ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED evaluation: Great display screen, now do the keyboard | Engadget

Just like a relationship, occurring a visit with a gadget is without doubt one of the finest methods of discovering out how properly you and your associate work collectively. So to actually check ASUS’ first go at making a laptop computer with a versatile show, I took the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED on a journey throughout 4 international locations in 9 days. And whereas there are just a few points that should be addressed, my expertise was surprisingly optimistic and renewed my pleasure for the class as an entire (particularly after Lenovo’s formidable however flawed first attempt again in 2020). Now that does not imply it’s best to run out and get one, as a result of beginning at $3,500, the Zenbook 17 Fold is way from inexpensive. But for all of the foldable haters on the market, ASUS’ newest effort has confirmed it is approach too early to jot down off the following wave of new-fangled flexy laptops.

Design

For the Zenbook 17 Fold it is virtually as if ASUS took the blueprint for the ThinkPad X1 Fold, put it in a photocopier after which hit the enlarge button. Sure, the Zenbook is a bit prettier due to some leather-based panels and a little bit of beautiful frosted glass round again, nevertheless it’s clear ASUS did not attempt to deviate an excessive amount of from Lenovo’s system. We have a giant versatile OLED show (with no apparent crease, I ought to add) that is augmented by a built-in kickstand and a removable magnetic keyboard that neatly matches contained in the hole that types when the system is folded in half. While it’s kind of cumbersome, measuring 1.25 inches thick in clamshell mode and weighing simply over 4 kilos together with its keyboard (4.04 to be precise), the Zenbook 17 Fold continues to be lighter than a whole lot of similarly-sized conventional laptops like Dell’s XPS 17.

That mentioned, I’m not making an attempt to neg ASUS’ lack of originality, as a result of by going with an even bigger 17.3-inch show (up from 13.3 inches on the ThinkPad X1 Fold), it created a hybrid that lastly works as each a laptop computer and a transportable all-in-one desktop of kinds. In laptop computer mode, the ZenBook 17 Fold converts to a system that is comparable in dimension to a 12.5-inch pocket book. This is nice once you’re making an attempt to get work completed on an airplane tray desk or wherever else area is a premium. And as a result of the removable keyboard sits on prime of the underside half of the display screen, you continue to get a really acquainted mousing and typing expertise.

But once you get to a lodge or cafe with a bit extra room, that is when the true magic occurs. By totally deploying that 17.3-inch display screen, all of the sudden you have got a ton of additional area for productiveness, gaming (properly gentle gaming) or anything. Does it take some further effort? Yeah. But on the identical time, it is really type of sensible (and it doesn’t damage that it jogs my memory of enjoying with Transformers as a child). You can prop up the Zenbook utilizing ASUS’ built-in kickstand whereas positioning the Bluetooth keyboard wherever you want. And as a result of there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on totally different sides of the machine, it is simple to plug in peripherals or an influence cable when it is advisable to recharge.

Aside from laptop computer and desktop modes, you may also use the Zenbook 17 Fold as a giant pill, which allowed my spouse and I to look at She-Hulk whereas ready on the gate for our flight. Despite some sizable letterboxing, it was very nice having an even bigger show to take a look at versus huddling round a six-inch telephone. There’s even one thing ASUS calls e-book mode that feels kinda such as you’re holding a large journal (keep in mind these?). Though much like pill mode, the sheer dimension of the display screen makes each pill and e-book modes really feel a bit too unwieldy to make use of with any form of regularity.

Unfortunately, ASUS did not copy the identical form of mil-spec 810G sturdiness Lenovo supplies with the X1 Fold. But even so, after greater than every week of being tossed in a bag that bought thrown underneath seats or into a number of overheard cargo bins, the Zenbook made it out unscathed. So not fairly army-grade, however so far as my battle testing goes, it will get a go.

Display and cameras

As for the display screen itself, ASUS touts a peak brightness of 500 nits for HDR content material, although in additional typical situations, I discovered that the Zenbook outputs nearer to 350 nits, which is lots vibrant for basic use. Around the surface of the show, there are half-inch bezels that do look type of chunky in comparison with different trendy laptops. But given the quantity of bending, flipping and transferring of the display screen you do with the Zenbook, I do not suppose I’d need them any smaller, no less than not till ASUS can shave some weight off this factor.

The actual spotlight of the 2560 x 1920 OLED panel is all the brilliant colours and deep blacks. I do know OLED screens are rising in popularity on premium methods, however the vibrancy you get from them is much more spectacular on a versatile show. The display screen’s one small weak point is its shiny coating, which likes to choose up fingerprints whereas additionally being a bit extra reflective than your typical shiny panel. I additionally need to point out that regardless of its show dominating the Zenbook’s design, its quad Dolby Atmos audio system sound fairly good for its dimension.

To deal with video calls, the Zenbook contains a nifty set of cameras which embody a 5MP fundamental shooter and a few IR sensors, which can be utilized for facial login or to detect your presence. This permits the laptop computer to routinely lock itself once you stroll away for some added safety or to activate a display screen saver to cut back battery drain and forestall potential burn-in. The one quirk is that as a result of the Zenbook was designed to be primarily utilized in desktop mode, you may get vertical pics and movies in laptop computer mode, which is not precisely supreme for conferences. Meanwhile, as a result of the webcam sits on the aspect of the show in desktop mode, correctly positioning your face within the heart generally is a little difficult too.

