With the Zenbook A14, Asus has reached a new milestone in portability. It's a 14-inch laptop that weighs just 2.2 pounds, which makes it more like a tablet than a computer. With its unique solidified shell, the Zenbook A14 feels like a cross between ceramic and metal, more feasible than LG's Chintzy Ultrairt Light Gram lineup. However, there is always a trade-off between size and strength, in which case Asus delivers the slowest copilot + PC we've seen. But I think that makes it really lightweight.
It is now clear that the Zenbook A14 is a usable laptop for light productivity jobs. Since it is a Copilot+ AI PC, it comes with at least 16GB of RAM, making it easy to handle dozens of browser tabs as well as your typical office and photo editing apps. But the A14's Snapdragon X X1 chip limits its ability to do anything that really requires, so don't expect it to play a lot of games or render videos. And because it is powered by this arm chip, Zenbook also has to run applications designed for Intel and AMD CPUs in slower simulations. Some software is simply unavailable, including very old applications and similar games Fortnite Use anti-verb software.
So while the Zenbook A14 looks like a MacBook Air Killer at first glance, it's a reminder of Apple's laptop. Of course, it's half a pound, but the MacBook Air can also edit videos, render 3D and pinch games. There is no doubt that you won't encounter the same performance limit on your Zenbook A14.
That being said, there is still a super illuminated, underdeveloped laptop for viewers. The A14 is the ideal machine for writing on the go, as you can travel easily and can offer up to 18 hours and 16 minutes of battery life (according to PCMark 10 benchmark). Let's face it, Zenbook's downturn in gaming ribs may actually improve your productivity.
If you have already set up a desktop or higher laptop setup at home, I can see it as a perfect auxiliary computing device. And, if you really just need to browse the web, reply to emails, and watch occasional videos, you probably won't notice its performance issues.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
hardware
The Zenbook A14 makes a stunning first impression long after you see action. Its retail box feels shocking as if it contains only air and some cardboard cushioning. Once you turn it on, it's hard to understand that the 14-inch laptop weighs just 2.2 pounds. It also feels as balanced as a hand-cook's knife, making it easy to hold. Like last year's Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 and G16, I was impressed that the Zenbook A14 felt like how far the company was from producing cheap MacBook Clones.
The overall polish of Zenbook A14 also adds the aforementioned salt water box, which is great. It's warm and tempting, while Apple's MacBook and most other all-metal laptops almost always feel cold (especially in an icy office). As we've seen on other recent Asus notebooks, the peel feels strong, too, as the A14 has no elasticity on its slight frame.
The company obviously took some time to fine-tune the availability of this light machine. Open it with one hand, which is effortless, thanks to the new hinge design that allows the A14 to tilt the A14 backwards as you lift the screen. I've tested other notebooks, including early Zenbook models, which require two hands: one that can put the keyboard part of the computer down, while the other that can lift the monitor. I can tell you from experience that it is helpful to be able to turn on a computer in the other with a crying child in one hand.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
The Zenbook A14 has an impressively thin profile when it is opened, but it is also perfect enough when it is opened on the legs to keep its screen stable. This seems like a niche point, but I've gradually despised the unstable display on smaller thin notebooks. This is another sign that Asus gets a small thing in the A14.
Speaking of the right thing, I thank Asus for being able to squeeze a lot of ports: two USB-C connections, one USB Type-A, a full-size HDMI connection and a headphone jack. Meanwhile, Apple only includes two USB-C ports, a MagSafe charging connection and a headphone jack on the MacBook Air.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
In use: Repairable ARM-based Windows laptop
Unfortunately, all of Asus' thoughtful hardware designs are fixed by the Snapdragon X X1, an octa-core system on chips (SOCs) that can be used for ultra-weak and low-power devices. In benchmarks and general usage, this is obviously a much slower solution than the X Elite and X Plus chips that are shiny on Surface Pro and other Copilot+ Systems. As I mentioned, it's a compromise that Asus has to make such a slim notebook, and for some it could be a complete deal.
The Zenbook A14 handles my basic productivity workflow, which is great: browse dozens of tags on chrome and edges, while also running Slack, Spotify and the occasional photo editing app. But, compared to the Surface Pro and laptop, it's like driving an entry-level car instead of a real luxury product. This is a pity, because it costs similar to these PCs. Best Buy currently lists our review units, which include 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD for $1,100. If these specs are paired with a better processor, I would think the A14 is a wise purchase. Instead, it feels like a machine that obviously should be under $1,000, while 16GB of RAM and a smaller SSD.
On Edge and Chrome, I noticed a slight ic slap as I jump between tabs and multiple windows. These are native applications developed for arm processors! The Snapdragon chip needs to emulate older X64 and X86 Windows applications, which introduces even slower. When writing this review with Evernote (X64 app), the A14 often has difficulty scrolling down long notes smoothly, sometimes taking a few seconds to load older notes. (The concept of Evernote owner says, “ARM processors are not officially supported at the moment”, which means that if the user encounters bigger problems, it is unfortunate.)
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
A benefit of a processor that runs quite slowly? Excellent battery life. In the PCMark 10 battery benchmark, the Zenbook A14 lasted for 18 hours and 16 minutes. It's about 30 minutes with the Snapdragon X Elite compared to Dell's Copilot+ XPS 13, and it's two and a half hours longer than last year's Intel Core Ultra-Perive Zenbook S14.
I appreciate the Zenbook A14 the most when I don't want to try to benchmark it or look for occasional slowdowns. This is a great machine when you just want to focus on writing, cleaning up emails or finalizing company training. Its keyboard opens responsively and comfortably, although I wish its touchpad would measure the touchpad more accurately.
The Zenbook A14 is also great for catching up with Netflix performances in bed, as it almost feels heavy and looks great on its 14-inch OLED screen. Its speakers sound very subtle, though, so I'd use my headphones for any serious binge meeting. To my surprise, its 1080p webcam actually produces a decent lens, and it also allows easy login to the A14 with Windows Hello IR support.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Should you buy a Zenbook A14?
Given the combined issues of ARM compatibility and slow processors, I don't recommend that most people use the Zenbook A14 as a primary computer, even if it's priced like a real MacBook Air Competitor. If anything, Asus's experiment is an experiment that can see what compromises consumers can tolerate getting such a lightweight laptop. Most people won't use something like the Zenbook 14 OLED instead of the impossible lightweight and under-functioning notebook, currently selling 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD for $1,050. Of course, it weighs 2.8 pounds instead of 2.2, but it is still portable.
Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air costs $999 and comes with an M4 chip that's half a pound heavier than the Zenbook A14, but it's much more capable overall. Even older M2 chips are faster than Snapdragon X, MacOS has more ARM-compatible applications and is faster to emulate.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
wrap up
If Asus’ goal is to make an impressive premium ultra-light laptop, it can almost get there with the Zenbook A14. Although it weighs and value exceeds the MacBook air, its slow processor makes it far less capable than Apple's super convenience. Maybe one day, with future revisions and more capable hardware, Asus can finally offer a powerful nearly two-pound laptop. However, for the moment, you'd better wait for the discount so that the A14 can be used as a secondary PC.
This article originally appeared on Engadget
