What you need to know
- ASUS put out a teaser for the next generation of Zenfone this week, but it isn't for the compact phone we know and love.
- The company is teasing a Zenfone 11 Ultra, which will include a larger screen and better battery life.
- The cryptic teaser doesn't include many details, but sets a launch date for March 14 at 8 a.m. ET.
Rumors surrounding the future of the ASUS Zenfone line, which includes one of the few compact flagship phones left, dated back to last summer. Now, a cryptic teaser from ASUS previews the next generation of Zenfone, and it isn't another small phone. The company is instead promoting the Zenfone 11 Ultra with a larger screen and bigger battery.
ASUS has launched a new event page on its website for the Zenfone 11 Ultra's official announcement. It's slated for March 14 at 8 a.m. ET, and this is where we will likely learn more about the Zenfone 11 Ultra. We don't know the exact screen size of the Zenfone 11 Ultra yet, but the "expand your vision" and "ultra size" taglines strongly hint at a bigger footprint than the Zenfone 10.
The market for small phones is rapidly shrinking, or in other words, what the market considers "small" is growing. With that said, ASUS offered perhaps the best compact phone of 2023 with the Zenfone 10 and its 5.9-inch display. Unlike phones of similar sizes, the Zenfone 10 actually had the specs of a flagship phone.
For reference, the iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch screen, and the Google Pixel 8 also has a 6.2-inch screen. Since displays are measured diagonally, the difference of two or three inches is a big one as it relates to the in-hand feel.
That's what led to rumors of a potential discontinuation of the Zenfone line coming to light last year. The public discourse became so intense that ASUS put out an official statement in August 2023.
"We would like to address the rumor that ASUS Zenfone 10 will be the last generation of the series and the ASUS Zenfone product line will be shut down," the company said. "This is not true."
As such, ASUS is not ending the Zenfone line. However, if the Zenfone 11 Ultra is the only Zenfone device to debut this year, the identity of the brand will be effectively changed. There's obviously still a chance that ASUS will release a "regular-sized" Zenfone. However, all that's guaranteed right now is that ASUS will unveil an enlarged Zenfone 11 Ultra next month.
