Earlier this week, Asus showed off its latest laptops that will be coming to SA shelves in the coming months. Of the five new models, three are refreshes of models we’ve seen before, now with the latest silicon from Intel and Snapdragon, while the other two are technically new (but not really).
Unfortunately, Asus, like almost every other tech company, is feeling the strain on the industry caused by AI hyperscalers eating up all available resources. So you’ll have to wait a few more weeks to find out how the new machines perform, or pick one up yourself. But you know what they say about those who wait…
Asus seeing double
The Zenbook Duo has been updated with Intel’s latest Panther Lake processor, in this case, the Core Ultra X9 388H. This is at the tippy-top of Intel’s new stack of mobile CPUs and promises some pretty impressive specs. From the CPU, you’re getting 16 total cores and threads, with a max P-core turbo frequency of 5.1GHz. The NPU, necessary for that Copilot+ branding, offers 50 TOPS for AI workloads and background tasks, while the integrated Intel Arc B390 GPU (that’s where that new ‘X’ in front of the 9 comes from) features 12 Xe cores, a max frequency of 2.5GHz, and 122 TOPS.
It supports up to 96GB of LPDDR5X memory, but will only come with 32GB inside. You’ll have to stuff more in yourself, but good luck with that, considering current memory prices.
Asus has also redesigned the hinge, which now resembles that of a premium folding phone. That means it felt a little thicker than we remember the last one being, but also that the two displays are closer together to feel more like one extended screen. We’re looking forward to spending more time with it when it eventually arrives. Pre-orders are already open, with the new Zenbook Duo listed with prices starting from R52,000.
As light as a 1kg feather
The Zenbook A14 was one of our favourite laptops to launch last year, and the new one seems even more impressive. The Snapdragon X Elite has been upgraded (it now features a ‘2’) and promises a “leap in performance.” This year, the A14 will ship with the 18-core version of the Snapdragon X2 Elite (we’ll have to get one in for review before we know which of the four 18-core SKUs it is), and bundles in an 80 TOPS NPU and a GPU capable of up to 1.85GHz max frequency.
Other than that, it looks much the same as last year’s, which is by no means a bad thing. The ‘Ceraluminum’ coating, sub-1kg weight, and great battery life were part of what made this a mobile worker’s dream machine. We’re also interested to see how far Snapdragon’s compatibility has grown. Pre-orders are open, if you don’t mind gambling on whether the extra R5,000 is worth it.
This year, the A14 will be joined by a slightly larger sibling — the Zenbook A16. As the name implies, this one will feature a larger 16in ‘3K’ display. It will also ship with the more powerful Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chipset. Its larger size means it tips the scales at 1.2kg. That’s technically heavier, but still kinda impressive compared to other 16in laptops. Is it worth R50,000, though? We’ll have to wait until it’s on our desk to know for sure. No telling when that will be just yet.
Asus and GoPro sitting in a tree
Asus has partnered with GoPro on the creatively named ProArt GoPro Edition. The ProArt range is designed for folks who like to whip out their laptop for a bit of video editing after landing a backflip on a motorbike, so the partnership makes a lot of sense. There’s a dedicated GoPro shortcut to go along with the Asus’ DialPad and included stylus that could should enhance your editing workflow.
Inside, AMD’s flagship mobile chip, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, does the heavy lifting. It’s got a 50 TOPS NPU and a fairly capable Radeon GPU bundled with it, along with a dizzying 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM. That might explain the R75,000 price. It’s also meant to survive rugged environments with its “military grade durability”, in case you drop it during your backflip. Pre-orders are open if you want to reserve yours. Otherwise, they’re expected to land with the others sometime in April.
