Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip
MSRP $1,500.00
“The Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip places an OLED show in a well-built, superlight 2-in-1.”
Professionals
- Skinny and light-weight
- Wonderful construct high quality
- Strong productiveness efficiency
- Good battery life
- Nice keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- Barely costly
- Touchpad buttons are too stiff
The “world’s lightest 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED convertible laptop computer.” That’s how Asus describes the ZenBook S 13 Flip, and if that seems like a stretch to you, you’re not alone.
However setting apart the oddly particular accolades, the ZenBook S 13 Flip is a very gentle OLED laptop computer, coming in at simply 2.43 kilos. There’s little question this convertible 2-in-1 is extra snug to make use of with a pen than some heavier rivals, and it’s a stable providing throughout. You’ll pay for the privilege, but when it’s in your value vary, the $1,500 ZenBook S 13 Flip is straightforward to advocate.
Specs
Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip UP5302 | |
Dimensions | 11.67 inches x 8.26 inches x 0.59 inches |
Weight | 2.43 kilos |
Processor | Intel Core i5-1240P Intel Core i7-1260P |
Graphics | Intel Iris Xe |
RAM | 8GB – 32GB LPDDR5 |
Show | 13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED |
Storage | 512GB – 1TB PCIe 4 SSD |
Contact | Sure |
Ports | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x microSD card reader |
Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 |
Webcam | 1080p with infrared digital camera for Home windows 11 Howdy |
Working system | Home windows 11 |
Battery | 67 watt-hour |
Value | $1,500 |
Value and configurations
The ZenBook S 13 Flip is a brand new mannequin and isn’t but obtainable on the market. When it’s, there can be only one configuration obtainable within the U.S. that may value $1,500 for a Core i7-1260P, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The specs listing extra choices, however these can be obtainable exterior the U.S., leaving this configuration as the only — and solidly premium — possibility.
Gentle, however surprisingly sturdy
As I discussed in my evaluation of the LG UltraPC 17, an extremely gentle and skinny laptop computer with a really bendable lid and chassis, utilizing magnesium alloy to create a featherweight machine usually leads to a much less inflexible body. The ZenBook S 13 Flip one way or the other avoids that compromise, utilizing magnesium to nice impact whereas nonetheless boasting a lid and chassis that resist bending and flexing. The lid additionally opens with one hand, an actual achievement for the hinge design given the light-weight bas. The ZenBook S 13 Flip can also be snug to make use of in all 4 modes — clamshell, tent, media, and pill.
The low weight issues most in pill mode, the place the ZenBook is less complicated to carry for inking than heavier convertible 2-in-1s just like the HP Spectre x360 13.5 (3.01 kilos) and Envy x360 13 (2.95 kilos). That half a pound might not seem to be a lot, however it makes a significant distinction in observe. Asus additionally put some effort into making an excellent lively Pen, with the Asus Pen 2.0 providing USB-C charging, 4,096 ranges of strain sensitivity, a quick 266Hz sampling price, and fewer than 32ms of latency. It doesn’t have the haptic suggestions constructed into Microsoft’s Floor Slim Pen 2 when used with the Floor Professional 9, nor does it profit from that pill’s 120Hz show refresh price, however it’s nonetheless higher than most.
Aesthetically, the ZenBook S 13 Flip is a departure from previous designs. There are not any concentric swirls on the lid, for instance, which have been as soon as iconic to the ZenBook lineup. As an alternative, the lid is matte blue, matching the remainder of the chassis, with simply the brand new Star Trek-like ZenBook brand adorning the lid. The laptop computer’s strains are straight and minimalist, affording a extra standard design than the Spectre x360 13.5 with its gem-cut aesthetic.
Along with being very gentle, the ZenBook S 13 Flip within reason sized due to small bezels on the edges and on high, in addition to a backside chin that’s not too chunky for a 2-in-1. It’s barely smaller in width and depth than the Envy x360 13, whereas being thinner at 0.59 inches in comparison with 0.63 inches. Asus did an excellent job of minimizing the laptop computer’s dimension whereas retaining a big touchpad and full-size keyboard.
Talking of the keyboard, the keycaps are massive with nice spacing, and the switches are gentle and snappy. There’s sufficient suggestions to make sure a exact response, though the contact could be a bit too gentle for some individuals. It’s an excellent keyboard, however not fairly as much as the requirements of the HP Spectre and Dell XPS strains. The touchpad is massive and has quiet buttons with stable clicks — in truth, the buttons are too stable and require an excessive amount of drive to depress. Asus included its NumberPad 2.0 LED numeric keypad that ought to be welcome to anybody who enters numerous numbers, however it’s simple sufficient to disregard.
Connectivity is restricted, unsurprisingly. It’s all USB-C with and with out Thunderbolt 4, however the 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card reader are welcome provided that some laptop computer makers (Dell, I’m you) are dropping them. Wi-fi connectivity is updated.
Lastly, the ZenBook S 13 Flip incorporates a 1080p webcam, which is changing into extra widespread recently. There’s an infrared digital camera for Home windows 11 Howdy passwordless login through facial recognition, and it labored reliably throughout my testing. A fingerprint reader is embedded within the energy button for individuals who choose that technique.
Gentle, however quick and long-lasting
The ZenBook S 13 Flip makes use of a 28-watt Intel Core i7-1260p with 12 cores (4 Efficiency and eight Environment friendly) and 16 threads, which is near the higher vary for Intel’s skinny and light-weight laptop computer chips. It’s a quick CPU that has achieved nicely in our CPU-intensive benchmark suite and guarantees wonderful productiveness efficiency.
