ASUS has announced several new ZenBook devices at CES 2021, as well as a new Tilting ScreenPad Plus.
ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED
The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED has an Intel Core i9 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 laptop GPU, and up to 32GB of RAM, along with up to a 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD. In terms of display, it has a main screen and a 14-inch 4K UHD ScreenPad Plus with 400 nits of brightness.
The main screen is a 4K OLED HDR NanoEdge touchscreen with a frameless four-sided slim-bezel design and a 93% screen-to-body ratio. It has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, and PANTONE Validated certification. The screen also has 100% DCI-P3 coverage and TÜV Rheinland certification.
Cooling airflow is said to be 36% higher than in the past, due to the new Active Aerodynamic System Plus utilising the ErgoLift hinge and tilted ScreenPad Plus. Other features include two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and WiFi 6.
ZenBook Duo 14
An Intel Evo-verified laptop, the ZenBook Duo 14 has up to an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. It sports a 12.6-inch ScreenPad Plus and has up to 32GB of RAM. It has an up to 1TB PCIe 3.0x4 SSD for storage, optional NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics, and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. It has WiFi 6 support as well.
Additionally, the laptop features ASUS Intelligent Performance Technology and Performance mode to boost performance, as well as ASUS WiFi Master Premium technology. For cooling, it has an AAS Plus thermal system.
Tilting ScreenPad Plus
The previously-mentioned ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED and ZenBook Duo 14, which are bundled with the ASUS Pen 5, both feature a new tilting ScreenPad Plus design, with the secondary touchscreen automatically tilting up to 9.5° and 7° upwards respectively. The tilt is also meant to provide the screen with a stylus-friendly angle when the laptops are positioned on the Duo Stand that comes with them, as well as to provide less glare and reflections in general. The main screens offer support for the newest 4096-pressure-level devices, while the ScreenPad Plus also offers a 3840 x 1100 resolution and brightness of 400 nits.
The laptops include an upgraded Screen Xpert 2 software which includes a new Window Flick for flicking windows between the displays. It also has a new Control Panel app with Dial, Button, Slider, and Scroll control types. “Control Panels gives the user precise and intuitive control in creative apps, with intuitive controls for adjusting brush size, saturation, layer opacity, and much more,” says the press release. It is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere, and After Effects, with more compatible apps to be announced later. Meanwhile, the Task Group app has an updated design to allow Task Groups to be seen “at a glance” and to allow users to launch several apps with one tap.
ZenBook 13 OLED
The 13.9 mm-thin chassis ZenBook 13 OLED has up to a FHD OLED display and either AMD Ryzen 5000 U-Series or Intel processors. It is 1.14kg and has up to 13 hours of battery life. It features WiFi 6 support as well.
ZenBook Flip 15 and ZenBook 14
The 15.6-inch ZenBook Flip 15 features a FHD NanoEdge touchscreen, an 11th Gen Intel Core H Series processor, and a GTX 1650. Meanwhile, the 14-inch, 14.3mm slim ZenBook 14 has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Mobile Processor and up to NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics. The latter also has up to a dual-fan cooling system, a PCIe SSD, and an up to 16-hour battery life. Both have WiFi 6 support.
