January 18, 2026

Web and Technology News

ASUS’s Zenfone 12 Ultra leans heavily into AI

The Zenfone 12 Ultra, announced today, is ASUS's latest flagship smartphone, and much like its competitors, it leans hard into AI.

Thanks to a Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Zenfone 12 Ultra can perform AI tasks offline and online through the cloud, including transcribing audio, summarizing articles and documents and providing real-time interpretation on calls for supported languages. It can also use Circle to Search much like other Android phones. The onboard AI is powered by Meta’s Llama 3 8B language model, which works without an internet connection.

The Zenfone 12 Ultra’s FHD+ AMOLED display measures 6.78 inches and has a standard refresh rate of up to 120Hz under normal operation, and up to 144Hz while gaming. A rear tri-camera system handles photo and video and consists of a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 700 sensor with a six-axis gimbal stabilizer, a 32MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens with a field of view of 120 degrees. There’s also a 32MP RGBW front camera for selfies. AI software enhancements can ensure people or pets stay at the center of videos, and can apply bokeh effects to portraits and enhance voice clarity while recording videos.

A standout with this new Zenfone is its 5,500mAh battery, which promises more than 26 hours of use. It's also Qi 1.3 compatible. Additionally, the smartphone supports eSIMs, making connecting to the internet effortless. WiFi 7 support will let users take advantage of high-speed networks if available.

The Zenfone 12 Ultra retails for €1,099.99, and there's a limited-time launch offer of €999.99 in Europe from February 6 to 28. It comes in three colorways: Sage Green, Ebony Black and Sakura White. US and UK launch dates haven’t been announced yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/asuss-zenfone-12-ultra-leans-heavily-into-ai-063040420.html?src=rss
Previous Article

European companies less willing to invest in IT than US firms

Next Article

European VC firm Emblem raises $85 million for its initial fund

You might be interested in …

Lyft brings shared rides back to more cities, including San Francisco

Lyft is slowly but surely bringing back shared rides in more cities. Users in San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Las Vegas and Atlanta will once more be able to take shared rides.

That option was suspended soon after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020. Lyft started offering shared rides again last summer in select cities such as Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia. The company plans to bring the feature back to more markets in the coming months.

Users can save money by taking a shared ride, since they’ll be splitting the cost with someone else. Ride requests are currently limited to one person. These rides will have a maximum of two passengers, though one can sit in the front if the driver’s okay with it. 

The company also says that drivers can opt out of shared rides without penalty through 2022. Last month, Lyft dropped its requirement for drivers and passengers to wear masks, which are now optional for shared rides too (depending on local rules).

Lyft’s recovery from the pandemic has been slower than rival Uber’s, and greater availability of shared rides could provide a boost to business. This week, the company said it would need to spend more on incentives to entice drivers back to its platform.

The Stop Killing Games initiative has hit a major milestone, but the fight’s just begun

A petition to preserve video game access recently achieved an important milestone of one million signatures, but it has two more challenges to overcome before reaching the final level. The “Stop Killing Games” movement reached a million votes earlier t…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *