CES 2021: ASUS unveils new ZenBook Duo 14, ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED and VivoBook S14

The Republic of Gamers released a slew of ROG devices yesterday, and today it is ASUS’ turn. We will be taking a look at the new ASUS ZenBook Duo series designed to amp up your productivity, as well as the new VivoBook. All of these feature the latest from Intel and NVIDIA.

Improving on the ScreenPad Plus secondary display that’s the hallmark of the ASUS ZenBook Duo series is the new auto-tilting mechanism by up to 9.5°. This works in tandem with the ErgoLift hinge to improve the overall user experience and cooling capacity of the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 and ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED. The combination of the ErgoLift hinge and auto-tilting ScreenPad Plus is dubbed Active Aerodynamic System Plus, and promises up to 49% better airflow.

ASUS also baked in improved software support with ASUS Control Panel, bringing more precise and intuitive controls to the ScreenPad Plus in creative apps like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro and After Effects. There’s also stylus support, with up to 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity for accurate drawing and writing on the ScreenPad Plus. The ASUS stylus will be bundled with both the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED and ZenBook Duo 14.

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED (UX582)

It is interesting that ASUS decided to add OLED to the name of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED, as the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo already had an OLED display back then. Once again, we will be seeing a 15.6″ 4K OLED primary display paired up with the smaller 14″ 4K ScreenPad Plus panel. The tilt enables a more seamless appearance of the dual displays.

Under the hood we see an upgrade to the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors and GeForce RTX 3070 graphics. Connectivity is also improved, with two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and WiFi 6.

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 Specs

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Processor	Intel Core i7-10870H, 8C/16T up to 5.0GHz, unlocked, 14nm / Intel Core i9-10980HK, 8C/16T up to 5.3GHz, 14nm
RAM	Up to 32GB DDR4-2933 (dual-channel, on-board)
Graphics	Up to GeForce RTX 3070 (Mobile) 8GB GDDR6
Storage	Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
Display	Primary 15.6″ 4K OLED display, 60Hz, 100% DCI-P3, touch-sensitive Pantone Validated ScreenPad Plus 14.09″ 4K (3840 x 1100) IPS touch display
Connectivity	1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) Type-A 2 x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C 1 x 3.5mm combo jack 1 x HDMI 2.1
Battery	92WHr battery 240W power adapter
Dimensions	359 x 249 x 21.5 mm
Weight	2.4kg

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ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482)

While the last-gen ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 was marred by the peculiar decision to use a non-touch panel for the primary 14″ display, the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 now sports touch on both its main 14″ FHD and secondary ScreenPad Plus displays for a better user experience, similar to its bigger brethren, but in a significantly lighter package.

The ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 is Intel Evo-verified, which promises an exceptional user experience. Featuring the 11th Gen Intel Core processor with Iris Xe graphics and an optional GeForce MX450, we wouldn’t expect anything less. ASUS also baked in their ASUS Intelligent Performance Technology (AIPT) here, providing up to 40% better performance compared to similar designs.

Connectivity wise, you get two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and WiFi 6, as well as support for USB-PD charging. It will offer up to 17 hours of battery life on a single charge, so you don’t have to worry about running out of juice when out on the go.

ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 Specs

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Processor	Intel Core i7-1165G7, 4C/8T up to 4.7GHz, 10nm SuperFin / Intel Core i5-1135G7, 4C/8T up to 4.2GHz, 10nm SuperFin
RAM	Up to 32GB LPDDR4X-4266 (on-board, dual-channel)
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX450 2GB GDDR6 (optional)
Storage	Up to 1 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
Display	Primary 14″ FHD IPS display, 60Hz, 100% sRGB, touch-sensitive Pantone Validated ScreenPad Plus 12.6″ FHD IPS touch display
Connectivity	1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps) Type-A 2 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 1 x 3.5mm combo jack 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x microSD card reader
Battery	70WHr battery 65W power adapter
Dimensions	324 x 222 x 16.9 mm
Weight	1.6kg

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ASUS VivoBook S14 (S435)

You can probably expect the ASUS ZenBook Duo series to be quite pricey, so if you want an Intel Evo-verified laptop that’s a bit more wallet-friendly, there’s also the ASUS VivoBook 14 (S435). Powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors with Iris Xe graphics, the ASUS VivoBook S14 is no slouch too. There’s AIPT here to further improve performance when necessary as well.

The ASUS VivoBook S14’s styling isn’t a huge departure from the 10th Gen Intel Core-based VivoBook S14 (S433) we already have in the market, but you do get a higher 90% screen-to-body ratio with the new VivoBook S14. For connectivity, ASUS added support for Thunderbolt 4. If you want to use your older devices, there are also USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports on the VivoBook S14. All of that is packed into a lightweight 1.3kg package to let you carry it with you anywhere you go.

Local pricing and availability for the ASUS ZenBook Duo series and ASUS VivoBook S14 has yet to be confirmed, so stay tuned for more info about these amazing laptops.

Pokdepinion: I wonder if the ErgoLift hinge combined with the raised ScreenPad Plus can allow the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED to outperform the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 in terms of cooling.