I’ve always been obsessed with ultra-light and portable laptops. I moved from a MacBook Air 11 to Apple’s MacBook 12 that remains my travel companion. While newer MacBook Air models have hit the scene, none of them weigh under 1kg like the MacBook 12. Over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed using two Windows laptops that have ticked the ultra-light box for me. The first is Samsung’s Galaxy Book 2 Pro and now the ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED that ASUS has positioned as the world’s lightest 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED laptop.
Svelte design
You are likely to experience your first wow moment when you unbox this ultrabook and hold it for the first time. It’s incredibly light despite a sturdy build. ASUS has crafted this laptop with a magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis. It doesn’t just lend it a premium appeal but has allowed ASUS to play around with the colours. We checked out the Ponder Blue colour option but there’s also a cool Aqua Celadon that will stand out in a laptop world full of greys and whites. The laptop weighs just above 1kg and is only 14.9mm thin. The ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED will slip into your thinnest portfolio bags. There are a couple of other things that caught our attention – ASUS’ new minimalist logo and the 180-degree hinge for extra flexibility.
Binge-proof display
ASUS has managed a heft of 1.1kg despite a fully functional 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen. This Zenbook scores with its vivid colours. It’s just what you need to check out the Korean spin on Money Heist on Netflix (Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area) over the weekend. You might be able to stream all the six episodes without reaching out for your charger. We managed about eight hours of battery life with this laptop. That’s quite acceptable for a 2.8K OLED display (2880 x 1800 pixels) that peaks at 550 nits. ASUS is also playing up the Dolby-Vision certification that adds to its immersive appeal.
Power packed
The Zenbook S13 OLED is among the first laptops in India to be powered by the all-new AMD Ryzen 6000 U series of CPUs. We checked out the one with the high-end Ryzen 7 6800U processor; there’s also an entry-level version with a Ryzen 5 6600U. It comes with Windows 11 out of the box. The laptop has all the firepower most of us need. Gaming (we checked out Asphalt 9) was ultra-smooth and regular MS Office and browsing was a breeze.
One of the best ultrabooks out there
There are not too many holes to pick in the Zenbook S13 OLED. I didn’t miss a USB-A port but it’s something that some users might consider a dealbreaker. There’s also no SD card slot; again this is not a critical feature for my use-case scenarios. The laptop features three USB-C ports. Aside from these minor cribs, the ASUS Zenbook scores on all key fronts. It has the firepower you need, a gorgeous display, a dependable battery and most of all a slinky form. This is one of the best ultrabooks we’ve checked out in the ASUS portfolio but lands in a competitive landscape that now includes the new MacBook Air powered by the M2 chip and lightweight Windows options from the likes of Dell and Samsung.
The ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED starts at Rs 99,900 and comes in Ponder Blue and Aqua Celadon colours.