The ZenBook S 13 Flip was particularly quick when the laptop computer’s thermal tuning utility was set in efficiency mode. There was some thermal throttling, as anticipated, besides, the ZenBook was a quick member of its class. It was faster than Intel 9-watt and 15-watt processors with fewer cores and threads, which is sensible, and it competed nicely in opposition to the marginally faster-clocked Core i7-1280P. The Apple MacBook Air M2 couldn’t fairly sustain, however the M2 has optimizations constructed into the GPU that make it faster at sure artistic purposes than the Intel Iris Xe graphics within the ZenBook S 13 Flip.
The web result’s a speedy little laptop computer that may excel at demanding productiveness duties. The built-in graphics will maintain it again, although, in artistic purposes and gaming.
Geekbench (single / multi) |
Handbrake (seconds) |
Cinebench R23 (single / multi) |
PCMark 10 Full |
|
Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip (Core i7-1260P) |
Bal: 1,602 / 8,559 Perf: 1,639 / 8,923 |
Bal: 132 Perf: 117 |
Bal: 1,583 / 7,595 Perf: 1,614 / 9,220 |
5,548 |
HP Envy x360 13 2022 (Core i7-1250U) |
Bal: 1,435 / 7,285 Perf: 1,460 / 7,288 |
Bal: 136 Perf: 138 |
Bal: 1,504 / 7,436 Perf: 1,504 / 7,441 |
4,907 |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 (Core i7-1255U) |
Bal: 1,566 / 7,314 Perf: 1,593 / 7921 |
Bal: 169 Perf: 120 |
Bal: 1,623 / 5,823 Perf: 1,691 / 7,832 |
5,203 |
Floor Professional 9 (Core i7-1255U) |
Bal: 1170 / 6518 Perf: 1,598 / 8,165 |
Bal: 166 Perf: 127 |
Bal: 1124 / 7537 Perf: N/A |
4,045 |
Apple MacBook Air M2 (M2) |
Bal: 1,925 / 8,973 Perf: N/A |
Bal: 151 Perf: N/A |
Bal: 1,600 / 7,938 Perf: N/A |
N/A |
Dell XPS 13 Plus (Core i7-1280P) |
Bal: 1,316 / 8,207 Perf: N/A |
Bal: 170 Perf: 94 |
Bal: 1,311 / 6,308 Perf: 1,650 / 7,530 |
4,309 |
Battery life is one thing that always will get compromised in very skinny and light-weight laptops, however the ZenBook S 13 Flip manages to pack 67 watt-hours of battery inside its tiny chassis. That’s loads for a 13-inch laptop computer, and so it competed strongly in opposition to laptops with lower-power Intel CPUs. It’s doable to squeeze out a full day’s battery life in the event you preserve CPU utilization at an affordable stage. The MacBook Air M2 confirmed off the ARM processor’s effectivity and noticed a lot better battery life.
Net searching | Video | PCMark 10 Purposes | |
Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip (Core i7-1260P) |
8 hours, 38 minutes | 13 hours, 16 minutes | 11 hours, 18 minutes |
HP Envy x36 13 2022 (Core i7-1250U) |
9 hours, half-hour | 14 hours, 34 minutes | 12 hours, 48 minutes |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 (Core i7-1255U) |
9 hours, 58 minutes | 13 hours, 59 minutes | 10 hours, 52 minutes |
Apple MacBook Air M2 (Apple M2) |
17 hours, 59 minutes | 21 hours, 9 minutes | N/A |
Dell XPS 13 Plus (Core i7-1280P) |
8 hours, 0 minutes | 9 hours, 20 minutes | 6 hours, 52 minutes |
OLED shines once more
Asus has been as fast as anybody at sticking OLED shows into a wide range of laptops. The ZenBook S 13 Flip is the newest instance, and as at all times, its 13.3-inch 16:10 2,880 x 1,800 OLED panel was spectacular out of the field.
In keeping with my colorimeter, this isn’t the best possible OLED panel we’ve seen. Its brightness, whereas nice, is lower than among the competitors, and its distinction doesn’t lead the OLED pack. Its coloration width was wonderful, although, and its accuracy simply missed that mark. However these are quibbles. In comparison with IPS shows, the ZenBook S 13 Flip’s panel is extremely colourful with deep distinction and inky blacks. It’s wonderful for productiveness use, media consumption, and photograph and video proofing, however not modifying.
Brightness (nits) |
Distinction | sRGB gamut | AdobeRGB gamut | Accuracy DeltaE (decrease is healthier) |
|
Asus ZenBook S 13 Flip (OLED) |
337 | 23,590:1 | 100% | 97% | 1.02 |
HP Spectre x360 13.5 (OLED) |
380 | 28,230:1 | 100% | 97% | 0.61 |
HP Envy x360 13 (OLED) |
391 | 29,420:1 | 100% | 98% | 0.72 |
Microsoft Floor Professional 9 (IPS) |
409 | 1,050:1 | 99% | 80% | 1.24 |
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (IPS) |
480 | 1,840:1 | 99% | 78% | 0.8 |
Audio efficiency is okay due to twin downward-firing audio system with Harmon Kardon tuning. It doesn’t reside as much as the MacBook Air M2’s higher-quality sound, however it’s nice for typical use. Listening to music and bingeing Netflix will profit from an excellent pair of headphones.
A viable skinny and light-weight convertible 2-in-1 possibility
The Zenbook S 13 Flip has some sturdy competitors as a convertible 2-in-1, significantly when matched up in opposition to the marginally costlier HP Spectre x360 13.5 and cheaper HP Envy x360 13. But it surely hangs tight, offering wonderful efficiency and robust battery life to go together with its skinny and light-weight chassis. I’d go together with one in every of HP’s choices on this product class, particularly with how inexpensive the HP Envy x360 13 is correct now.
I wouldn’t blame you for choosing the ZenBook S 13 Flip both, although, particularly given how gentle the chassis is when utilizing it in its completely different modes.
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