With my Pixel4 suddenly dying a few weeks ago, I put in an order for an Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra.
I'm used to smaller phones, so this massive 6.7" Zenfone 11 Ultra is a huge change for me. I do think its well designed: its much "taller" than you'd expect, so the width / grip actually feels fine (large, but fine). Its a bit too tall to comfortably type in landscape mode, and the aspect ratio is very weird in landscape mode IMO. Still, its a great phone to use in portrait mode since the extra tallness gives much more room for keyboard + icons.
I'd say the #1 feature I'm impressed with is stereo speakers. I'm definitely getting a 3d-like effect when watching Youtube, where the phone can make it appear that sound comes all around me (including slightly behind me!)
The phone's marketing makes a big deal about the 6-axis gimbal stabilizer. I haven't had any good practical shots with it yet, but I can confirm that when I point my camera and pretend I have a shaky hand, the gimbal is counter-acting my movements and making the shot more steady. Its not a perfectly steady camera, but its a clear and noticeable improvement.
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I think I can recommend the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra. The main reason why I bought it was to have a Qualcomm 5G radio (note: Pixel 8a/8 do NOT have Qualcomm radios anymore and many people online have concerns about seemingly worse connection). Seeing that Asus still made phones, I'm giving this one a shot. It definitely feels like a solid flagship phone, though I would have preferred the smaller size of Asus's older designs (like the 10).
Alas, Asus is one of the worst when it comes to software support. Only guaranteeing 2 Android updates and 4 years of security updates. But aside from this software weakness, the phone's hardware is amazing. Top end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3, solid gaming support (its the same chip and screen as the Republic of Gamers phones, as ROG is also an Asus brand). Huge battery. Surprisingly good stereo sound. Traditional headphone jack. Physical Gimbal stabilizer, 50MP camera, etc. etc. I hate today's prices, but this is great hardware for what $899 gets you in 2024.
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Side note: I don't really like today's phone market. I wouldn't say that I'm "wow'd" by anything here, but its a workable phone at a competitive price that meets my requirements. I'm pissed off at how expensive phones have gotten, but I also recognize that living without a smartphone in today's era has become much more difficult.
In the weeks it took to get this phone picked out and shipped to me, living without group texts, living without messaging apps like Discord or other online services also messed up some social communications. And of course, the lack of GPS hampered drives to unfamiliar areas. I did manage to live the last 3 weeks without a smartphone however, so its still possible, but so much of modern life just assumes a smartphone now. Case in point: a few months ago, I couldn't order a taxi without a smartphone account. All the Taxis in my area want an account with them. So I'm happy to finally have a smartphone in my pocket again.
