Skilled's Ranking
Execs
- Premium, versatile design
- Wonderful 90Hz OLED show
- Stable keyboard and trackpad
- First rate battery life
Cons
- No discrete GPU
- Annoying pre-installed apps
- Disappointing webcam
- Costly
Our Verdict
The Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is a good all-rounder for day-to-day utilization, particularly with its sturdy design and nice show – however the excessive asking value exterior the US could make it exhausting to justify.
Value When Reviewed
$999.99
Finest Costs In the present day: Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404)
Asus releases dozens of laptops yearly, though Zenbook is one in all its most established product households. The road started life again in 2011, and it’s been one of many main names amongst skinny and light-weight laptops ever since.
Nicely over a decade later, the Zenbook 14 Flip continues that custom, packing a number of premium options into its 1.5kg chassis. However with a beginning value that places it among the many costliest 2-in-1s you should buy, the gadget has rather a lot to dwell as much as.
Sadly, regardless of loads of positives, it falls simply in need of these lofty expectations. Right here’s our full assessment.
Design, construct & ports
- Premium matt end
- Nice convertible performance
- First rate port choice
Asus has performed it secure with the Zenbook 14 Flip design, but it nonetheless manages to face out from the group. That’s primarily because of the again of the gadget, which encompasses a matt end and distinctive angular sample.
However it is a double-edged sword: it seems to be nice, significantly when catching the sunshine, however fingerprint smudges and dust can rapidly accumulate. You may not have thought of cleansing the again of your laptop computer fairly often, however it’s one thing you’ll want to contemplate right here.
I actually just like the futuristic design and so am completely happy to simply accept it is a trade-off, however not everybody can be as captivated with it. The impact is extra pronounced on the Jade Black model in comparison with Pine Gray, though the latter doesn’t stand out in the identical method.
![Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) - rear design](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/asus-zenbook-14-flip-review-1.jpg?quality=50&strip=all&w=1200)
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The 14 Flip definitely nonetheless qualifies as an ultrabook, though it’s not as skinny or gentle as I used to be anticipating. A 1.5kg chassis is heavier than loads of 14in laptops, whereas 15.9mm thick is nothing exceptional.
Nonetheless, there are advantages to those design selections. The burden helps it really feel each premium and strong, so it’s no shock to see military-grade sturdiness right here. I didn’t see any indicators of fragility throughout my testing time, and it ought to imply the gadget holds up properly long-term.
That is significantly necessary on a convertible laptop computer, the place you’re often bending the display screen virtually a full 360°. Regardless of two comparatively small hinges, the 14 Flip doesn’t really feel flimsy in any respect. There may be barely extra of a wobble than an everyday clamshell laptop computer whereas utilizing the keyboard, however it doesn’t get annoying whereas typing.
Regardless of two comparatively small hinges, the 14 Flip doesn’t really feel flimsy in any respect
Deciding in opposition to a razor-thin chassis additionally means there’s room for loads of ports. Each USB-C ports assist Thunderbolt 4 for quick knowledge switch, charging or connecting to an exterior show.
They’re joined by a full-size HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB-A on the other facet. If I’m being actually choosy, a second USB-A port would’ve been good, however that is sufficient for many conditions.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Keyboard, trackpad & webcam
- Spectacular full-size keyboard
- Stable trackpad with digital quantity pad
- Underwhelming 720p webcam
A 14in show means there’s loads of room for a full-size keyboard, and it’s an excellent one. Regardless of comparatively little key journey, I may comfortably use it for a number of hours at a time. Every key feels clicky and responsive.
The keyboard affords three ranges of backlighting. The bottom setting is nice for a room that’s very darkish, whereas the utmost permits you to comfortably see the keys in a lot brighter environments.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Disappointingly, there’s no fingerprint sensor on the 14 Flip. It’d be good to have an alternative choice to the Home windows Whats up face unlock, though the latter is comparatively quick and dependable.
The 14 Flip does have another trick: a digital quantity pad constructed into the trackpad. Activated by way of an extended press of the top-right nook, it really works as marketed, however feels pointless and far clunkier than the standard bodily model. Total, I discovered the digital quantity pad to be completely pointless, however fortunately, you possibly can simply neglect it’s there.
Fortuitously, the trackpad is way more spectacular for its traditional function. A big floor space means you possibly can simply spotlight a lot of textual content in a single go, but it stays exact sufficient to pick out very particular areas of the display screen too. As an alternative choice to connecting a mouse, it undoubtedly does the job.
