ASUS has taken their ‘new year resolutions’ a bit too seriously and we are not complaining. The laptop giant has just announced their two slimmest ultrabooks at CES 19, packing some hefty features. Their 2019 lineup includes two beautiful additions to their ZenBook line. The ZenBook S13 and ZenBook 14.
Both ultrabooks are expected to be out in a few months. While little information is available on their pricing, the thing we know for certain is that these notebooks are not a typical case of chunk reduction like most small laptops. ASUS has made sure that the small footprint of the devices does not affect their marks and traits.
Asus ZenBook 14 UX431
The beefier of the two – the ASUS Zenbook 14 UX431 is nonetheless classified as a decent machine. But the Zenbook 14 does take the cake in some aspects. Such as it comes with two additional bass boosters at the bottom, providing a comparatively better and immersive sound. Adding more to this list is an HDMI port and SD card slot along with a USB Type-C port, and a standard USB 2.0 and 3.1 port in the Zenbook 14.
While it might not have the extraordinarily slim form factor of its sibling, what it does have is the latest Whiskey Lake Intel processor. Nicely complimenting this addition is the Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics, up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. One of the few reasons this model is classier by today’s standards is because of its build and chassis.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 packs all this amazing hardware into a slender, Utopia Blue color and the spun metal chassis. The shiny, slim device apart from looking phenomenal- weighs so light you’ll barely feel it. Weighing just under 3.2 pounds and has an 86 percent the screen-to-body ratio.
What’s cool though is the touchpad on the Asus ZenBook 14 doubles as a numpad. It illuminates and makes up for the missing numpad on the keyboard which will be helpful while creating spreadsheets. Moreover, there is a small adjustment where when the notebook is flipped open, the lid slides a little to prop up the keyboard. This Ergolyft hinge creates a more comfortable setting for typing.
MORE: The Best Laptops for Writers with Most Comfortable Keyboard
The Asus ZenBook 14 is expected to be available sometime in early 2019 starting at $749. Which is a relief as the price tag keeps this device from being listed in the expensive range.
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392
Featuring a whopping 97% screen-to-body ratio. the ZenBook S13 is definitely the talk of the town. Smaller, more elegant and more premium than its sibling, this one is ASUS’ new shiny trophy. This laptop has condensed the bezel size to just 2.5mm with an FHD frameless four-sided NanoEdge display. The S13 stands for everything the ZenBook line is known for. Power, with a mix of style and portability. What’s the most impressive part is that the ZenBook S13 was able to meet the demanding MIL-STD 810G military standards of durability. Which says a lot about ASUS’ vision with this machine. That is to create a delicate looking all-purpose PC with the ability to withstand harshest environments.
All I will say is that do not get deceived by the ultra-portability of the ZenBook S13 as its roomy enough to hold an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 discrete graphics card, 1TB of PCIe x4 SSD storage, and the latest 8th Gen Intel Core Whiskey Lake quad-core processor. Asus claims that even with a comparatively smaller chassis than the ZenBook 14, its 50Wh battery will provide up to 15 hours of life. It also sports all the good bits of its sibling as well which is the illuminating touchpad cum numpad and the shiny blue chassis.
I know what you might be thinking. The narrow bezels usually mean a poorly placed camera as there isn’t much you can cram on such a tiny bezel. Well, ASUS has found their way around that dilemma too. Thanks to the additional micro bezel or a notch (call it what you like) at the top of the screen, the camera placement has not been compromised one bit. Besides that, the notch actually helps to open the lid of the laptop.
The Asus ZenBook S13 is expected to be available around the same time as the ZenBook 14. No information about its pricing is shared by ASUS as of yet.
Related stories:
- ASUS Officially Unveils Four New Chromebooks at CES 2019
- ASUS VivoBook F510UA Laptop Review – The Best Value for Money Laptop
- The Best Laptops for Work and Play Under $1000
