Hardware for entertainment
The large 6.8-inch display has 1080p full-HD resolution, which understandably doesn't look as sharp as it does on smaller screens. But in terms of density, the Ultra's display comes in at around 324 pixels per inch. This is still sharp enough to view content without making out individual pixels -- unless you bury your face deep into the display.If you're watching videos, nothing is more annoying than watching your image break up while trying to keep up with a panning video. Luckily for you, Asus has included a 4K TV processor inside the phone. I've seen the demo of this in action and I'm impressed with just how much smoother panning video becomes when it's turned on.
Other entertainment-centric features in the phone include two superloud five-magnet speakers, as well as DTS 7.1 headphone audio which can enhance your movie-watching experience.
Other key specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor
- 4GB RAM, up to 128GB of onboard storage
- 4,600mAh battery
- 23-megapixel rear camera with four-axis OIS
- Three colors: Grey, Silver and Pink
Yay or nay?
Despite the impressive entertainment features built into the phone, my first impression is that the 6.8 monster here is simply too big to comfortably use. Right now, I happily use "smaller" phones from other manufacturers in the range of five inches in screen size. Still, it will be interesting to compare the pros and cons of all of the ZenFone 3 models when the final units come in for review.The ZenFone 3 Ultra will be available in mid-June in Taiwan, Asia Pacific, the EU and China. There's no word on US availability for now. It will cost $479 (converting to around £330, AU$670) for the 4GB RAM, 64GB onboard storage model, with prices increasing for models with more storage.