Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra will join ROG Phone 8 series in 2024 release

A seismic shift in terms of Asus smartphone tech and design is on the way - according to the Bluetooth SIG, at least. It has approved the OEM's latest crop of flagships to be among the first to rock the new 5.4 standard, thereby possibly helping them stay relevant in the 2024 mobile device space.

Unsurprisingly, the handsets in question include the ROG Phone 8 and 8 Pro, both of which will look to defend their reputation for benchmark-smashing hardware next year. Oddly, both product names conform to basically the same ASUS_AI2401 model number in their new certification, only differing in terms of variation after an extra underscore.

To that end, the ROG Phone 8 is the ASUS_AI2401_D or _E whereas the 8 Pro is the ASUS_AI2401_F - then again, not even this vague naming scheme applies all the time, as the ASUS_AI2401_A and _C are somehow both the 8 and 8 Pro at the same time. 

That simple situation made unnecessarily complicated might hint at different SKUs in terms of RAM or storage. Furthermore, its final and most intriguing twist comes in the form of the fact that there is also an ASUS_AI2401_H, and that it is the Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Asus' sudden acquiescence to the ultimate premium smartphone naming trend might be welcome news to some, particularly those who worried that there would be no new Zenfone in 2024 at all. Then again, the 11 going Ultra might also hint at a loss of DNA inherited from its forebears: namely, its increasingly rare compact form-factor.

Then again, the new name might imply scope for a range of possibilities, from straightforward spec upgrades to the return of other, even more obscure, ZenFone genes, the motorized rear cameras of yesteryear included, perhaps.

Grab a Zenfone 10 on Amazon