Do you know how you make a flagship notebook even better? Attach a wonderfully vibrant OLED display to it. That’s exactly what Asus managed to do with the Asus ZenBook 13 (UX325UE) laptop. The updated display comes in addition to the stellar internal hardware that makes the ZenBook a workhorse worthy of anyone’s desk space.
We know, we know – the brand’s newest ZenBooks should be heading to SA soon enough. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t feature one of the most affordable OLED-touting notebooks available in South Africa. This one, in particular, starts out at R16,000 for Intel’s 11th-gen Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD variant. If you consider what MacBooks with similar specs cost… this one’s a steal.
Our review unit came fitted with an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB SSD storage. Pair this with the brilliant 13.3in OLED display, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, WiFi 6 and a whole bag o’ ports, and you’ve got a powerful machine. This is surprising when you see the ZenBook’s small form factor.
And this one’ll go all the way – its battery performance is quite surprising and banks you about a full day’s work on a charge. Of course, this depends on your productivity and the types of software you use. If you’re a light-ish user that makes use of tools that aren’t particularly demanding, you’ll get a full day on it.
We put the ZenBook through a bit more strain than a daily user, including light gaming and editing. We’re happy to report that we got a good 8 hours out of the unplugged tiny machine.
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED Verdict
Asus just announced its upcoming ZenBooks complete with Intel’s newest processors. But that doesn’t mean the previous-gen hardware isn’t capable. This machine is more than capable of handling daily tasks and offers a few great quality-of-life features at this price point.
Expect to see the Asus ScreenPad 2.0 which turns the trackpad into a tiny display that can run simple apps here. It’s also outfitted with the brand’s ErgoLift tech, that helps to keep the tiny chassis cool. The keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience for such a small form factor too. Pair all of the above with that striking OLED display, and you’ve got a handsome business laptop that doubles as an entertainment device.