ASUS announces ZenBook S13 (UX392) & ZenBook 14 (UX431)

ZenBook S13 (UX392)

ZenBook S13 is the latest 13.9-inch laptop in the flagship ZenBook series has the world’s thinnest display bezels, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 discrete graphics and 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU.

KEY POINTS

● World’s slimmest display bezel and 97% screen-to-body ratio: Compact 13.9-inch laptop features the frameless 4-sided NanoEdge display

● World’s thinnest laptop with discrete graphics: GeForce MX150 GPU, 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and 1TB PCIe SSD in a 12.9mm-thin CNC-milled chassis

● Power and beauty: CNC-milled unibody construction and military-grade MIL-STD-810G-tested for durability; features a unique Utopia Blue finish

● Convenient connectivity: No-compromise I/O with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C ports and a MicroSD card reader

ASUS today announced ZenBook S13 (UX392). A true combination of beauty and power, this ultraportable delivers performance and portability into an impossibly small chassis. Its 13.9-inch FHD frameless four-sided NanoEdge display is the most impressive to date, featuring the world's slimmest bezels and 97% screen-to-body ratio[1], the largest of the industry. With NVIDIA® GeForce® MX150 discrete graphics, and the latest 8th Gen Intel® Core™ quad-core processor, ZenBook S13 pushes the boundaries of what’s possible inside a 13-inch chassis. There’s ample space with 1TB of PCIe® x4 SSD storage, and the 50Wh battery provides up to 15 hours of battery life[2] . ZenBook S13 will be available in the coming months with pricing and regional configurations to be announced at launch.

The world’s slimmest display bezel and 97% screen-to-body ratio

ZenBook S13 takes narrow bezels to the extreme with a 13.9-inch FHD display, surrounded by the impressive four-sided ASUS NanoEdge bezels that deliver the industry’s biggest screen-to-body ratio at 97%. A 2.5mm border frame the sides of the display. The thickest upper bezel accommodates the HD webcam, and also serves as a tab for lifting the laptop’s lid. Finding the tab on the lid is easier this way, allowing the user to pull the lid up in one smooth motion rather than searching for a barely-there indent on the front edge. It’s a small change that makes all the difference for day-to-day use, and was worth the effort of changing the shape of the glass on the display and altering the design of the laptop’s lid. Despite the larger display, ZenBook S13 manages to retain a smaller physical footprint (316 x 195 x 12.9mm) compared to most 13-inch laptops.

The world’s thinnest laptop with discrete graphics[3]

Intel’s 8th Generation of mobile processors have been a staple for the ZenBook series for over a year, and ZenBook S13 takes this step further with up to the latest 8th generation Core i7 CPU paired with up to 16GB of RAM. Both the Core i5 and Core i7 configurations benefit from four cores and eight threads for smooth performance, allowing for complex workloads, like video encoding, or aggressive multitasking, like processing photos while switching between productivity apps, emails and web browsing.

Processing performance is paired with upgraded graphics capabilities made possible by the NVIDIA GeForce MX150. To get the most out of the CPU and GPU, ample storage is required. With ZenBook S13, large media files and burgeoning PowerPoint decks don’t have to vie for space or face cold cloud storage when installing new applications because up to a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD maxes out ZenBook S13 on storage speed and capacity.

Adding all those components into this 12.9-mm thick package required a bit of ingenuity from the ASUS engineering team. To ensure no space was wasted, the metal chassis is CNC-milled from a block of aluminum, allowing the lid to be carved out, complete with the complex cuts surrounding the keyboard, without creating any unnecessary voids. Machining allows the walls to remain thinner while still leaving enough material in key areas to avoid sacrificing strength, and shaving thickness in any area means more room for the components.

Convenient connectivity

Despite its compact dimensions, nothing about ZenBook S13 feels cramped. The backlit keyboard spans almost the full width of the laptop. And while ultraportable keyboards are often shallower because of their slim design, ZenBook S13 actually features a slightly longer 1.4mm of travel than its predecessor. Underneath is a roomy touchpad with an integrated fingerprint sensor that makes for quick and convenient login via Windows Hello.

With no compromises on connections, ZenBook S13 offers the convenience of standard USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port on the side. Lots of super slim laptops only provide USB Type-C™ (USB-C™) ports, making this connection type a rarity, but it’s extremely useful for plugging in USB drives along with other peripherals that haven’t yet made the jump to the more modern USB-C. In addition to its standard USB port, ZenBook S13 has two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ ports, with up to 10Gbps of peak interface bandwidth[iv].

Either can be used to hook up to an external display or charge up the battery. The 50Wh battery is enough to provide up to 15 hours of use, and if need be, fast charging brings support for powering up quickly on the go. The USB ports are joined by a 3.5-mm audio combo jack allowing utilization of any choice of headset, and a MicroSD card slot is provided for quickly pulling photos and videos off of a variety of devices.

ZenBook 14 (UX431)

Gorgeous 14-inch super-compact, thin and light Windows 10 laptop features the latest 8th Gen Intel Core processors, NanoEdge display, GeForce MX150 graphics and more.

