Asus makes some of the best Windows laptops and the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED(2023) is one of my favourite from the company and I used it for a good amount of time. This the latest version in its Ultrabook lineup in the country and the Zenbook S13 OLED nails it in the head both in looks and performance.
UNBOXING
Asus went with the eco-friendly way not just with the laptops manufacturing process but also the packaging. The box that the laptop comes with is FSC mix certified which means it’s made from materials taken from sustainably managed forests.
Besides the laptop, you get a 65W Type-C charger and documentation including user guide and warranty.
DESIGN
The ZenBook S13 OLED sports a ceramic aluminum design for the lid and magnesium aluminum alloy for the chassis and keyboard cover.
The unique papery stone back texture is also resistant to fingerprint smudges which I really loved. The laptop comes in two colours: Ponder Blue and Basalt Grey.
It is lighter than its predecessor from last year weighing at less than a Kilogram(997g). The version from 2022 weighed in at 1.1Kg. Its super light which is perfect for the on-go use and you’ll even forget that you’ve stashed it in your backpack. I had to keep checking if I still had it on me each time I was out and about.
I really liked the laptop’s sturdy build and slim profile – coming at less than half an inch thick(0.43″), the ZenBook S 13 OLED is probably one of the most compact Ultrabooks in the world.
It’s worth noting that you can tilt the back to 180 degrees thanks to the ErgoLift hinge. The hinge also allows for better air circulation and raises the keyboard for comfortable typing.
It was delightful to use the backlit chiclet keyboard. The keys were comfortable to type on as well. Below is ASUS ErgoSense touchpad featuring anti-fingerprint coating for ease of use. It also supports precision gestures.
The microphone, camera and Caps lock keys all have indicator lights.
The laptop comes with really slim bezels.
The display is a 13 inch 16:10 OLED screen at the front coming at a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels and brightness peaking at 550 nits.
The screen is one of my favourite features of the laptop for consuming content. It’s bright with rich vibrant colours, crisp details and excellent contrast.
This is ASUS Lumina OLED display featuring Dolby Vision. Creators who love colour accurate screens will be pleased to know that the screen is Pantone Validated for color accuracy and is also VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified.
The display has 100% DCI-P3 and sRGB color reproduction.
The screen has a Delta E <1 which means better color accuracy. A lower figures shows greater accuracy so you know you are getting a top-of-the-line multimedia machine.
The ZenBook S 13 OLED sports two Harman Kardon built in speakers certified with Dolby Atmos. They’re great speakers when listening to music or watching movies.
The top bezel sports Asus AiSense 1080p webcam with with ambient light and color sensor. This is an IR camera (3DNR Camera) featuring AI-powered visual effects and noise-cancellation with Windows Hello support for ultra fast face login. You get various webcam effects like eye tracking, background bkurring and lighting optimization. Zoom calls were bright and audible(thanks to the two-way AI noise cancellation) which comes in clutch in this era of remote work.
Asus doesn’t compromise on ports as seen on other Ultrabooks as you get a headphone jack, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4(one to connect to a 4K monitor and the other a 65W charging port) and a HDMI 2.1 port.
PERFORMANCE
Powering the Asus ZenBook S13 OLED is 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor(i7-1355U) paired with 16GB RAM of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD.
This is an Intel Evo certified laptop which means instant wake(less than a second), really fast internet and connectivity speeds(WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and Thunderbolt 4 ports), fast charging and all day battery life(unplugged) which we’ll talk about below.
The laptop being on Intel’s Evo platform means that the laptop is perfect for users out and about thanks to it’s reliable all day battery life and solid performance. So the target demographic is students, office workers, content creators and anyone who wants a slim and powerful laptop.
Performance absolutely flies with this laptop. It handled most of my demanding workloads. Browsin on multiple tabs, streaming music, watching the latest Neflix titles, Zoom calls, photo and video editing and light gaming.
The 16:10 aspect ratio gives the screen enough room for multitasking.
Benchmark performance puts it close to the M2 MacBook Air and the Asus ZenBook S13 OLED is the perfect Windows alternative.
The laptop is the daily work driver to pick – it’s portable and fast and when you’re just want to relax, it takes the role of an excellent machine to consume multimedia content on.
Asus ZenBook S13 OLED(2023) ships with Windows 11 Pro and other apps including myASUS app which helps with customization and performance with features like System diagnosis, Battery health charging, Fan Profile, Live update, ASUS OLED Care, AI Noise Canceling and more.
My one gripe is that fans could get noticeable loud when you taxed the laptop with heavy video editing and playing heavy triple A games such as God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2.
You can head to the myAsus app and opt for Whisper Mode profile which keeps the fans really silent but performance takes a hit.
If you’re into high end gaming and more intense video editing, you’ll need to look as Asus’ other laptops such as the Vivobook Pro 16X OLED or the Zephyrus G14.
Battery Life
The Asus ZenBook S13 OLED comes with a 63Wh battery. A 65W Type-C adapter is provided in the box(Input: 100–240V AC, 50 / 60Hz universal; Output: 20V DC, 100W).
It’s worth noting that you can charge the laptop using other Type-C chargers and even a portable battery.
Fast Type-C charging tops up the laptop to 50% from empty in 30 minutes. To get to 70% from dead will need to 49 minutes.
So if you’re always in a rush like me and sometimes need a quick top up before heading out then you’ll love the Asus ZenBook S13 OLED.
The battery life is really great especially when you’re not near a plug as I was getting betwen 6 and 7 hours and I was pushing it to its limits. Moderate and light use will probably give you up to 9 hours.
VERDICT
Asus laptops always leave me impressed and the ZenBook S13 OLED exceptional features delivered just that and some more. It’s a snappy performer, last longs unplugged and charges really fast, brilliant display, speakers that sound really good, great keyboard and touchpad, sleek and compact look, and a more than reliable webcam.
The laptop is a significant step up for anyone looking to upgrade to an ultrapprtpable powerhouse like the ZenBook S13 OLED.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Asus ZenBook S13 OLED(2023) goes for Ksh 189,990.
It is available for pre-order at Laptop Clinic branches from 1st of July. You can contact the sales team here(0728071639).
