Today we’re going to talk about Asus. Тhe Taiwanese brand has been known primarily for its laptops and PC components but you’d be surprised to find out that Asus has been making phones for nearly 20 years now!
In a smartphone world where Apple and Samsung are calling the shots, it’s really refreshing to see what an underdog (of sorts) can do. Here’s our list of the best Asus phones you can get in 2024!
The ZenFone lineup has been around since 2014 (with Windows-equipped Asus phones dating even further back to mid 2000s) and during all those years Asus put a lot of effort and money into developing the brand. And here we are - giving the nod of approval to the tenth generation of Zenfone (one of the best compact Android phones on the market), and the inception of the ZenFone Ultra model, a gaming phone disguised as a regular flagship.
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra
Zenfone goes Ultra
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra
What we like
Fast and snappy
Super-bright display
Great stereo speakers
What we don't like
Camera system not great
Design might not be everyone's cup of tea
Only two years of major OS updates
6.9
PhoneArena Rating
7.1
Price Class Average
Battery Life
8.3
7
Photo Quality
6.1
7
Video Quality
5.6
6.2
Charging
8.2
6.3
Performance Peak
7.6
6.2
Performance Daily
7.7
7.1
Display Quality
8
7.9
Design
7
7.4
Wireless Charging
6.4
6.7
Biometrics
6
7.5
Audio
6
7.4
Software
4
8.2
Why the score?
This device scores 2.8% worse than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Motorola razr Plus (2024) and Google Pixel 9 Pro
Asus surprised everyone with the official announcement of the Zenfone 11 Ultra. After several generations of compact flagships, the company obviously decided to try and compete with bigger, quite literally, fish. Hence, the Zenfone 11 Ultra and its 6.78-inch form factor.
Is the Zenfone 11 Ultra a worthy competitor to other big shots, such as the S24 Ultra or the iPhone 15 Pro Max? It depends. The phone does a lot of things right. It has the brightest screen we've measured so far, the fastest Qualcomm chipset, and a hefty battery that you can fill up in less than 50 minutes. What's not to like?
Well, the camera is still not the strongest feature of the Zenfone lineup. It has remained almost unchanged, with the addition of a 32MP telephoto. Another interesting point is that the Zenfone 11 Ultra and the ROG Phone 8 are very similar. But if you enjoy the raw power of ROG phones and don't want the added sparkle of LEDs and gaming triggers, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is a great option.
With the ZenFone 8 and the Zenfone 9, Asus made a sharp U-turn in design and overall philosophy, going down the compact route. Now, the ZenFone 10 has taken this idea and perfected it in every possible way. The phone features the best Qualcomm processor at the moment, it now supports wireless charging, and the battery life is just astounding for such a small device.
Everything you loved about the ZenFone 9 is present here as well - all the audio Dirac magic with some additional algorithm enhancements (the phone sounds really good, and there's a 3.5mm jack too), the display now has a 144Hz gaming mode on top of the regular 120Hz available everywhere else, it's calibrated to perfection, and last but not least, RAM and storage are aplenty.
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The main camera algorithms have been upgraded, and the whole thing sports the second iteration of the sophisticated gimbal system that can make you the next Kubrick (if only it were that easy). The Zenfone 10 is a really good deal (there's a case and a charger in the retail box) at $799. Currently, it's the best compact Android flagship phone on the market.
If you've always secretly wanted a gaming phone, Asus has got you covered. The company has been really popular among gamers with the aforementioned Republic of Gamers series of devices (PCs, laptops), and the same goes for smartphones. That next ROG phone could be yours, even though you're not a kid anymore. Asus has already launched its next ROG model - the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, and of course, it's found its place on our list.
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
The mainstream gaming phone
7.1
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
The Good
New design, thin bezels, IP68
Speakers are loud and meaty (but not as good as before)
Fast and buttery performance
Headphone jack
Gaming buttons, the fan helps
Long battery endurance, fast to charge
The Bad
Speakers are no longer front-firing
Gripping the device for gaming is a bit less comfy (lack of bezels)
The camera is OK, but not as great as the big bump suggests
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is the latest gaming phone from the Taiwanese company. It tries to do things a little differently, with a much more subtle approach. The phone hasn't forfeited its gaming pedigree. It tries to appeal to a wider audience instead.
The design of the phone is understated for a gaming phone, with a stealthy LED matrix on the back, rounded corners, and a modern-looking camera bump. Under the hood, things have remained top-notch, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, up to 24GB of RAM, a hefty 6,000mAh battery, and a very bright (as is the latest trend) 165Hz display.
The only sacrifice you will need to make is one involving your wallet. The phone now starts at $1,200, which is pretty expensive, but if you want the top 24/1TB model, you will need to cough up $1,500.
So there you have it! We believe that any of these phones can be worthy of your attention and hard-earned money. Asus may not be as popular as Samsung or Apple in the smartphone space, but this doesn't mean that the company can't make phones. On the contrary - just take a look at a ROG phone of any generation. And you don't need to be an avid gamer to enjoy such device - a good phone is a good phone, period.
Of course, this best Asus phones list is a work-in-progress, and with the pace of today's tech, it'll always be. The Zenfone 11 Ultra surprised us all, adding some variety to the otherwise compact Zenfone lineup, and we might also get a regular version sometime this summer. So stay tuned for more.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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