Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Laptops Have Clever Innovations for Creatives
They look like normal laptops on the outside but inside is a whole other story.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED gives you more screen in less space.
Asus announced several new Zenbook and Vivobook laptops Monday as part of its Pinnacle of Performance event. Like other PC makers, Asus is updating current models with AMD Ryzen 6000-series and Intel 12th-gen Core processors. And you'll see a lot more OLED displays available for its laptops this year, too. But with Asus, it's always the things you won't find anywhere else that make its announcements stand out.
Asus has made dual-screen laptops for years now, for example, but it was last year's Zenbook Duo 14 that took the concept from gimmicky to legitimately useful. The new Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED refines that model's design while beefing up performance with up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics.
The laptop's main display is a 14.5-inch 2.8K 120Hz OLED touchscreen. But when you lift the lid, a secondary 12.7-inch touchscreen rises from the body, tilting up 12 degrees using a redesigned hinge mechanism. The result is reduced visual separation between the two displays and greater airflow.
The smaller second panel, called the ScreenPad Plus, is useful for just giving you more room to work and communicate. However, Asus software makes it possible to do more such as turn it into a customizable tool panel for Adobe software using its Control Panel app. The display is pen-enabled as well, so it can be used jotting down a quick note or drawing.
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is expected to be available soon starting at $2,000. UK and Australia pricing weren't immediately available but the US price converts to approximately £1,615 or AU$2,850.
The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED has a keyboard that raises for comfort and cooling.
Joining the Duo is the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED. Instead of a second display, this model has a keyboard that raises 14.5mm giving it a 7-degree tilt for more comfortable typing. But it also increases airflow, which made it possible to put in up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics.
Below the keyboard is a haptic touchpad that's 84% larger than its predecessor's. It's paired with an updated Asus Dial, a rotary controller that can be used for anything from controlling volume to making tool adjustments in Adobe apps. The 16-inch 4K 60Hz OLED HDR pen-enabled touchscreen will meet the needs of creatives, too.
No release date was announced for the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED but pricing is expected to start at $2,600.