Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED Review: an industry first that promises to be a game-changer
Asus has even kept the end product lighter on the wallet as well compared to the competition.
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED UX363EA is slimmer, yet more powerful with the latest Intel 11th gen chip and forges a path of its own with innovative additions in laptop technology. Measuring just 13.9 mm thin and weighing only 1.3 kg, the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED is the world's thinnest convertible laptop and is the first in its category to be powered by the impressive Tiger Lake CPU, an 11th Generation Intel core processor and Iris Xe graphics with Intel Evo certification.
The virtual Numeric Pad 2.0 introduced earlier by Asus was already impressive, but Asus has raised the ceiling further on path-breaking measures on the ZenBook Flip 13 OLED with an innovative noise cancellation technology while taking out the audio jack in a move that could well be a game-changer. The bright and beautiful OLED screens with deep and dark insides stand out further with sleek and slim bezels on this skinny beast of a machine. One can expect nothing less in the ZenBook Flip 13 OLED from Asus, the winner of 26 achievements at the 2020 Red Dot Design Awards. Here's what impressed us the most:
Oled FHD Screen
Continuing with the biggest positive trend in display panels, the OLED FHD screen with slim bezels delivers a stunning visual experience compared to IPS LCD displays. When the pixels in the color gamut on an OLED screen are not in use, they switch off to offer deeper blacks. The default settings on the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED ensure battery optimisation with the OLED screens. Also, a TÜV Rheinland certification puts blue-light emissions ratio down by up to 70 per cent. An infra-red camera with face-recognition support makes Zoom meetings on the screen make it more convenient.
Intel 11 th Gen CPU with intel evo certification
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED is an incredible convertible laptop to get the latest 11th Generation Intel CPU Core i7-1165G7 and gets the Intel Evo certification. The new 11th Generation Intel Core 10 nm processors deliver better performance than its predecessors. The improved Intel Iris Xe graphics lets you perform a range of graphics-intensive tasks on such a thin and light laptop to prove all doubters wrong.
Designer stuff
The sleek design of the ZenBook Flip 13 OLED from the Red Dot winner is the one that serves its purpose and the ultimate in portability and versatility. While the Nano-edged FHD display keeps the eyes riveted, the military grade-tested body houses a range of I/O ports for a wide range of connectivity. The all-important ErgoLift hinge promises a life span of more than 20,000 plus lift cycles. When flipped, it also tilts the keyboard for a better typing experience and keeping user comfort paramount.
Audio with noise cancellation
Perhaps the biggest noticeable change is the missing 3.5mm audio jack. It is bound to create a ripple just like the way the Apple iPhone 7 did in 2016. The audio jack omission is a first for a laptop with the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED. Instead, it has a 3.5mm analog to USB-C dongle that uses a 24-bit ESS DAC. It yields a cleaner audio than the analog circuit in a laptop, which is open to picking up interference. The dongle serves Android phones as well; so more power to 2-in-1.
The audio quality on the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED also sounds better than most gaming laptops twice its weight. Then there is the AI-based noise cancellation technology called ClearVoice, which does quite a decent job. You can see how Asus is pushing the boundaries here.
Immersive Multimedia Experience
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED also has WiFi6 with stabiliser technology to reduce wireless network interference. Pair these two factors in with the two bottom-firing speakers from Harman Kardon. Boot this with the fact that you have a full-size HDMI and USB Type-A ports, and two latest Thunderbolt4 USB-C ports for uncompromised connectivity on a complete multimedia device.
Numeric Pad 2.0
One of the most innovative things Asus did recently was to come up with a virtual numeric display on the keypad. The ASUS NumberPad 2.0 is a dual-function touchpad with an integrated LED-illuminated numeric keypad which appears when you click on the top right corner. Even when NumberPad is activated, the touchpad can be used for cursor control, thanks to its intelligent software. How cool is that?
Fast-Charging Battery
All those pixels on the FHD screen can suck up a lot of battery juice. But the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED answers that with an industry-rare 67Wh battery, which can last up to 11 hours on a single charge. Its fast-charging capacity allows up to 60% capacity charge in just 49 minutes.
Mighty Pen
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED comes with an stylus pen with 4,096 pressure levels of sensitivity for the artistically inclined. With the OLED screen and an immersive multimedia experience as forementioned, all artists, photographers and students get extra power with the pen to boost their talent.
Specs at a quick Glance :
- CPU : Intel 11th - gen quad-core Core i7-1165G7, Intel Evo-verified
- GPU : Integrated Intel Iris Xe
- Operating system : Windows 10
- RAM : 16GB
- Storage : 1 TB PCle 3.0 SSD
- Display : 13.3" FHD OLED (1920 x 1080) slim bezel display, with touch and pen support
- Battery : 67-Watt Lithium Polymer
- Connectivity : WiFi6 (802.11ax) with Stabiliser and SmartConnect; Bluetooth 5.0
- Dimensions : 1.39 x 30.5 x 21.1 cm
Summary
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED delivers on the challenging task of retaining the expensive OLED screens with low blue-light emissions, ensure a silky performance with more battery power and, yet, keep them all in a thin body. Impressive with the portability on offer, Asus has even kept the end product lighter on the wallet as well compared to the competition. As a big fan of the NumericPad 2.0, we couldn't ask for more.
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 OLED (UX363EA) is now available in UAE at retailers such as Virgin Megastore, Jumbo, Sharaf DG, Emax, Ecity, Computronic, and Amazon. Price is Dh5,299