ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra review

Asus has made subtle design changes to the Zenfone 12 Ultra compared to its predecessor, most notably by reducing the size of the camera bump. Despite the reduction, it still protrudes significantly at 3.95 mm. The overall build quality is excellent, with tight, uniform gaps and a matte aluminum frame that resists fingerprints—at least in the black model we tested. The matte glass back, while visually appealing, tends to attract more dirt. On the front, the phone is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Feature-wise, Asus has kept the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which delivered low-noise performance during testing (SNR: 100.91 dBFS). A notable addition is support for eSIM, although activating it disables the second physical SIM slot.

The Zenfone 12 Ultra supports all modern connectivity standards, including 5G Sub-6, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC. However, ultra-wideband (UWB) is missing. Paired with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, the device achieved impressive data transfer rates, with only a brief dip in performance when operating on the 6 GHz band. In day-to-day use, the Zenfone struggled with mesh networks, refusing to connect via mesh and instead only linking directly to our Fritz!Box 5690 Pro.

The capacitive touchscreen is highly responsive and smooth to the touch. No screen protector is pre-applied. For biometric security, the phone includes a reliable and fast in-display optical fingerprint scanner. Less secure facial recognition via the front camera is also available as an option.

The power button doubles as a customizable "smart button"—users can assign specific functions to single presses, double taps, and long presses.

Out of the box, the Zenfone 12 Ultra runs Google Android 15 and is slated to receive two major Android updates. Asus promises five years of security patch support, which may seem limited given the phone's premium pricing.

Asus has also expanded its AI capabilities, introducing nine new features. These include enhanced video recording, generative image editing, Circle to Search, a live call translator, and tools for summarizing or translating text. However, some of these AI features are still in beta and may not yet work reliably.

Currently, Asus hasn’t shared details about the use of recycled materials or the device’s carbon footprint. For the previous model, the Zenfone 11 Ultra, a sustainability report is available at: ASUS Sustainability Report. The company does not support user-performed repairs; no manuals or spare parts are provided. The phone is packaged in a cardboard box, and we found no plastic inside.