The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra has been officially announced, bringing with it a mix of high-end hardware, AI-powered features, and a strong focus on sustainability.
Following last year’s Zenfone 11 Ultra, Asus is once again betting on a large and powerful flagship phone, meaning there’s no sign of a compact successor to 2023’s Zenfone 10.
However, with a premium design, powerful chipset, and advanced AI-driven camera system, it’s set to compete with the very best phones you can buy.
Here’s everything you need to know about its release date, price, and specifications.
When will the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra be released?
Asus unveiled the Zenfone 12 Ultra on 6 February 2025.
The company hasn’t yet revealed when it’ll go on sale in the UK and Europe. But with a launch offer extending from 6-28 February, it’s likely to begin shipping by the end of that period at the latest.
Unfortunately, this launch doesn’t include the US. The company confirmed that there’s no availability date for the US “at this moment”, but the Zenfone 11 Ultra did make it stateside, so we’re optimistic its successor will arrive at some point.
Asus
As was the case in 2024, there’s no sign of a regular Zenfone 12. In response to a query from Tech Advisor, the Asus team said they “do not have any specific comments to make around a compact Zenfone 12”.
While not confirmed, there’s a very real chance that the Zenfone 10 was Asus’ last truly compact phone.
How much will the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra cost?
The Zenfone 12 Ultra in the 16/512GB variant will be available from €1,099.99 (approx. £914/$1,129.99) with a limited-time launch offer from 6 to 28 February for €999.99 (approx. £832.14/$1,033.89) in Europe.
However, pricing for the UK and US is yet to be confirmed, and those converted figures are unlikely to be accurate.
What specs and features will the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra have?
The Zenfone 12 Ultra is packed with powerful hardware and intelligent software, making it a compelling choice for users looking for both performance and innovation.
Design
The phone features a matt glass finish, narrow bezels, and rounded corners, giving it a sleek and premium look.
With IP68 water and dust resistance, the Zenfone 12 Ultra should handle accidental spills and unexpected weather conditions.
Asus has also taken a sustainable approach by using a 100% recycled aluminium frame, a 22%-recycled-glass screen, and eco-friendly packaging certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The phone is available in Sage Green, Ebony Black, and Sakura White colours, as shown above.
Display
The Zenfone 12 Ultra boasts a 6.78-inch Full HD+ Flexible AMOLED display, with a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels.
The LTPO panel allows for a dynamic refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, optimising battery life while keeping interactions smooth.
For gaming, the refresh rate can be boosted up to 144Hz, ensuring an even more responsive experience.
Performance
Under the hood, the Zenfone 12 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, Qualcomm’s latest and greatest. This should ensure top-tier performance for demanding applications, gaming, and AI-powered tasks.
The device supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, though it’s not clear how much you’ll get on the cheapest model.
Additionally, with Wi-Fi 7 readiness and dual physical SIM support (in addition to eSIM), connectivity should be future-proofed for years to come.
Cameras
The Zenfone 12 Ultra’s main camera is a 50Mp sensor from Sony (Lytia 700) with an updated gimbal stabiliser for steadier shots.
Alongside it, there’s a 13Mp ultrawide camera with a 120° field of view and a free-form lens that’s designed to reduce distortion.
A 32Mp telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom and optical image stabilisation rounds out the setup.
On the front, the device has a 32Mp sensor for selfies.
AI-powered camera features such as AI Tracking, AI Portrait Video 2.0, and AI Voice Clarity enhance both photography and videography.
Additional tools like AI Magic Fill, AI Unblur, and AI Panning Shot give users greater creative control over their images.
Battery & Charging
Powering the Zenfone 12 Ultra is a 5,500mAh battery, which Asus claims can get you over 26 hours of usage on a single charge.
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It supports 65W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging, though the latter is Qi 1.3 and not the latest Qi 2 standard.
Software
The Zenfone 12 Ultra runs Android 15 out of the box, with Asus typically keeping its own additions to the bare minimum.
The main extras come in the form of AI features, including AI Transcript 2.0 for meeting summaries, AI Article Summary for condensing web pages, and AI Document Summary for quickly extracting key information from PDFs and Word files.
Asus
Elsewhere, AI Call Translator 2.0 provides real-time translations for phone calls, while Google’s Circle to Search feature allows users to quickly look up information by circling content on the screen.
A key highlight is the inclusion of the Meta Llama 3 8B language model for on-device summarisation, ensuring most AI functions work smoothly even without an internet connection. Asus’ AI tools can operate both on-device and in the cloud, giving users flexibility depending on their needs.
In terms of updates, the company has confirmed that the Zenfone 12 Ultra will be getting “at least 2 major updates and 5 years security updates”. That’s a little behind the premium competition, with Android 17 likely to be the last major version this phone gets.
Look out for our full review of the Zenfone 12 Ultra soon. In the meantime, see our guide to the best phones you can buy right now, plus the best upcoming phones coming later this year.
