On February 6th, Asus will introduce the new Zenfone 12 Ultra. The Taiwanese manufacturer continues the line of its predecessor and relies on a large, high-end smartphone. Unfortunately, there has been no sign of a compact Zenfone 12 so far, disappointing many fans of the popular mini model. In this Reddit thread There are some relevant comments.
If Asus sticks to its strategy, the Zenfone 12 Ultra should be the same Recently unveiled the sister model ROG Phone 9 A large 6.78 inch AMOLED display, the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, a decent 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage as well as a triple camera with 50, 13 and 5 megapixels. Android 15 and a 5,800 mAh battery complete the package.
Asus promises a “new era of mobile photography”, not because of great hardware, but above all because of new AI functions. Along with battery and performance, this could be a major selling point.
However, the update guarantee can be disappointing, as it is expected to last a paltry two years for major Android versions, especially in this price segment. Also, Asus doesn’t make any friends in the community with the bootloader, which as far as I know, is blocked, which kills the chance to get the latest Android via custom ROMs like LineageOS.
Focusing on a single Ultra model is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Asus is clearly addressing the premium segment and positioning itself as an alternative to Samsung & Co. On the other hand, the existing buyer base has been dropped for more compact models.
Really stayed loyal to Asus especially in recent years. Simple smartphones with good technology at a fair price were the domain of the Zenfone series. Disappointment with unilateral orientation is now greatest.
Asus can certainly succeed with a Zenfone 12 Ultra, but it will have to assert itself against strong competition in a fiercely competitive market. Without unique selling points and a credible update policy, this can be difficult.
through Android Authority