KEY POINTS

● Unleash your creative vision: Super-compact 14" NanoEdge design, with exclusive NumberPad dual-function touchpad and brand-new Utopia Blue finish

● Uncompromising performance: Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB RAM, up to GeForce MX150 discrete graphics, and up to 1TB of SSD storage

● Quad-speaker audio system: Two powerful bass speakers and two high-frequency upward firing speakers deliver clear and powerful full-range sound

● Mobility without bounds: Wi-Fi 5, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A and USB 2.0 ports

ASUS today announced ZenBook 14 (UX431). It balances value and performance to deliver a sleek, sophisticated ultraportable that doesn’t compromise on power. This premium laptop is packed full of the latest technology that includes 8th Generation Intel® Core™ processors, NVIDIA® GeForce® MX150 graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, ample SSD storage space and the latest connectivity options.

Unleash your creative vision

ZenBook 14 exudes sophistication without screaming for attention. Its Utopia Blue color and spun-metal finish are decidedly chic while still being distinctly Zen. Lifting the lid reveals a 14-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS NanoEdge display that offers great viewing angles and uniform color, whether the user is sitting square in front of it at work, or lounging to one side watching Netflix.

For a more immersive experience, the NanoEdge display technology shrinks the bezels on either side down to just 6.5mm while also cutting down on the laptop’s overall size. Thanks to the narrow bezels, ASUS engineers were able to squeeze the 14-inch screen into a compact 13-inch chassis. Portability is about size as much as weight, though, and ZenBook 14 weighs just under 1.45kg, making it easy for users to slip it into their bags or tuck under arm and carry anywhere.

Despite its good looks, ZenBook 14 prioritizes function alongside form, with some thoughtful tweaks to ensure the design serves more than just aesthetics. The ErgoLift hinge automatically tilts the keyboard up at an angle when the lid is opened, creating a more comfortable typing position while improving airflow under the chassis for better cooling.

Finally, the touchpad also displays the illuminated NumberPad. Unique to the ZenBook series, the numeric keypad allows for convenient data entry and calculations, but it doesn’t add any unnecessary width to the keyboard and can be turned on or off with just a tap, so it’s not a distraction when working on other projects.

Uncompromising performance

When taking notes in a meeting, tabbing over to check an email, and then switching over to edit a video presentation, capable hardware is what helps maintain smooth performance. Intel’s 8th Generation Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU options offer up to four Hyper-Threaded cores that run at frequencies as high as 4.6GHz thanks to Turbo Boost technology. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 engine is ample for photo editing and video streaming, but upgrading to discrete NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory makes light gaming an enjoyable option.

These days, 8GB of system memory is a common luxury for mobile multi-tasking, but ZenBook 14 is available with up to 16GB of RAM to ensure seamless switching between tasks. On top of that, up to a 1TB SSD provides a powerful combination of low latency and high capacity.

Quad-speaker audio system

Users will want to share the audio experience because ZenBook 14 boasts a total of four speakers. In addition to the pair of upward firing speakers flanking the keyboard, there are two more bass speakers on the underside of the laptop, and the extra space created by the ErgoLift hinge results in clearer bass.

The quad-speaker system provides truly immersive sound, with a 1.4X-higher frequency response compared to its predecessor, UX430. Powered by a smart amplifier, the Harmon Kardon-certified setup employs advanced signal processing to deliver a wider frequency response and powerful bass for especially crisp sound.

Mobility without bounds

ZenBook 14 features I/O ports befitting a flexible workhorse. There’s one USB 2.0 Type-A port for a mouse, and the USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C™ ports readily accommodate external storage, flash drives, printers, and other peripherals. Users can connect to a second monitor via HDMI, and the SD card slot accepts memory cards without the need for a USB adapter. There’s also a 1.8mm audio combo jack for headphones. ZenBook 14 features a 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi configuration, so users can move huge files to and from the cloud in record time or stream video without a hitch.

AVAILABILITY

ASUS ZenBook S13 (UX392) will be available in the Nordics in Q2. ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX431) will be available in the Nordics in Q1.

[1] As of January 7, 2019, based on internal ASUS market analysis comparing screen-to-body ratio and width of ZenBook S13 side bezel with competing products from vendors including Acer, Apple, HP, Huawei, Lenovo, Microsoft and Samsung.

The stated 2.5mm width of the side bezel is the distance between the edge of the non-active screen display area and the inside edge of the case. If the case width is included, the side bezel width is 3.5mm. The stated 3.6mm of the top bezel does not include the camera housing: at the camera location the bezel width is 5.9mm. Measured based on standard (not anti-glare) display configuration.

[2] Battery life test configuration: Intel® Core™ i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, FHD display, 256GB PCIe® SSD. Battery tests conducted by ASUS in November 2018 using the MobileMark® 2014 Office Productivity scenario. Test settings: Wi-Fi enabled, display brightness set to 150cd/m2. Actual battery life may vary depending on product configuration, usage, operational conditions and power management settings. Battery life will decrease over the lifetime of the battery.

[3] As of January 7, 2019 based on internal ASUS market analysis of laptops with the following key competitive criteria: Windows or OS X operating system; thickness measured at z-height excluding the rubber feet; Intel® Core™ processor; non-detachable keyboard.

[iv] Unless otherwise specified, performance figures refer to theoretical performance. Actual performance may vary.