Performance

The ZenBook 17 Fold is fairly well-rounded with an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Performance was usually easy and I solely encountered just a few hitches as soon as the battery dipped under 5 p.c. But, the selection of a U-series chip means the Zenbook is not fairly as highly effective as many conventional clamshells, with methods just like the Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo Yoga 9i posting larger scores throughout quite a few exams together with Geekbench 5 and PCMark 10. In quick, it could actually deal with typical productiveness and even a little bit of very informal gaming, simply do not count on rather more than that.

Keyboard and software program

Alright, to date every little thing has been fairly optimistic, however with out getting overly doom and gloom, it is time to speak concerning the Zenbook’s flaws. In idea, its magnetic keyboard is the right companion for a versatile hybrid. It connects wirelessly over Bluetooth and its tailor-made dimensions imply you possibly can tuck it away neatly contained in the show whereas touring. You even get 1.4mm of key journey, which is fairly nice on a peripheral this skinny.

Unfortunately, really utilizing it appears like making an attempt to provide medication to an upset child, as a result of irrespective of how properly you ask, it simply will not hearken to you. At first, the keyboard struggled to remain related, which meant I needed to unpair and restore it each time the Zenbook went to sleep. Then I seen that its touchpad was jumpy and erratic, typically bouncing round with out me transferring my finger or being sluggish to reply to instructions.

To make issues worse, whereas the system is meant to routinely acknowledge once you lay the keyboard on prime of the underside half of the display screen in laptop computer mode, for some motive the Zenbook merely ignored that process when launching sure apps. This causes every little thing to leap again into full-screen mode till you carry the keyboard and drop it down once more, which is downright irritating particularly once you’re making an attempt to play a sport. It’s not simply me both, virtually every other person who has reviewed the Zenbook 17 Fold has encountered comparable points, which is an actual disgrace as a result of it places an actual damper on the gadget’s potential.

Furthermore, whereas the keyboard has a USB-C port for charging and glorious battery life (upwards of 12 hours), you continue to must cost it individually (there’s no backlighting both). This appears like a bizarre oversight in comparison with one thing like a Surface Pro and Microsoft’s Type Covers, the place you by no means want to fret about connectivity points or retaining the keyboard topped up as a result of they’re an integral a part of the system. But with the Zenbook, whereas it appears like a core element, the keyboard feels extra like an afterthought.

Also, I’ve to say that on a tool this costly, a few of ASUS’ software program and pre-loaded bloat is fairly irritating. In addition to McAfee LiveSafe continuously bombarding you with pointless notifications, looking for vital settings within the MyASUS app is an actual chore. But the factor that actually pisses me off is that ASUS’ GlideX app — which helps you to flip a spare pill or telephone right into a secondary show — is proscribed to 720p and has embedded adverts until you pay further to unlock the Plus, Pro or Ultra tiers. I imply come on, this can be a very costly (and form of experimental) premium gadget, these perks actually must be free. And no, limited-time promos don’t depend.

Battery life

When it involves longevity, one of many large fears with a versatile convertible like that is that every one the additional help required to carry every little thing collectively takes up beneficial room the place a battery may go. But to my nice shock, the Zenbook 17 Fold fared higher than I anticipated. On our native video rundown check, it lasted 14 hours and 9 minutes in desktop mode, and an excellent higher 15:26 in laptop computer mode. That’s mark for any moveable PC, and so long as you are not overloading the processor, the Zenbook’s battery holds up throughout on a regular basis use as properly.

Wrap-up

After utilizing this factor for the higher a part of two weeks and lugging it throughout half of Europe, I’ve bought some ideas. At first, I used to be continuously nervous about breaking it throughout my travels. But as soon as these considerations light, I began to actually recognize its flexibility. Simply interested by this as an ordinary 2-in-1 is not fairly proper, as a result of it is much more adaptable than that.

Depending on the state of affairs, the Zenbook 17 Fold modified from being a giant pill for watching exhibits and films to an ultraportable that permit me work in tight areas to a transportable desktop I may use as my command station away from house. I’m often one who longs for the consolation of a second monitor when I’m not at my desk, however these yearnings did not hit almost as laborious on this journey. And to my delight, it carried out properly in all of these roles. On prime of that, between Windows 11 and ASUS’ ScreenXpert device, it is a lot simpler to decide on the precise app structure for no matter mode you are in. (If you’ll keep in mind, the unique ThinkPad X1 Fold was designed to run on Windows 10X, which ended up getting canceled final 12 months.) And the choice to incorporate an even bigger 17.3-inch display screen provides you extra room for work or play, whereas additionally making content material look nice.

However, the place the Zenbook falters is in its software program, wonky Bluetooth keyboard, and naturally, that $3,500 price ticket. But what’s actually stopping me from loving it’s the quick time I’ve spent with Lenovo’s 2022 ThinkPad X1 Fold. That’s as a result of for Lenovo’s second-gen versatile laptop computer, the corporate got here up with a model new chassis that includes a extra compact hinge, a revamped keyboard and a redesigned stand. Lenovo additionally retained its mil-spec sturdiness and stylus help, neither of which you get on the Zenbook. So whereas the Zenbook 17 Fold is an admirable first try and improves on the class as an entire, it nonetheless has just a few regressions that depart it feeling extra like a sophisticated tackle a barely dated design than a real rival to Lenovo’s next-gen foldable.