This is WAY Better Than I Thought

Summary

In this review of the ASUS Zenbook S14, the presenter highlights its sleek design, durable Ceraluminum finish, and impressive features. The laptop boasts a vibrant 2.8K OLED touchscreen display, solid performance powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, and excellent battery life, lasting over 10 hours on practical use. While the keyboard is bright and the trackpad functional, the speaker quality is noted as a low point. The overall form factor is praised for its portability and lightweight nature, making the Zenbook S14 an appealing choice for users seeking a reliable, high-performance laptop.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The ASUS Zenbook S14 features a durable Ceraluminum finish, making it resistant to wear and tear.
• 💻 The laptop boasts a well-thought-out port selection, including HDMI and Thunderbolt ports, although it could benefit from an extra USB-C port.
• ✨ The keyboard backlighting is notably bright, enhancing usability in low-light conditions.
• 🖱️ The trackpad is large and functional, supporting gestures for brightness and volume adjustments, though a haptic touchpad is preferred.
• 🔊 The bottom-firing speakers are adequate but can sound muted depending on the surface they rest on.
• 🌟 The 2.8K OLED touchscreen runs at 120Hz, offering a vibrant display, but defaults to 60Hz on battery for power saving.
• ⚡ The Intel Core Ultra 7 chip provides impressive power efficiency, excelling in everyday tasks but showing moderate performance in heavy multithreaded applications.
• 🔋 Battery life is exceptional, with estimates reaching up to 16.5 hours under light usage and around 10 hours for typical tasks.
• 📏 The Zenbook S14 is lightweight and compact, ideal for portability without sacrificing performance.
• 👌 Overall, the Zenbook S14 is recommended for users seeking a premium laptop experience, with only minor improvements suggested for speakers and port layout.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the ASUS Zenbook S14 review?

The review highlights the design, performance, and battery life of the ASUS Zenbook S14, emphasizing its suitability as a compact and powerful laptop.

What materials are used in the construction of the Zenbook S14?

The Zenbook S14 features a durable Ceraluminum finish, which helps resist fingerprints and enhances its overall aesthetics.

How does the port selection of the Zenbook S14 compare to other laptops?

The Zenbook S14 offers a good range of ports for a small laptop, including HDMI, Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and a USB-A port, though the reviewer wished for an additional USB-C port on the right side.

What are the notable features of the Zenbook S14's keyboard and trackpad?

The keyboard has bright backlighting, while the trackpad is large and responsive, although the reviewer prefers haptic feedback for an improved user experience.

What is unique about the Zenbook S14's display?

The Zenbook S14 features a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen display that runs at 120 Hz, providing vibrant visuals and smooth performance.

Why does the reviewer mention a default refresh rate of 60 Hz on battery?

The reviewer notes that the myASUS software defaults the refresh rate to 60 Hz when on battery for power-saving purposes, but users can adjust this setting to utilize the full 120 Hz.

How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor impact the Zenbook S14's performance?

The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor delivers strong single-core performance for everyday tasks, although it may lag in multi-threaded applications compared to previous Intel CPUs.

What is the battery life like on the Zenbook S14?

The Zenbook S14 offers impressive battery life, with estimates of up to 16.5 hours during lighter usage and around 10 hours in more practical scenarios.

What improvements does the reviewer suggest for future versions of the Zenbook S14?

The reviewer suggests improving the speaker quality and relocating them for better sound projection, as well as adding an additional USB-C port on the right side.

What is the overall conclusion about the ASUS Zenbook S14?

The ASUS Zenbook S14 is praised as a great laptop due to its portability, performance, and battery efficiency, making it an excellent choice for users looking for a compact and capable device.