Head to head

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra vs iPhone Air

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra leads 8 to 4 on the 12 rankable specs and costs $100 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lists 224 g (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 158 g (5.57 oz) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lists 6.78 inches (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 6.55 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lists Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists Apple A19 Pro (3 nm) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
RAM: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lists 16 GB LPDDR5X (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 12 GB (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra lists 3x optical (30x digital HyperClarity zoom) (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); iPhone Air lists 2x (sensor crop) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your phone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 8 to 4

Buy the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Leads 8 of 12 rankable overall specs; iPhone Air takes 4.
Size: 6.78 inches vs 6.55 inches
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5X vs 12 GB
It is also $100 cheaper.

Check first: the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra has under 5 years of OS updates. Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

8 ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra12 rankable of 48 specsiPhone Air 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Clear:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · Yes (3.5 mm Hi-Res audio output)Trips:iPhone Air · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No
Under 5 years of OS updatesrow
Security patches stop sooner and resale value falls faster.
Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · 2 major OS updates + 4 years security p…Clear:iPhone Air · 5+ years estimated
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra · NoTrips:iPhone Air · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

6 of 6 differ

Weight

ASUS

224 g

Apple

158 g (5.57 oz)

Size

ASUS

6.78 inches

Apple

6.55 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

2x (sensor crop)

Capacity

ASUS

5,500 mAh

Apple

3,200 mAh

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

ASUS: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Apple: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra$8998 wins

iPhone Air$9994 wins

Body Display Platform Memory Rear camera Front camera Battery & charging Audio Connectivity Features

44 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Dimensions	163.8 × 76.8 × 8.9 mm	156.0 × 74.5 × 5.6 mm
Weight	224 g	158 g (5.57 oz) (wins this row: lower)
Build	Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front, matte glass back, aluminum frame	Titanium-aluminum hybrid frame with Ceramic Shield front and 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	Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, Light Gold
Stylus	No	No

Display

leads 3-1

Display specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Type	LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz for gaming	Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion
Size	6.78 inches (wins this row: higher)	6.55 inches
Resolution	1080 × 2400 (FHD+)	2736 × 1260 (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 (front and back)
Always-on display	Yes	Yes

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
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 ray tracing

Memory

leads 2-0

Memory specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
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 2-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Main	50 MP Sony IMX890, f/1.9, 24 mm, 6-Axis Gimbal OIS 3.0 (wins this row: higher)	48 MP Fusion (f/1.6, 26mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom)
Ultrawide	13 MP, f/2.2, 120° free-form lens	None
Telephoto	32 MP, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom, OIS	None (2x lossless crop via 48MP main)
Max optical zoom	3x optical (30x digital HyperClarity zoom) (wins this row: higher)	2x (sensor crop)
Stabilization	6-Axis Gimbal OIS on main + OIS on telephoto	Sensor-shift OIS on 48MP Fusion camera
Video	8K 24 fps, 4K 30/60 fps with Gimbal Stabilization	4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision HDR, Spatial Video

Front camera

leads 1-0

Front camera specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
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

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Capacity	5,500 mAh (wins this row: higher)	3,200 mAh
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	65 W HyperCharge (100% in 39 min)	Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min
Wireless charging	15 W Qi wireless	25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2
Reverse wireless	10 W reverse wired	4.5W wired reverse charging
Charger in box	No	No

Audio

leads 1-0

Audio specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Speakers	Dual stereo speakers with Dirac Virtuo audio	Stereo acoustic transducers with Spatial Audio
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm Hi-Res audio output) (wins this row: has it)	No

Connectivity

6 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
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)
USB	USB-C 2.0 (side display/charging)	USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
SIM	Dual nano-SIM	Dual eSIM (US model, no physical SIM tray)

Features

3 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra, right column is iPhone Air.
Biometrics	In-display fingerprint sensor + Face unlock	Face ID (TrueDepth camera)
Extra controls	Game Genie gaming overlay toolbar	Action Button, Camera Control button
Standout features	6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal 3.0, 3.5mm jack, AI Call Translator, AI Transcript	Ultra-thin 5.6mm chassis, A19 Pro chip, Apple N1 wireless chip, Camera Control button, Action button, Apple Intelligence

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra source iPhone Air source

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

Full ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra specs →

Pick this one if

iPhone Air

Ultra-thin 5.6mm premium smartphone featuring titanium-aluminum design, 6.55-inch 120Hz ProMotion display, and A19 Pro processor.

Ultra-thin 5.6mm lightweight design (under 160g)
A19 Pro performance and 120Hz ProMotion display
Sleek futuristic minimalist aesthetic

What you give up

Single 48MP rear camera without dedicated ultrawide or telephoto lenses
Smaller battery capacity due to ultra-thin chassis

Full iPhone Air specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

For photos, buy the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs.
Max optical zoom: 3x optical vs 2x
Main: 50 MP Sony IMX890, f/1.9, 24 mm, 6-Axis… vs 48 MP Fusion
It is also $100 cheaper.

Battery & updates

All-day battery, fast top-ups and years of software support

Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.

Wired charging: 65 W HyperCharge vs Fast charging up to 50% in 30 min
Wireless charging: 15 W Qi wireless vs 25W MagSafe / 15W Qi2

Games & video

Games and streaming: chip, refresh rate, brightness, speakers

For games & video, buy the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable games & video specs; iPhone Air takes 1.
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5X vs 12 GB
Size: 6.78 inches vs 6.55 inches
It is also $100 cheaper.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra spec sheet iPhone Air spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra ↗ · iPhone Air ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra or the iPhone Air?

ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra costs $100 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone Air?

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 Air?

For photos, buy the ASUS Zenfone 11 Ultra. Leads 3 of 3 rankable photos specs. Max optical zoom: 3x optical vs 2x

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 36 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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