Portability is already a big selling point for most laptops, but Asus wants to take things to the next level.
The company’s new Zenbook S 13 OLED weighs just 1kg, and has a chassis that’s only 10mm thick. Asus says it’s the world’s slimmest laptop with a 13.3in OLED screen.
Crucially, many of the compromises associated with ultraportable devices aren’t an issue here. Ports are the most obvious example, where you get two USB-C, one USB-A, HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Both USB-C ports support Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 technology for fast data transfer. That’s because the S 13 OLED is powered by Intel’s 13th-gen processors – you can choose between Core i5-1335U and Core i7-1355U.
The U Series are by no means the most powerful CPUs, but alongside an Iris Xe integrated GPU and up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, performance should be just fine. If you’re looking for an AMD version, the 2022 model uses Ryzen chips instead.
As you might’ve guessed by now, the Zenbook has an OLED display. It’s a 13.3in panel with a resolution of 2880×1800 pixels and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. You get full DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage, but it isn’t a touchscreen.
Asus
There’s also a 63Wh battery, which Asus says will last for up to 14 hours of usage. Using the 65W charger in the box, it is said to charge from 0-50% in only 30 minutes.
Durability is another potential problem for very thin and light laptops, but the magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis meets the MIL-STD-810 military grade standard. There’s no convertible functionality, which usually puts more stress on the device, again because this laptop does not have a touchscreen.
Perhaps the only real trade-off is the keyboard, which offers significantly less travel than many rivals, an inevitability when you go this thin. But the trackpad is now larger, and there’s still room for a stereo speaker system.
The device runs Windows 11 Home or Pro, but its pricing reflects the premium features. Once the Zenbook S 13 OLED is available at some point in Q2 (April-June), you can expect to pay at least £1,499.99 (around $1870). Pricing and availability in other countries is yet to be confirmed.
Elsewhere, the new Zenbook 14X OLED has the exact same UK starting price and release window. It steps up to 13th-gen Intel H-series CPUs, which combine with a 70Wh battery to power a 14.5in, 120Hz OLED display.
You’ll have to wait until Q3 (July-September) for the Zenbook 15 OLED, although it starts at a more affordable £1,199.99 (around $1500).
Asus
It uses Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs instead, and features a larger 15.6in 120Hz display.
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Author: Anyron Copeman, Senior Staff Writer
As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.