Review: ASUS Zenbook S14 offers AI in a powerful and compact design

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ASUS has steadily released new and improved laptops, tablets and other devices over the past several years. We recently reviewed the ASUS ProArt PZ13 and fell in love with its laptop-to-tablet capabilities, compact size and impressive battery life. The Zenbook S14 promised similar tech specs, improved battery life and a similarly sleek frame.

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This ultra-thin laptop is built with the Asus Intel Core Ultra processors which makes it powerful and lightweight, coming in at less than three pounds. It’s packed with multiple ports, Dolby Atmos sound, powerful privacy protection and a handy touchscreen — which I like for activities like streaming or navigating an app. The system has been built with Copilot AI, giving you cutting-edge technology at the touch of a finger. The AI-enabled processors and a dedicated AI chip offer users enhanced security, speed and personalization.

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What: ASUS Zenbook S14
Cost: $1,800+
Where to buy: Asus | Best Buy | Amazon

Standout features of the ASUS Zenbook S14

Size: This is a low-profile, powerful machine with a very small footprint for a 14” laptop measuring 1.1 cm and weighing in at 2.65 lbs.

Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2): Ultra-powerful processor enabling faster photo and video editing, AI performance including text and image creation and everything else you’d use your laptop for.

AI: Microsoft Copilot is built right into the backlit keyboard, giving you an AI assistant at the touch of a button. AI-enabled processors and a dedicated AI chip offer users enhanced security, speed and personalization. 

Ceraluminum: Made with ASUS’ ultra-lightweight high-tech ceramic aluminum, built to be everlasting, strong and commonly found in the aerospace and luxury watch industries.

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Ambient cooling: Quiet dual fans within a geometric grille design machined cooling vents for enhanced cooling capabilities and an esthetically pleasing design.

Immersive display: Lifelike visuals thanks to 16:10 and a 14-inch 3K 120 Hz OLED panel with infinite contrasts and a four-speaker audio system to give the feeling of surround sound as best as a laptop can without truly surrounding you. Emits 70 per cent less blue light than standard LCDs.

Secure: Equipped with Windows Hello facial recognition (allowing you to sign in with fingerprint, face or PIN and Microsoft Pluton(a security processor built into the CPU of Windows 11 PCs) which integrates the latest hardware, firmware and software to help defend against pesky internet threats.

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Intuitive: Enlarged ergonomic touchpad makes gestures easier.

Touchscreen: Switch between the mousepad or directly interact with your screen.

ASUS Zenbook S14 Laptop review

This laptop has been a game-changer when it comes to working on the go. I typically work from home but often like to change my working environment — I frequent the local cafes — so having a sleek, lightweight laptop has been a nice change from my slightly clunkier 15” MacBook Air (who knew less than a pound would make a difference?).

I’ve loved using this to test AI-enabled programs to help my partner create marketing materials for his business and to stream services like Netflix. I notice a huge difference in the sound and visual quality — video and images are crystal clear and vibrant.

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I appreciate all of the finishings, down to the beautifully designed Ceraluminum geometric grille that doubles as a cooling mechanism, the backlit keyboard and easy-to-use smart controls on the mousepad.

This laptop has more ports (see specs below for more details) than my MacBook Air, which makes it easy to connect with external monitors and other gadgets and devices.

There are many great features as outlined above, but for my purposes — mainly video streaming, emailing and using Microsoft Word programs — I had three favourites.

Favourite features of the ASUS Zenbook S14: Long battery life, compact, touchscreen 

Long battery life: This laptop is equipped with a 72 WHr battery divided into four Li-ion cells, which in layman’s terms means it lasts for a long time once charged. I found I could easily work all day and watch Netflix all night without needing to plug it in. I’d charge it up overnight and it was ready to perform again the next day. I used it for almost 15 hours straight one day (with a few breaks). The brand says it should last up to 21 hours, depending on how you use the machine.

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Very compact: I love how lightweight and compact the machine is. I barely felt it in my work bag and I’m impressed by the power and output it has in such a small (and lovely) package.

Touchscreen: A feature I didn’t know I wanted or needed. I went a good two weeks of testing without realizing the laptop was equipped with a touchscreen. When I finally clocked in, I began using it a lot, depending on what I was doing. I prefer using the mousepad for things like writing and editing because my hands are already on the keyboard, but for things like streaming or trying out new apps, the ease and speed of the touchscreen make those activities more enjoyable.

Least favourite features of the ASUS Zenbook S14: Webcam quality, price

Webcam quality: I like having the option of using Windows Hello (using facial recognition) to sign into the laptop without having to type — and remember — a password, however, the webcam quality is a little low compared to the incredible visuals elsewhere. You really need a strong light source in order to improve the picture quality.

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Price: The price is reasonable for all of the incredible features, but because my overall and long-term use would consist of basic functions like emailing, streaming and copy editing the price tag feels a little high. If you plan to take advantage of all of the AI functions and extras the price is more palatable. 

Who should use the ASUS Zenbook S14

This is a great laptop for anyone who works on the go. A premium laptop in a small, lightweight package, this machine is a great choice for professionals and particularly creatives who’d like to make use of its superior AI capabilities.

What: ASUS Zenbook S14
Cost: $1,800+
Where to buy: Asus | Best Buy | Amazon

ASUS Zenbook S14 tech specs summary

Size: 12.22″W x 8.45″D x 0.47″H
Weight: 1.20 kg (2.65 lbs)
Display: 14.0-inch, 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio, touchscreen
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 (on-chip)
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor, 258V 32GB 2.2 GHz (12MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 47 TOPS
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Camera: 1080p FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello
Audio: Smart Amp Technology, built-in speaker, built-in array microphone, Harman/Kardon (Premium)
Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Battery: 72 WHrs, 2S2P, 4-cell Li-ion
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 over USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5 mm headphone jack

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