Hot on the heels of the ROG Phone 9 FE announcement, Asus today unveiled the Zenfone 12 Ultra —essentially a stripped-down version of the ROG Phone 9 Pro, minus the gaming-focused extras. Instead, it leans into a more conventional smartphone experience while borrowing design cues from last year’s Zenfone lineup.
While the Zenfone 12 Ultra brings the usual generational upgrades, Asus is betting big on AI this time around.
Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra Specs
At the heart of this AI push is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite chipset. Asus claims the SoC delivers a 45% boost in CPU speed, a 40% faster GPU, and a 40% jump in NPU performance compared to the previous generation. Power users can configure the device with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
And all that hardware isn’t just for show—Asus is baking AI directly into the Zenfone 12 Ultra. The phone comes preloaded with Meta’s Llama 3 8B model to run a variety of AI tasks on the device.
For instance, the new AI Call Translator 2.0 reportedly offers real-time voice translation across both the native Phone app and third-party VoIP messaging platforms. The Recorder app also gets AI-powered features, including multi-speaker identification, summarization, and translation of audio recordings.
On the camera front, Asus swapped out the IMX890 sensor for a Sony Lytia-700, which pairs with a fourth-generation 6-axis hybrid gimbal stabilizer that promises a 66% improvement in movement correction.
It’s paired with a 32MP telephoto lens that offers up to 3x optical and 10-30x HyperClarity zoom, while the 120° ultra-wide lens covers broader shots. On the front, you get a 32MP selfie camera with a 90° lens.
The phone’s AI camera features include AI Tracking, AI Portrait Video 2.0, and AI Voice Clarity for videos. For photos, there’s AI Magic Fill (which removes unwanted elements), AI Unblur, AI Panning Shot (for dynamic motion blur), and AI HyperClarity (to sharpen images at 10x zoom).
The Zenfone 12 Ultra retains a 6.78-inch Samsung E6 OLED display with LTPO technology, supporting refresh rates from 1 to 120Hz and a 144Hz mode for games. It peaks at an impressive 2,500 nits of brightness and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Battery life gets a boost with a 5,500mAh dual-cell setup that supports 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. Asus claims a full charge in 39 minutes and up to 26 hours of usage on a single charge.
In an era where the 3.5mm headphone jack is becoming a relic, Asus is keeping it alive, that too with Dirac Virtuo for Headphones technology for enhanced audio quality.
The Zenfone 12 Ultra is sustainable as well. It uses 100% recycled aluminum for the frame and 22% recycled glass for the display. The phone is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance and comes in Sage Green, Ebony Black, and Sakura White color options.
Pricing and Availability
The Zenfone 12 Ultra is now available in Europe, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Priced at €1,100, Asus currently has an early bird discount where buyers can snag the device for €1,000 till February 28.
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