Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2024)

3.5

Overall

3.5/5

The Good Stuff

Solid build
Thin & lightweight
Impressive OLED display
Good battery life
Comfortable keyboard

The Bad Stuff

Expensive
Performance not great

asus zenbook s 13 review

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2024)

“the Zenbook S 13 OLED is a decent laptop currently”

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Table of Contents

Overview

The rise of AI is changing laptops! AI PCs with special processors for AI tasks are the future, and the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED is an early example. It’s a great laptop overall, but next-gen AI laptops with even more powerful processors and features like Copilot+ are on the way. So, the Zenbook might be good, but hold off if cutting-edge AI integration is important to you.

The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED currently comes in one configuration. You get a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of RAM, a spacious 1TB SSD, and a beautiful 13.3-inch OLED display. While it’s a premium laptop, the current discount makes it a decent value compared to competitors like the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Air with similar specs.

However, keep in mind that this might be a temporary deal. As more laptops with next-generation chipsets and AI features (like Copilot+) hit the market, prices for the Zenbook S 13 OLED are likely to drop further. So, if you find a great deal and the performance meets your needs, the Zenbook S 13 OLED could be a solid and affordable option.

asus zenbook s 13 review — Image source: Asus

Super Slim and Lightweight

The Zenbook S 13 OLED is a champion of thinness, measuring just 0.46 inches at its thickest point. That makes it even slimmer than the MacBook Air and significantly thinner than the XPS 13. It’s also incredibly lightweight at 2.2 pounds (998 grams), making it a great choice for portability. This feat is likely due to its “plasma ceramic aluminum” construction, which keeps things light and strong.

While the Zenbook feels solid overall, it doesn’t quite match the dense, premium feel of the MacBook Air or XPS 13. The design itself isn’t as eye-catching as its competitors – it’s a dark gray with a darker keyboard and a patterned lid. The bezels are also thicker than the XPS 13, especially on the bottom, and they’re made of plastic instead of sleek glass. These bezels are the one design feature that detracts from the overall premium look.

The Zenbook S 13 OLED boasts a great keyboard with spacious keycaps, comfortable layout, and satisfying key travel. The unique feature is the angled keyboard design for improved comfort and airflow. The touchpad is large and responsive, but its clickers are a bit loud.

Overall, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is really slim, lightweight and easy to carry. The keyboard feels comfortable to type. However, this one will not win any innovative design prizes yet it’s a good laptop to use.

Specs

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2024)

Display	13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 60Hz
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
Graphics	Intel Arc
Memory	16GB/32GB RAM
O/S	Windows 11
Storage	1TB/2TB SSD
Ports	1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm headphone/mic jack
Other	1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 2.2 lbs (998g), 63 watt battery

Stunning Display, But Low Refresh Rate

The Zenbook S 13 OLED shines with a gorgeous 13.3-inch, 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED display. This translates to sharp images with vibrant colors and deep, inky blacks – perfect for productivity, creative work, or watching movies. Measurements confirm its excellence: exceptional brightness, wide and accurate colors, and an impressive contrast ratio.

While this display surpasses the MacBook Air 13’s IPS panel, it falls slightly short of the XPS 13’s OLED display in terms of peak brightness. The biggest drawback compared to some competitors is the 60Hz refresh rate, which feels dated as smoother 120Hz displays become more commonplace. In short, stunning OLED display overall but the 60 Hz refresh rate makes it feel dated.

Decent Performance

The Zenbook S 13 OLED utilizes a 15-watt Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor, prioritizing efficiency over raw power. This chip features 12 cores (including performance, efficient, and low power efficient cores) and 14 threads, which is less than the more common 28-watt Core Ultra 7 155H.

While the Zenbook edged out the HP Envy x360 14 (2024) with the same CPU in our benchmarks, it fell behind the XPS 13 in terms of performance. This means it tackles everyday tasks with ease, but struggles with demanding multi-core workloads. The integrated Intel Arc graphics perform similarly to the faster Core Ultra 7 version, but overall graphics capabilities are limited. The Zenbook isn’t ideal for creative work or gaming.

Considering even faster chipsets are on the horizon, the Zenbook S 13 OLED might need a significant price drop to stay competitive as older stock needs to be cleared.

Good Battery Life, But Not Groundbreaking

The Zenbook S 13 OLED prioritizes efficiency with its 15-watt Intel Meteor Lake chipset. It packs a decent 63Wh battery, larger than the Dell XPS 13’s 55Wh offering. However, the high-resolution OLED display counteracts some of this efficiency gain.

Our tests showed the Zenbook lasting 8.75 hours while browsing the web, 12.5 hours from looping videos, and a solid 13.5 hours in a simulated productivity workload. This handily beats the XPS 13 in all these categories.

The downside? It’s still not exceptional battery life compared to some competitors. New Windows on ARM laptops with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processors boast significantly longer runtimes, and the MacBook Air 13 also outlasts the Zenbook. In short, the efficiency benefits of the lower-powered chipset don’t fully translate to stellar battery life.

Image source: Asus

Verdict

In a normal world, the Zenbook S 13 OLED would be a strong contender. However, its slightly high price tag, coupled with just average battery life and performance, make it less attractive.

The bigger issue? A wave of new laptops is on the way. Microsoft’s Copilot+ initiative promises highly efficient Windows machines with next-generation processors from Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD. These advancements will likely deliver superior performance, especially for AI tasks, and even better battery life. Plus, the upcoming Zenbook S 14 boasts a gorgeous redesign and support for these new chips.

While the Zenbook S 13 OLED is a decent laptop currently, it might become overshadowed within a few months. If you can wait, you’ll likely be rewarded with a better overall package in the very near future, potentially with compatibility advantages over Windows on ARM systems.

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