement over previous generations in challenging lighting conditions.

Although ASUS made advancements in the camera department, the overall camera system doesn’t match the quality offered by leading competitors. If photography is a priority, alternatives like the Vivo X200 Pro or the Oppo Find X8 Pro should be considered.

Software

ASUS’s ZenUI is one of the best Android interfaces, offering a balance between minimal design and extensive customizability. Its fluidity surpasses that of many competitors, making the interface a pleasure to use. The high level of customization allows for extensive tweaking of gestures, styling elements, and more. ASUS implemented several practical utilities.

The phone comes with Android 15 and features a well-integrated AI experience. ASUS clearly distinguishes between cloud-based and on-device AI processing, although it lacks a consistent implementation strategy. On-device AI tasks use Meta’s Llama 3 8B model, while other features use a combination of cloud and on-device processing.

The one major weakness is the software update policy. The Zenfone 12 Ultra offers only two Android platform updates and five years of security updates—inadequate compared to competitors, some of which provide three platform updates even in budget devices. This is a persistent issue for ASUS and a significant drawback.

Alternatives

Several strong alternatives exist for consumers considering a high-end phone in 2025. The OnePlus 13 provides an excellent balance of design, camera performance, and hardware capabilities at a lower price point. The Nubia Z70 Ultra, also offering powerful hardware, presents a more budget-friendly option, albeit with a less refined software experience.

Should You Buy It?

Buy it if:

• You prioritize top-tier hardware performance.
• You prefer a clean, bloatware-free Android experience.
• Excellent battery is your highest priority.

Don’t buy it if:

• Long-term software updates are a must-have.
• Best-in-class cameras systems are required.
• You favor a more stylish phone design.

Despite having excellent hardware and software, the ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra’s flaws outweigh its strengths, especially considering its high price point which is not justifiable when compared to its competition’s features for a significantly lower cost. The subpar camera system, underwhelming design and lackluster update policy make it a difficult phone to recommend for the price. There are more compelling options available for your money.