Asus Zenbook S13 OLED: an eye-catching screen
When we talk about the idea of a laptop combining lightness and performance, certain brands spontaneously come to mind, this is particularly the case of Asus which has built a solid reputation thanks to its Zenbook range. The fact remains that the positioning of these devices is quite high with a ticket set at around €1,300 at the start of 2024 for the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED (UM5302) and its Intel Core i7 processor. The question therefore arises as to whether this investment is worth it, or whether it would be more judicious to turn to an alternative.
Design and aesthetics
Positioned at the top of the range, the brand's flagship, the Zenbook S13 OLED stands out first of all for its featherweight of 1 kilogram and a thickness of only 10 millimeters. These characteristics make it an ideal companion for traveling professionals or students, especially since its chassis made from a magnesium and aluminum alloy is quite high quality. Moreover, Asus specifies that it has been tested to meet MIL-STD-810H durability standards. Although this is hardly surprising, Asus demonstrates that it knows how to design a coherent laptop.
The Zenbook S13 OLED benefits from a very nice finish
The lines are taut and the finish used for the external part, slightly grained, is pleasant to the touch. It is also quite resistant to everyday scratches and does not mark fingerprints. Despite its compact size, you don't feel cramped on the keyboard or using the touchpad.
The hinge extends 180° which allows you to adjust the position as desired
In terms of aesthetics, the only notable complaint concerns the bezels around the screen, which are more pronounced than those of some competitors such as the Dell XPS. On the other hand, we must welcome the presence of generous connectivity made up of HDMI, USB-A and USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 4 and even a 3.5 mm jack audio output.
The Zenbook S13 OLED benefits from complete connectivity
Screen: OLED technology makes the difference
One of the Zenbook's special features is its 13.3-inch Lumina OLED screen. It displays a 2.8K resolution (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) and receives a treatment that limits reflections, which is pleasant when using the computer in a bright room or outdoors.
As for OLED technology, it provides virtually infinite contrast (1,000,000:1), as well as vibrant colors and receives HDR certification. As our colleagues at CNET.com point out, the maximum brightness increases to 600 nits when HDR content is broadcast, but you have to make do with 375 nits the rest of the time. Although a higher peak brightness would have been appreciated, this is generally sufficient for most use cases.
The Zenbook S13 OLED skips touchscreen
In any case, this screen is comfortable for working, surfing the internet or viewing multimedia. The colors are certified by Pantone and it also receives certification from TUVRheinland, ensuring low blue light production.
Performance and battery life of the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED
The Zenbook S13 OLED we reviewed is equipped with an Intel Core i7-1355U processor, backed by 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of MVMe PCIe 4.0 storage. This is a typical configuration for a high-end ultrabook, so performance is sufficient for common tasks: word processing, spreadsheets, Power Point presentations. But since there is no dedicated graphics card, you should not hope to carry out complex photo or video editing, nor to play recent titles in good conditions. For example: we ran Age of Empire IV and Counter-Strike 2 with settings reduced to a minimum.
The counterpart of the absence of a graphics card is very convincing autonomy, so it is able to last a whole day away from an outlet. During the video streaming test carried out by our colleagues at CNET.com, the battery lasted 11 hours. Plus, with fast charging technology, it can recover 70% of its battery in about 50 minutes.
Regardless, it is important to emphasize that it demonstrates excellent responsiveness, turning on in a few seconds, and still remains pleasant to use on a daily basis.
Additional Features
The keyboard of the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED is very well designed, the typing is natural, the spacing between the keys is pleasant and the travel is sufficient, despite the great finesse of the computer. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to take screenshots, mute the microphone, and block the camera. One touch also gives access to the MyAsus control center, allowing you to adjust various parameters such as fan speed, audio modes, and screen colorimetry.
A 1080p webcam is also included, the latter includes an IR function with Windows Hello support for facial recognition. On the audio side, Asus relies on a Dolby Atmos system, the result is convincing, without reaching the level of Macbooks.
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