Head to head
ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
They split the 14 rankable specs evenly, so cost decides it: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra costs $300 less.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
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Compare a different phone
Google Pixel 8a$499OnePlus 12$799iPhone 16$799Google Pixel 9$799Samsung Galaxy S24$799Samsung Galaxy S25$799iPhone 17$799iPhone 16 Plus$899OnePlus 13$899iPhone 16 Pro$999Google Pixel 9 Pro$999Samsung Galaxy S24+$999Samsung Galaxy S25+$999iPhone 17 Pro$999iPhone Air$999Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,099Google Pixel 9 Pro XL$1,099iPhone 16 Pro Max$1,199Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra$1,299Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra$1,299Xiaomi 14 Ultra$1,399OnePlus Open$1,699Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold$1,799Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6$1,899Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 7 to 7
Tied overall. ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra is cheaper.
- The 14 rankable overall specs split 7 to 7.
- Saves $300 at list price.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Clear:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · Yes (3.5 mm Hi-Res audio output)Trips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
- Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · 2 major OS updates + 4 years security p…Clear:iPhone 17 Pro Max · 5+ years estimated
- Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone 17 Pro Max · No
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
ASUS
224 g
Apple
231 g (8.15 oz)
Size
ASUS
6.78 inches
Apple
6.9 inches
Chipset≠
ASUS
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
Apple
Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)
RAM
ASUS
16 GB LPDDR5X
Apple
12 GB
Max optical zoom
ASUS
3x optical (30x digital HyperClarity zoom)
Apple
5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom)
Capacity
ASUS
5,500 mAh
Apple
4,850 mAh
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
ASUS: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Apple: What to watch for
- Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Body
leads 1-0| Dimensions | 163.8 × 76.8 × 8.9 mm | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 224 g (wins this row: lower) | 231 g (8.15 oz) |
| Build | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front, matte glass back, aluminum frame | Grade 5 Titanium frame with textured matte glass back |
| Water / dust rating | IP68 (1.5 m / 30 min) | IP68 (up to 6m for 30 mins) |
| Colors | Skyline Blue, Eternal Black, Misty Grey, Desert Sand | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
| Stylus | No | No |
Display
leads 4-0| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz for gaming | Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.78 inches | 6.9 inches (wins this row: higher) |
| Resolution | 1080 × 2400 (FHD+) | 2868 × 1320 (wins this row: higher) |
| Pixel density | ~388 ppi | 460 ppi (wins this row: higher) |
| Refresh rate | 1–120 Hz LTPO (up to 144 Hz in Game Genie) | 120 Hz (1–120Hz ProMotion) |
| Peak brightness | 2,500 nits peak / 1,600 nits HBM | 3,000 nits outdoor peak / 1,000 nits typical (wins this row: higher) |
| HDR | HDR10 | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Ceramic Shield (latest generation) |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes (Always-on display) |
Platform
5 differences| Operating system | Android 14 with ZenUI | iOS 19 |
|---|---|---|
| Software support | 2 major OS updates + 4 years security patches | 5+ years estimated (typically 6-7 years) |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) |
| CPU | 8-core (1× Cortex-X4 + 5× A720 + 2× A520) | 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency) |
| GPU | Adreno 750 | 6-core Apple GPU with hardware ray tracing |
Memory
leads 2-0| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5X (wins this row: higher) | 12 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB UFS 4.0 (wins this row: higher) | 256 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB / 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| microSD | No | No |
Rear camera
leads 3-1| Main | 50 MP Sony IMX890, f/1.9, 24 mm, 6-Axis Gimbal OIS 3.0 (wins this row: higher) | 48 MP Fusion (f/1.78, 24mm, second-gen sensor-shift OIS, 100% Focus Pixels) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrawide | 13 MP, f/2.2, 120° free-form lens | 48 MP (f/2.2, 13mm, 120° FOV, hybrid Focus Pixels) (wins this row: higher) |
| Telephoto | 32 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS | 48 MP 5x Telephoto (f/2.8, 120mm, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS) (wins this row: higher) |
| Max optical zoom | 3x optical (30x digital HyperClarity zoom) | 5x optical zoom (up to 25x digital zoom) (wins this row: higher) |
| Stabilization | 6-Axis Gimbal OIS on main + OIS on telephoto | 3D sensor-shift OIS on main and 5x telephoto cameras |
| Video | 8K 24 fps, 4K 30/60 fps with Gimbal Stabilization | 4K at 24/25/30/60/120 fps Dolby Vision HDR, ProRes LOG, Spatial Video |
Front camera
leads 1-0| Selfie camera | 32 MP RGBW sensor, f/2.5 (wins this row: higher) | 24 MP TrueDepth with Center Stage (f/1.9, autofocus) |
|---|---|---|
| Selfie video | 1080p 30 fps | 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR |
Battery & charging
leads 1-0| Capacity | 5,500 mAh (wins this row: higher) | 4,850 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Wired chargingNot on the official sheet | 65 W HyperCharge (100% in 39 min) | Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min (supports 30W+ peak charging) |
| Wireless charging | 15 W Qi wireless | 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2 |
| Reverse wireless | 10 W reverse wired | 4.5W reverse wired charging via USB-C |
| Charger in box | No | No |
Audio
leads 1-0| Speakers | Dual stereo speakers with Dirac Virtuo audio | Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Headphone jack | Yes (3.5 mm Hi-Res audio output) (wins this row: has it) | No |
Connectivity
6 differences| Cellular | 5G (sub-6) | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave in US) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (Apple Pay with Express Cards) |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 (side display/charging) | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort out) |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM | Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray) |
Features
3 differences| Biometrics | In-display fingerprint sensor + Face unlock | Face ID (TrueDepth camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Extra controls | Game Genie gaming overlay toolbar | Action Button, Camera Control button with tactile force sensor |
| Standout features | 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal 3.0, 3.5mm jack, AI Call Translator, AI Transcript | Apple Intelligence, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple N1 wireless chip, Second-gen UWB, Dynamic Island, Satellite Emergency SOS |
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra
Large-screen flagship with 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0, 3.5mm audio jack, and 5500mAh battery.
- Built-in 3.5mm headphone jack with Hi-Res Audio certification
- 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0 for silky video recording
- Massive 5,500 mAh battery with 65W HyperCharge
What you give up
- Software support limited to 2 OS updates and 4 years security
- Telephoto camera performance trails Samsung/Apple in low light
Pick this one if
iPhone 17 Pro Max
6.9-inch flagship iPhone powered by A19 Pro chip, 48MP triple camera system with 5x optical zoom, ProMotion 120Hz, and Apple N1 wireless chip.
- A19 Pro chip with class-leading single-core and GPU compute
- All-48MP triple rear camera array with 5x optical zoom and 24MP Center Stage front camera
- Exceptional battery life up to 35 hours video playback
What you give up
- Premium starting price ($1,199)
- Large 6.9-inch frame requires two hands for most tasks
Best for each use
Photos
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Battery & updates
Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.
Games & video
For games & video, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra ↗ · iPhone 17 Pro Max ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra costs $300 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone 17 Pro Max?
Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Which is better for photos, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra or the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
For photos, buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leads 3 of 5 rankable photos specs; ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra takes 2. Max optical zoom: 5x optical zoom vs 3x optical
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 48 specs tracked here, 34 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.