Asus Zenfone 11 Compact Wishlist: Things we want to see

Asus stuck gold with the Zenfone 8 back in 2021. It was compact, it sported a flagship processor, and it was relatively affordable. Then things got even better with the Zenfone 9. Asus added a cool gimbal-like camera stabilization and even cooler design and materials. The Zenfone 10 added wireless charging for what was one of the most complete compact Android packages on the market. Praised by behemoths such as MKBHD, by the way.

So, instead of a rehashed ROG phone, we would love to see the Zenfone 11 Compact go back to its innovative and compact roots. We want a small footprint and some exotic materials on the back, like faux leather or wood (kudos to Motorola for being brave enough to try this).

The two huge camera rings from the 9 and 10 series should morph into something different, we would love to see something in the style of the LG Velvet.

Asus normally includes a charger in the retail box, as well as a back cover, so there are no complaints on that front.

Moving to the display, we hope for a sub-6-inch panel, just like with the previous generations. A flat 5.9-inch AMOLED should be perfect, and actually, when launching the Zenfone 9 and 10, Asus showed an elaborate study to prove that this was the perfect size. Well, get back to it, then!

We’re into the LTPO era now, and a variable refresh rate is a must, especially on a flagship phone. We know that high refresh rates are Asus’ forte, thanks to the gaming division, so we don’t see any problems getting a 1-144Hz LTPO panel on the Zenfone 11 Compact. And given the fact that the Zenfone 11 Ultra stands in the top 3 of the brightest phones we’ve ever tested, we wish the compact version would retain that, too.

In terms of biometrics, the Zenfone 9 and 10 have the fastest side-mounted fingerprint scanners we’ve ever tested on a phone. We don’t know how Asus did this, but it’s almost surreal, and sometimes it feels like the phone unlocks before your finger touches the scanner. We want that on the Zenfone 11 Compact!