Manufacturer Asus has changed a lot with its popular ZenBook S. The new display is probably the most obvious one. While the company previously relied on a 16:9 display, the new model comes in 3:2. But it is still razor sharp.
Courage to change
Asus has many different notebooks on offer. Among the portable ZenBooks, the ZenBook S is without a doubt one of the best. Here the manufacturer scores with a combination of portability and performance. The latest model offers among other things the strong and efficient Tiger Lake-U from Intel. Asus also equips it with a 13.9 inch display, which comes in a high 3.3K resolution. The crooked resolution is due to the rather untypical format selection of 3:2, where Asus switches from the rather common 16:9 format of the predecessor.
High resolution instead of OLED
The hardware experts from Asus have introduced a lot of new notebooks. Here it became clear that the manufacturer is increasingly focusing on OLEDs. But with the ZenBook S, Asus takes a different path. Unlike the Flip S or the Flip 13 and 15, the ZenBook S does not have an OLED display – not even optional. Here, Asus rather focuses on a pin-sharp image. The 13.9 inch display has a resolution of 3,300 x 2200 pixels. A look at the competition shows that the ZenBook S is not only a little larger but also has a higher resolution than, for example, the Surface Laptop 3 from Microsoft. When it comes to the format, Asus is quite obviously oriented towards Huawei. The MateBook X Pro also uses the 3:2 format, and the ZenBook S should also score points in terms of color fidelity and brightness. Besides a Pantone certification of the panel, the panel also offers very bright 500 nits.
Powerful inner life
Asus relies on powerful components so that the display can be filled with respectable images. But that doesn’t make the ZenBook S a heavyweight. The upcoming notebook weighs a slim 1.35 kg and is not even 16 mm thick. The heart of the portable notebook is the Tiger Lake U-Chip from Intel. In combination with this, Intel’s Xe graphics unit provides the corresponding graphics performance. However, we don’t yet know how many SKUs the ZenBook S will have in detail. When it comes to memory and storage space, you have the choice of various options. In total, there is a choice of up to 16 GB RAM and up to 1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 M.4-SSD memory. In addition, the ZenBook S offers extensive connections. In addition to 2x Thunderbolt 4, the ZenBook S features USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, a microSD card reader and an HDMI port.
The perfect companion
Asus provides the ZenBook S with a battery that offers 67 Wh performance. With this the portable notebook should be able to last up to 11 hours. Frequent users will be pleased with the practical ErgoLift hinge. The ZenBook S’s keyboard is automatically angled when the notebook is opened. In addition, the notebook from Asus enables the use of Windows Help. Thanks to the built-in infrared camera, the ZenBook S can then be unlocked conveniently via face recognition. Of course, the Asus ZenBook S also offers NumberPad 2.0, which turns the trackpad into a number pad.
Prices and availability
Anyone interested in the new generation ZenBook S from Asus will have to be patient until the fourth quarter of 2020. Then the portable Notebook is to come to a UVP starting from 1.999 euro on the market.
