ASUS launched the Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) in the Kenyan market in April this year. The laptop is the successor of the Zenbook 12 which was launched some time last year.
At a time when the effects of climate change have started being felt and everyone is being called upon to reduce their carbon footprint. ASUS produced their most eco-friendly yet, apparently, they incorporated post-industrial recycled (PIR) magnesium-aluminum alloy in the keyboard cover, chassis and lid, reducing its carbon footprint by more than 50%. The keycaps and speakers have post-consumer-recycled (PCR) plastics, and the speakers also use ocean-bound plastics. The packaging is also 100% recyclable, with reusable and compostable materials.
I have to say I was fascinated by the laptop and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I spent a couple of days with the machine and here are my thoughts.
Design
The Zenbook S 13 is super thin at 11.6 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches and weighs 1 kg, which I found it to be very comfortable while using on my lap. It comes with a machined aluminum chassis which makes the laptop feel very sturdy. Being that it has an aluminum chassis, it came as a bit of a surprise that one can open the lid with ease.
According to Asus, the laptop has undergone military grade testing to ensure durability, but we wouldn’t advise you to test this aspect.
The lid is made up of a plasma ceramic material which has a matte finish giving the laptop a premium look. When it opens up, it lifts the backside of the base from the ground. This helps in cooling the laptop as well as tilting the keyboard at an 18.7 mm pitch which makes it easier to type.
The Asus Ergo touchpad is wide at 129 x 81 mm and has a smooth glass surface with anti-fingerprint coating that handles swipes and taps well. When it comes to security, the FHD IR camera supports fast and secure face login with Windows Hello.
Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with two Thunderbolt 4 connections which support fast charging, 4K external displays, and up to 40 Gbps data transfer. A single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port and a HDMI 2.1 port which is useful in case you want to use an external display. It also rocks a 3.5mm headphone jack for the audiophiles.
Display
The Zenbook S 13 comes with a 13.3-inch OLED display with 2,880 x 1,800 resolution and a 60Hz Refresh Rate. It also has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a pixel density of 255 ppi. It has a maximum brightness of 550 nits which is adequate for any lighting condition. The screen is also Dolby Vision certified ensuring that it displays clear and vibrant images.
The screen is certified for eye care by TÜV Rheinland and SGS with 70%-lower blue-light emissions. This ensures that your eyes will not get strained during those long working hours behind the keyboard.
Performance
Zenbook S 13 OLED rocks 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. I used the laptop for day-to-day tasks which included streaming videos, playing music, online meetings and opening countless tabs on the browser and I have to say that it performed well and without any lags. When it comes to gaming, the laptop is able to handle games which are not graphic intensive.
Sound
The laptop rocks Harman Kardon speakers which produce high quality sound which is enhanced by a Dolby Atmos system. You will definitely love listening to music or watch movies on this laptop.
Battery Life
The Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with a 63 Wh lithium-polymer battery which was able to take me through the day on moderate usage. It comes with a 65W fast charging adapter and reaches 70% within roughly 45 minutes and got to 100% at about an hour and 15 minutes.
Conclusion
I have to say that I was impressed by the laptop’s sleek design, build quality, OLED screen not to mention the sound. It is a definite buy if you a looking for a super slim laptop with good battery life that definitely gets the job done.