Asus has unveiled the latest generation of its ZenBook 14 OLED
Asus has unveiled the latest generation of its ZenBook 14 OLED, equipped with Intel Core Ultra chips. The design of this new model bears a striking resemblance to the MacBook.
The Asus ZenBook 14 OLED is the company’s first laptop featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra processors. It boasts a sleek and stylish design with an all-metal body. As the name suggests, it features a 14-inch 3K OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and brightness up to 600 nits. Customers can choose from three variants: Intel Core Ultra 5, Intel Core Ultra 7, and Intel Core Ultra 9. The top-tier model offers 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB storage drive.
All models come with integrated Intel Arc graphics. A noteworthy feature is the inclusion of Intel’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU), designed for AI tasks.
Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), and a 3.5mm audio jack, along with Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E support. The laptop is powered by a 75 Wh lithium-polymer battery, which, according to Asus, provides over 15 hours of battery life. It also supports 65W fast charging. The device weighs 1.2 kilograms and has a thickness of 14.9 millimeters, making it 5% more compact than its predecessor.
Additionally, it features a 1080p AiSense webcam with 3D noise reduction technology, a trackpad with NumberPad 2.0, and speakers supporting Dolby Atmos.
The Asus ZenBook 14 OLED is set to go on sale in early 2024. The base model is priced at $1,300.
Adding to this, the Asus ZenBook 14 OLED’s design and features reflect a trend in the laptop market towards high-resolution, high-refresh-rate displays, which are increasingly sought after by both professionals and general users for their superior visual quality. The inclusion of the Intel NPU underscores a growing focus on AI and machine learning capabilities in personal computing devices, potentially offering enhanced performance in tasks like image and video processing, data analytics, and gaming. The combination of advanced connectivity options and a strong battery life positions this laptop as a versatile option for both work and entertainment.
The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED offers a combination of solid build, attractive aesthetics, and an outstanding OLED display. It’s particularly noted for its value, with a starting price of around $700, which is quite competitive for a laptop with a high-res OLED display.
Regarding its specifications, the Zenbook 14 OLED comes in different configurations. The base model, priced at $700, includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 14.0-inch 2.8K OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. There’s also a higher-spec model priced at $870, featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, alongside the same OLED display.
The laptop follows a minimalist design philosophy with sleek lines and subtle logos. It has an all-aluminum alloy chassis, providing a good balance between rigidity and portability. It’s 0.67 inches thick and weighs around 3.06 pounds. The keyboard is noted for its large keycaps and good spacing, offering a comfortable typing experience. The touchpad is also sizable and incorporates Asus’s NumberPad 2.0 technology, which is a hidden LED numeric keypad that appears at the touch of a button.
On the downside, its creative performance is considered somewhat lacking compared to some competitors, and it’s more suited for productivity work rather than intensive creative tasks.
The cooling system has been redesigned, with the exhaust now on the left side, moving hot air away from the display. This change has also led to the repositioning of most IO ports to the right side, including two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, an HDMI port, a micro SD card reader, an audio jack, and status LEDs. There’s also a full-size USB-A port on the left side next to the radiator.
Most ZenBook 14 UX3402 configurations come with a glossy OLED 2.8K panel, available in both touch and non-touch variants. This 10-bit panel offers HDR 500 certification, a 90 Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, 400-nits SDR brightness, and 600 nits peak HDR brightness.
In summary, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is a well-rounded laptop offering a great display and solid build quality at a very competitive price, making it an attractive choice for those looking for a good balance between performance and value.
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