This time around, we’re comparing two ‘Ultra’ smartphones. That’s a rather popular branding for top-of-the-line flagships these days, and the two we’re here to talk about are the very best their companies have to offer. We’ll be comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra. Both of these phones arrived in the first quarter of this year. Both of them are big, and both are extremely powerful.
With that in mind, there are quite a few differences here worth noting. First, we’ll list their specifications, and then we’ll jump over to their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is more of a camera-centric smartphone, while the ZenFone 11 Ultra represents ASUS’ return to large(r) flagship phones. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Specs
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, respectively
– Screen size:
6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, adaptive 120Hz, 3,000 nits max brightness)
6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X (flat, 144Hz, 2,500 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
3200 x 1440
2400 x 1080
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Google Tensor G3
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.6-f/4.0 variable aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 1.6um pixel size), 50MP (ultrawide, f/1.8 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF), 50MP (telephoto, f/1.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom), 50MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.5 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, 24mm lens, gimbal OIS), 13MP (ultrawide, 120-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture), 32MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture)
– Front cameras:
32MP (wide, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
32MP (wide, f/2.5 aperture)
– Battery:
5,000mAh
5,500mAh
– Charging:
90W wired, 80W wireless,, 10W reverse wireless (charger included)
65W wired, 15W wireless, 10W reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2mm
163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm
– Weight:
219.8 grams
224 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
– OS:
Android 14 with HyperOS
Android 14 with ZenUI
– Price:
€1,499
$899+
– Buy:
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Amazon)
ZenFone 11 Ultra (Amazon)
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Design
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is made out of aluminum and vegan leather… globally. In China, it comes in aluminum and titanium frame options, while its backplate is either made out of glass or vegan leather, it depends. The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, on the other hand, is made out of aluminum and glass. Both phones have a display camera hole which is centered, and thin bezels on the front. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a curved display, while a flat one is used on the ZenFone 11 Ultra.
Their physical buttons are located on the right-hand side. The power/lock button sits below the volume up and down buttons. If we flip them around, you’ll see that they’re quite different on the back. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra includes a large camera oreo back there, with four cameras inside it. That camera island does protrude quite a bit, and it’s centered in the upper portion of the phone’s back. The ZenFone 11 Ultra has a camera island in the top-left corner of its back side. Three cameras are included in there, and that camera island is a lot smaller in comparison.
The ZenFone 11 Ultra is slightly taller and wider than the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Xiaomi’s flagship is slightly thicker in comparison. In regards to weight, it all depends on what variant you’re referring too. If we compare the global Xiaomi 14 Ultra model with a vegan leather backplate, it’s slightly lighter than the ZenFone 11 Ultra. Both smartphones do come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra in its global variant is noticeably less slippery, though, mainly thanks to the vegan leather backplate. Both phones are well-made.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Display
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That display is curved, though the curve is not extreme, not at all. This panel has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and it supports HDR10+ content. Dolby Vision is also supported, and the panel goes up to 3,000 nits of brightness. This display has an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of around 89%. It’s protected by the Xiaomi Shield Glass.
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.78-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) LTPO AMOLED display. Its display is flat, and it has a 144Hz refresh rate. This panel supports HDR10 content, and it has a peak brightness of 2,500 nits. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 88%. This panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.
Both of these panels look great on paper, and they’re really good in real-life too. They both offer great viewing angles, are quite vivid, and have good touch response. The blacks are also quite deep on both. Both panels will be more than sharp for pretty much anyone, but if you’re one of the people who can tell the difference between a fullHD+ display and a QHD+ display on 6.7-inch panels, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra may be a better choice for you. When it comes to brightness, both of them do get bright enough in basically any situation, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does have an advantage in this regard.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Performance
These two phones are actually fueled by the same chip. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip fuels both of them. That’s the most powerful processor the company has to offer at the moment. Both phones offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, while the global Xiaomi 14 Ultra model only comes in a 16GB RAM flavor. You’ll also find UFS 4.0 flash storage inside both of these smartphones, and the storage is not expandable.
When it comes to day-to-day tasks, both of these smartphones are outstanding. Their performance is top-notch. You’ll get fluid performance with smooth animations, and that goes for basically anything you can throw at them. ASUS’ software is great, as it’s basically an altered version of stock Android. HyperOS works great on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. We really have no complaints when it comes to performance.
The same can be said for gaming too. Even if you’re running a truly demanding game, such as Genshin Impact, both of these phones do a great job with it. They do get quite warm after an hour of gaming, but that doesn’t affect performance. Neither phone was too hot to handle either, they both did a great job. Less demanding games are a piece of cake for both.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Battery
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra includes a 5,000mAh battery globally and a 5,300mAh battery unit in China. The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra comes with a 5,500mAh battery pack. Both of these smartphones have really good battery life, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra flew a bit higher for us. It did better in our battery drain test, and it proved its worth during regular day-to-day usage as well.
For us, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra managed to provide around 8 hours of screen-on-time, while the ZenFone 11 Ultra also managed to cross the 7-hour screen-on-time mark, but it was usually hanging around between 7 and 7.5 hours. Do note that those numbers did go down if we decided to play some games on those days, or take tons of pictures. The point is, both smartphones are very much capable of providing great battery life, though your mileage may vary, of course. We did use them mostly on Wi-Fi, and the signal was good at all times, more or less.
When it comes to charging, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra supports 90W wired, 80W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra supports 65W wired, 15W wireless, and 10W reverse wired charging. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra not only easily wins the charging comparison, but it also comes with a charger in the box. That’s not something we can say for the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra: Cameras
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera (1-inch sensor, variable aperture), a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom). So, you’re getting four 50-megapixel cameras, all of which are quite capable. On top of that, Leica’s lenses and expertise are also used here. This phone has outstanding camera hardware, while the software is really good too.
The ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 32-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). ASUS went with a more modest approach with the ZenFone 11 Ultra. Its camera hardware is not as impressive in comparison with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but the phone does a good job regardless. It is, however, a level or two below the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, though.
Both phones do a good job during the day. The images from the ZenFone 11 Ultra do tend to look a bit more processed, though. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is definitely more reliable. That goes for basically any lighting situation. Ultrawide cameras do keep up with the main shooters in terms of colors, though the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s does a better job in that regard, and it also provides more details. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is also more reliable in terms of high-zoom photos, and it has better cameras for such photography. The same goes for macro photos, by the way, and portraits too.
In low light, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does a fantastic job. It manages to pick up a lot of detail, and the photos end up looking well-balanced, and detailed. The ZenFone 11 Ultra is not bad in low light, not at all, but its photos do not look great in direct comparison. You won’t get as much detail in most shots, and the photos are not that well-balanced when compared directly with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The ZenFone 11 Ultra has a capable camera setup, but it can’t really compete with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on the back of both of these smartphones. Both of them are good, but the speakers on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra are a bit louder. The output is good from both sets, though.
When it comes to the audio jack, only the ASUS ZenFone 11 Ultra has it. You’ll have to either use the Type-C port on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra for audio purposes or utilize Bluetooth. Both of these phones support Bluetooth 5.4.