I discovered the digital quantity pad to be completely pointless
Laptop computer producers are slowly transitioning to supply a minimum of Full HD (1080p) high quality, however Asus has let the 14 Flip lag behind. It’s nonetheless frustratingly caught at 720p, and additional burdened by washed-out footage which struggles for publicity. Whereas usable, I wouldn’t advocate this laptop computer to anybody who desires to make use of a built-in webcam for video calls.
Display & audio system
- Attractive 90Hz OLED show
- Helps contact and pen enter
- Above-average stereo audio system
Show is the place the Zenbook 14 Flip actually excels. It’s a 14in, 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen, giving it the 16:10 facet ratio that’s widespread on fashionable laptops.
However a excessive refresh price display screen is much much less widespread. It’s a 90Hz panel right here, though you’ll want to show it on in Settings – 60Hz is chosen by default. As soon as activated, I noticed a direct distinction in fluidity whereas transferring round Home windows 11. All the things feels that bit slicker, and I didn’t discover a drop-off in comparison with even sooner 120Hz laptop computer panels. The impact is much less noticeable than on smartphones, although.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Even with out this characteristic turned on, the 14 Flip’s show is a pleasure to make use of. Being an OLED, it delivers each wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks, making content material consumption really feel genuinely immersive. That top decision means there’s loads of element, too – I couldn’t ask for way more from a laptop computer show.
I can’t confirm Asus’s declare of a 0.2 second response price, however it definitely feels quick. That’s related for each contact and stylus enter, with the Asus Pen 2.0 included within the field. The latter’s obvious 4096 ranges of stress sensitivity offers you an actual feeling of management, and it’ll be weeks earlier than you must make use of the USB-C charging.
I couldn’t ask for way more from a laptop computer show
The one actual show disappointment is brightness. As much as 550 nits of marketed peak brightness is okay for nearly all indoor environments, however you possibly can neglect about utilizing it within the backyard on a sunny day.
Audio is surprisingly punchy, regardless of the stereo audio system firing sound from the underside of the gadget. With a formidable quantity of element and a good hit of bass, the 14 Flip can maintain its personal in opposition to virtually any slim laptop computer. The audio system right here received’t substitute devoted audio tools, however they’re nice for watching the occasional movie or TV present – particularly in tent mode.
Specs & efficiency
- Intel Thirteenth-gen P-series CPUs
- Spectacular on a regular basis efficiency
- No discrete GPU or mobile connectivity
Convertible laptops are sometimes much less highly effective than equal common clamshell units, and that’s the case right here. Efficiency on the 14 Flip is excellent, however not fairly high notch.
When you do get Intel’s newest 13th-gen CPUs, the Core i5-1340P and Core i7-1360P are removed from probably the most highly effective within the vary. You’ll usually discover P-series chips on skinny and light-weight units, however the H-series is considerably extra succesful.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
However the larger limitation on efficiency is the built-in graphics. The 14 Flip makes use of Intel Iris Xe reasonably than a discrete GPU of any description, making it unsuitable for many content material creation and demanding video games.
Alongside 8- or 16GB of DDR5 RAM, it might probably deal with virtually each different common job, although. My every day workflow consists of a lot of internet shopping, phrase processing, emails and the occasional video – with all usually working on the similar time.
The 14 Flip can deal with all these duties with out breaking a sweat. Mixed with that 90Hz refresh price, it’s an excellent possibility for many on a regular basis conditions.
Efficiency on the 14 Flip is excellent, however not fairly high notch
In benchmarks, the 14 Flip retains tempo with a mannequin of the Dell XPS 13 Plus that’s round £500 costlier. However efficiency is much like each an everyday clamshell Zenbook and 4 of the very best 2-in-1 laptops you should buy, all of that are round £200-£400 cheaper within the UK.
You'll be able to select between 512GB and 1TB of SSD storage, though the previous can be a lot for most individuals.
There’s nothing exceptional right here by way of connectivity, with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5 however no 4G or 5G assist. The choice to remain linked whereas out and about would’ve been good, however you possibly can at all times hotspot out of your telephone.
Battery & charging
- 75Wh battery
- All-day battery life for most individuals
- First rate charging speeds
Asus describes the Zenbook 14 Flip’s 75Wh battery as “class-leading”, though an identical capability could be discovered in lots of rivals.
The excellent news is that this laptop computer delivers above-average battery life that can fulfill all however probably the most demanding customers. It's best to be capable to get a full working day from a single cost, though it’s value staying close to an influence supply from late afternoon onwards.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
In our video loop battery check, the gadget lasted a good 13 hours and 18 minutes on a single cost. This merely serves as a measure of display screen on time, because the brightness was set to a comparatively low 120 nits and quantity muted. But it surely means the 14 Flip ranks as one of many longer-lasting laptops we’ve examined.
