Asus unveils its latest flagship Phone Zenfone 12 Ultra, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite

Asus has officially introduced the Zenfone 12 Ultra, its latest flagship smartphone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Carrying forward the design language of its predecessor, this new model refines its build with a slightly lighter profile. The company emphasizes the integration of advanced AI capabilities, supporting both cloud-based and on-device AI processing to enhance the user experience. The Zenfone 12 Ultra boasts a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, delivering a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels and reaching peak brightness levels of 1,600 nits in high brightness mode.

Maintaining durability, the smartphone features a matte glass back and holds an IP68 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water, making it a reliable companion for outdoor adventures. Unlike many modern flagships that have moved away from the headphone jack, Asus retains the 3.5mm audio port with Dirac Virtuo support for an enhanced listening experience. Storage and performance are top-tier, with options going up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

The camera system on the Zenfone 12 Ultra is housed in a minimalist island positioned at the top of the rear panel. It includes a 50MP Sony Lytia 700 primary sensor with a 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 4.0, a 32MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, and a 13MP ultrawide sensor with optical image stabilization. The AI-driven camera features allow for subject tracking, customizable bokeh effects, and enhanced noise reduction, making it easier to capture high-quality images and videos in diverse conditions.

The AI functionalities extend beyond photography, as the Zenfone 12 Ultra introduces real-time call translations, AI-generated summaries for articles and documents, and even Google’s Circle to Search feature. Notably, Asus claims that this is the first smartphone to integrate Meta’s Llama 3 8B language model for on-device content summarization.

For connectivity, the Zenfone 12 Ultra supports dual Nano-SIM cards and, unlike its predecessor, now also includes eSIM compatibility. Powering the device is a robust 5,500mAh battery, capable of 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. Currently available for purchase in select regions, including Europe, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the phone starts at €1,100, approximately translating to ₹1,00,000 in Indian currency.