OLED laptops for creators: New Zenbooks and Vivobooks from Asus
At an online launch event confidently entitled 'The Pinnacle of Performance', Asus has introduced a slew of high-end creator-focused Zenbook and Vivobook laptops, all bar one of them with OLED screens.
Asus highlighted six new devices in the premium Zenbook range, headed by the flagship 16-inch Zenbook Pro 16X OLED. Two of the new Zenbooks are thin-and-light 13-inch Zenbook S-series laptops. The more mainstream Vivobook range gets multiple new models, including high-performance Pro systems and thin/light S series devices. There are also two limited-edition artist versions of the existing Vivobook 13 Slate OLED 2-in-1 detachable.
2022 Zenbooks
The 2022 Zenbooks feature a new look that Asus calls 'modern Zen' and run on 12th-generation Intel Core H-series processors or AMD Ryzen 6000-series chips. Models with discrete Nvidia GPUs will benefit from pre-installed Nvidia Studio drivers, which help to deliver enhanced performance in a range of creative apps. Improved cooling systems help these laptops maximise their performance, while the keyboard on the Pro 16X and secondary screen on the Pro 14 Duo are elevated by a new auto-tilt mechanism (AAS Ultra) for enhanced cooling and improved ergonomics.
Screen | CPU | GPU | Price (UK) | Availability | |
Zenbook Pro 16X OLED | 16-inch OLED (4K, 16:10, 100% DCI-P3) | 12th-gen Intel Core H series (i7, i9) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) | from £2,999.99 | June |
Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED | 14.5-inch OLED (2.8K, 16:10, 120Hz, 100% DCI-P3) + 12.7-inch ScreenPad Plus | 12th-gen Intel Core H series (i5, i7, i9) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050Ti (4GB) | from £1,299.99 | May |
Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED | 15.6-inch OLED (2.8K, 16:9, 120Hz, 100% DCI-P3), 360-degree hinge | up to 12th-gen Intel Core i7-12700H | Intel Arc A370M | TBD | TBD |
Zenbook Pro 17 | 17.3-inch IPS (2.5K, 16:9, 165Hz, 100% DCI-P3) | up to AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 | TBD | TBD |
Zenbook S 13 OLED | 13.3-inch OLED (2.8K, 16:10, 100% DCI-P3) | AMD Ryzen 5 6600U, 7 6800U | AMD Radeon 660M, 680M | TBD | TBD |
Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED | 13.3-inch OLED (2.8K, 16:10, 100% DCI-P3), 360-degree hinge | 12th-gen Intel Core P series (i5, i7) | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | TBD | TBD |
Zenbook Pro 16X OLED
The flagship 2022 16-inch Zenbook Pro 16X runs on 12th-generation Intel Core H-series processors (i7-12700H, i9-12900H) with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Graphics are processed by Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB of dedicated video memory and displayed on a 4K 16:10 OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, 550 nits of brightness and support for 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. The touchscreen is Pantone Validated and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified.
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The 2.4kg, 16.9mm-thick Zenbook Pro 16X features the physical Asus Dial rotary controller designed for use with creative apps, includes two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, and is powered by a 96Wh battery that delivers up to a claimed 9 hours of mains-free autonomy.
Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is, Asus claims, the "world's first 14.5-inch 2.8K 120Hz laptop" and features a larger, brighter 12.7-inch secondary ScreenPad Plus OLED touch-screen than the previous Zenbook 14 Duo model.
The Pro 14 Duo OLED runs on 12th-generation Intel Core H-series processors (i5-12500H, i7-12700H, i9-12900H) with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Graphics are processed by Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3050Ti with 4GB of dedicated video memory and displayed on the aforementioned 14.5-inch screen, which offers 550 nits of brightness, 0.2ms response time and support for 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.
The 1.7kg, 17.9mm-thick Zenbook Pro 14 Duo includes two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, and is powered by a 76Wh battery.
Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED & Zenbook Pro 17
The Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED (left) and Pro 17, which has an IPS screen (right).
The 15.6-inch ZenBook Pro 15 Flip is a 360-degree 2-in-1 convertible sporting a 2.8K, 16:9 120Hz OLED with 100% DCI-P3 support. CPUs top out at an Intel Core i7-12700H, RAM goes up to 16GB, SSD storage to 1TB, and graphics are handled by Intel's new Arc A370M GPU. The 1.8kg, 18.9mm-thick Pro 15 Flip has two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports and is powered by a 96Wh battery.
The 17-inch ZenBook Pro 17 is the only model in this line-up not to include an OLED screen, instead offering a 2.5K, 16:9 IPS panel, with 100% DCI-P3 support and a very fast 165Hz refresh rate. It runs on up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. The 2.2kg, 18.9mm-thick Pro 17 has two USB 4 ports and is powered by a 76Wh battery.
Zenbook S 13 OLED & S 13 Flip OLED
The AMD-based Zenbook S13 Flip OLED (left) and Intel-based S 13 OLED (right).
The thin and light Zenbook S series gets two 13.3-inch OLED-screen models -- a conventional clamshell design and a 360-degree convertible 'Flip' version.
The 1kg, 14.9mm-thick Zenbook 13 OLED runs on AMD processors up to a Ryzen 7 6800U with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. Graphics are handled by AMD's integrated Radeon GPU and displayed on a 2.8K, 16:10 OLED panel with 100% DCI-P3 support and 0.2ms repsonse time. The S 13's 67Wh battery delivers a claimed 19 hours of mains-free autonomy.
The 1.1kg, 14.9mm-thick Zenbook 13 Flip OLED is an Intel-based, Evo-certified 2-in-1 convertible, running on up to a Core i7-1260P CPU with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The GPU is Intel's integrated Iris Xe Graphics and the OLED panel is a 2.8K, 16:10 unit with 550 nits brightness, 100% DCI-P3 support and 0.2ms repsonse time. It offers three Thunderbolt 4 ports and runs on a 67Wh battery.
2022 Vivobooks
The Vivobook range is aimed at a 'lifestyle' audience including 'aspiring creators' and, like the Zenbook range, offers Pro (premium) and S (thin-and-light) series devices.
The flagship Vivobook Pro OLED series comprises the flagship 16-inch 16X model, along with 15.6-inch (15X) and 14.5-inch (14X) variants. Processor support goes up to a 12th-generation Intel Core i9-12900H or an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Graphics are handled by the 'studio-grade' Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti GPU and displayed on OLED displays with 600 nits of brightness and 100% DCI-P3 support. The 16X model has a 3.2K 16:10 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the 15X and 14X have 2.8K 16:9 and 16:10 panels respectively, both with 120Hz refresh rates. The Asus DialPad is integrated into the touchpad in these devices, which feature Thunderbolt 4 support and an on-board 2.5Gbps Ethernet port and are powered by up to a 90Wh battery.
The Vivobook Pro 16X will be available in the UK in May from £1,399.99; the 15X model will cost from £799.
The thin-and-light Vivbook S series, also based on Intel or AMD processors, includes new 14-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch clamshell models, but there are no convertible 'Flip' devices.