The 14 Flip ranks as one of many longer-lasting laptops we’ve examined
Relating to charging, each USB-C ports assist Energy Supply quick charging. Utilizing the provided energy adapter (Asus doesn’t specify its wattage), I bought 34% battery again in half-hour. A full cost took someplace between 1 hour 45 minutes and a couple of hours. Contemplating the dimensions of the battery, that’s fairly good.
Software program
- Home windows 11 Residence
- Irritating further software program
- Well timed updates for the foreseeable future
The Zenbook 14 Flip runs Home windows 11 Residence, and it’s very near the model you’ll discover on Microsoft’s personal Floor units. Nonetheless, the identical could be stated for nearly each Home windows laptop computer, with the software program tweaks nothing such as you’ll see on Android.
And by way of further pre-installed apps, Asus is among the worst. Undoubtedly probably the most annoying is antivirus software program McAfee, which opts you right into a free trial after which repeatedly bugs you to pay for a subscription. Antivirus pop-ups are significantly jarring when the free Microsoft Defender app affords all the pieces most individuals want.
Frustratingly, there are additionally occasional pop-up advertisements from the MyAsus companion app. It does a minimum of provide instruments for managing show, sound, battery and followers, however isn’t probably the most intuitive to make use of.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
ScreenXpert is genuinely helpful, appearing as a hub for capturing content material and transferring across the working system. However a lot of the instruments it affords are already out there elsewhere in Home windows 11, and it in all probability received’t change the way in which you utilize the gadget.
The bloatware can simply be eliminated, however it shouldn’t be there within the first place.
The remainder of the Home windows 11 expertise can be acquainted to many individuals by now. Frequent updates since launch imply the touchscreen expertise is spectacular, whereas the choice to run desktop apps on such a flexible gadget is nice. It’s removed from excellent, however different shortcomings are constant throughout all Home windows 11 units.
The bloatware can simply be eliminated, however it shouldn’t be there within the first place
Microsoft delivers software program updates to all units at roughly the identical time, so that you received’t have to attend lengthy after normal availability. If Home windows 12 arrives as rumoured in 2024, the 14 Flip will virtually definitely meet the {hardware} necessities – even when they’re stricter than Home windows 11.
Value & availability
Value is among the large sticking factors of the Zenbook 14 Flip, though it varies relying on the place you’re based mostly.
Within the US, solely the Core i5-1340P mannequin with 16GB of RAM is being bought for $999.99.
Solely the Core i7-1360P model I reviewed can be out there within the UK, costing £1,499.99. A web page for the gadget is dwell on the UK website, though Amazon is the one confirmed retailer, with availability anticipated later in April 2023.
However at that value, the 14 Flip goes head-to-head with a number of the best 2-in-1s you should buy. Most entries in our chart are considerably cheaper, whether or not you’re on the lookout for a convertible laptop computer or pill with removable keyboard.
With the Floor Professional 9 (from $999.99/£1,099), Samsung Galaxy E book 2 360 (from $899.99/£949.99) and Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (from $1,149/£1,198) all delivering comparable efficiency for much less, the 14 Flip turns into tougher to justify.
The 14 Flip isn’t horrible worth for cash, however it’s not a simple buy both.
Verdict
The Zenbook 14 Flip OLED impresses in lots of key areas, however it doesn’t stand out in the way in which you may count on from such a premium convertible.
Its beautiful 90Hz OLED touchscreen is an actual spotlight, particularly when mixed with convertible performance and the stylus included within the field.
The keyboard and trackpad are additionally excellent, regardless of a few uncommon design choices. Battery life and charging speeds are stable, as is the plentiful port choice.
Nonetheless, spectacular on a regular basis efficiency received’t translate to probably the most demanding workloads because of a scarcity of discrete GPU or Intel’s most succesful CPUs. You’ll additionally must put up with a poor webcam and annoying bloatware.
Specs
- Show: 14in, 16:10 AMOLED touchscreen, 2880×1800, 90Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H, Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
- Reminiscence: 8/16GB
- Storage: 256/512GB SSD
- Ports: 2x USB-C (each Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack
- Digicam: 720p front-facing
- Wi-fi: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5
- Battery: 75Wh
- Charging: 65W USB-C (included)
- Working system: Home windows 11 Residence
- Colors: Jade Black, Pine Gray
- Weight: 1.5kg