Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) Review:

Design

The dimensions of the new Zenbook S 13 2023 are approximately 296.2 mm in width, 216.3 mm in depth, and 10.9 mm in thickness, with a weight of 1 kilogram. The lid is made of plasma ceramic aluminum created using pure water, giving it a paperlike texture and improved wear resistance, corrosion protection, and hardness. The chassis is made from post-industrial recycled aluminum, contributing to its excellent build quality and environmentally friendly design.

Speakers and Webcam

Speaking about content consumption, let's discuss the speakers. In summary, they are satisfactory but not outstanding. They produce a balanced and rich sound but lack high volume capability, and the high frequencies could be better. Considering the size limitations, they receive a 3.5 out of 5 rating for laptop speakers. The FHD webcam on the Asus Zenbook S 13 is suitable for video conferences and online meetings, but it's not particularly remarkable. However, it does feature IR technology with Windows Hello, allowing you to unlock the laptop with just a glance.

Display

The ultrabook boasts a remarkable display, one of the finest I've encountered. It features a 13.3" 2.8K OLED panel with complete DCI-P3 coverage. Asus refers to this screen as "Lumina OLED," a term denoting top-tier OLED displays with Pantone Validated color rendering, DisplayHDR True Black certification, and Delta E less than 1. Consequently, the colors appear precise, making media viewing a delightful experience.The viewing angles are excellent, and my colleagues repeatedly praised the display's richness. Moreover, it emits 70% less harmful blue light, enhancing eye care and sleep quality. Enjoying movies and animations is particularly delightful due to its deep blacks and vibrant colors. Additionally, the 16:10 aspect ratio is a favorable feature that enhances the overall experience.

Performance

The Zenbook S 13 OLED is equipped with an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU (10C/12T, up to 5GHz) and integrated Intel Xe graphics (96 EU), along with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. However, due to its ultra-portability, its performance is somewhat affected. The 13th Gen Intel Core i7 1355U processor strikes a balance between power and power consumption, but its full potential seems constrained by the compact form factor.

In Cinebench R23, the Zenbook S 13 OLED achieved an average of 1667 points for single-core and 6620 for multi-core performance. Compared to other laptops with the same chip, the scores were slightly lower, and even last year's S 13 with the Ryzen 7 6800U had better multi-core performance.

Despite this limitation, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is still quite usable for light office work, browsing, media editing, and coding. The fans remain quiet in day-to-day tasks, but for more intensive tasks, you can switch to performance mode for better airflow or use the whisper mode for quieter operation.

Battery Life

The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED offers commendable battery life considering its size. It is equipped with a 63 Wh Lithium Battery, which surprised me as it's larger than expected for such a compact laptop. The increased battery size greatly benefits its performance, providing around 4.5 to over 5 hours of battery life on standard power settings at 80% brightness.

Choosing the power efficiency mode can give you a bit more battery life, although not significantly. Acer claims up to 14 hours of local video playback, which represents the upper limit for battery life. Additionally, the laptop charges rapidly, reaching 0-70% in under 50 minutes. However, like most thin and light laptops, it can get uncomfortably warm while charging.

Specifications

- Design & Build:
- Lid: Plasma Ceramic Aluminum
- Chassis: Recycled Aluminium
- Dimensions: 296.2 (W) x 216.3 (D) x 10.9 (H) mm
- Weight: 1 kg
- Display:
- 13.3-inch glossy Lumina OLED panel
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Color Gamut: 100% DCI-P3
- Peak Brightness: 550 nits HDR
- Other Properties:
- VESA-certified Display HDR True Black 500
- SGS Eye Care
- Resolution:
- 2.8K (2880 × 1800 pixels)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:10
- Keyboard:
- Chiclet keys
- ErgoSense hinge
- Trackpad:
- Glass trackpad
- Processor:
- 13th Gen Intel Core Processors
- Intel Core i5-1335U: 10C/12T, max turbo frequency 4.6 GHz, 15W TDP
- Intel Core i7-1355U: 10C/12T, max turbo frequency 5.0 GHz, 15W TDP
- Graphics:
- Intel Iris Xe
- Intel Core i5-1335U: 80 EU at 1.25 GHz.
- Intel Core i7-1355U: 96 EU at 1.3 GHz.
- RAM:
- 16/32GB LPDDR5 (Soldered)
- Storage:
- 1TB NVMe SSD
- Audio:
- Side-firing stereo speaker system
- Smart Amp
- Dolby Atmos
- Connectivity:
- WiFi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.3
- I/O Ports:
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 2x Thunderbolt 4
- 1x combo audio jack
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- Battery:
- 63Wh Li-Ion battery
- Power Supply:
- 65W USB Type-C AC Adapter (20V, 3.25A)
- What’s inside the box:
- Laptop
- Sleeve
- Power adapter
- USB C to C cable
- Quick start guide
- Other documents
- Price in Nepal: NPR 204,444 (Intel i7-1355U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)