Between the Zenfone 11 Ultra and iPhone 17 Air, the Zenfone 11 Ultra comes out ahead in wired charging and front camera, while the iPhone 17 Air wins on weight and pixel density. Overall, the Zenfone 11 Ultra scores 71.9 and the iPhone 17 Air scores 60.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Zenfone 11 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.6 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Zenfone 11 Ultra if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are wired charging, front camera, ram, among others.
Pick the iPhone 17 Air if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are weight, pixel density, promised os updates.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, water resistance, optical image stabilization, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Zenfone 11 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra wins
- ▲Wired charging — 225.00% more. 65 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 89.66% more. 5500 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
- ▲Refresh rate — 20.00% more. 144 Hz vs 120 Hz.
- ▲AnTuTu — 5.61% more. 2070000 vs 1960000.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲Screen size — 2.73% more. 6.78 " vs 6.6 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Air wins
- ▲Weight — 78.00 g less. 146 vs 224.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.56% more. 460 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 2).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 224 g | 146 glead |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 5.6 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.78 "lead | 6.6 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 388 ppi | 460 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 144 Hzlead | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2500 nitslead | 2200 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 32 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5500 mAhlead | 2900 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | ASUS - Zenfone 11 Ultra | Apple - iPhone 17 Air |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | iOSlead |
| Promised OS updates | 2 years | 6 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Zenfone 11 Ultra has 89.7% more battery — 5500 mAh vs 2900 mAh.
Which is lighter, Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
iPhone 17 Air is 78g lighter — 224g vs 146g.
Is Zenfone 11 Ultra waterproof?+
Zenfone 11 Ultra has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 17 Air support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 17 Air supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Zenfone 11 Ultra offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Zenfone 11 Ultra or iPhone 17 Air?+
Zenfone 11 Ultra has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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