Thank you for reading my review that I published on musicphotolife.com on 25 Oct 2024.
ASUS announced the new tablet PC that runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor. The ProArt PZ13 (HT5306) is a 13-inch detachable laptop that is versatile and rugged, rated IP52, MIL-STD 801H military-grade durability, weighing only 850 grams and 9mm thin.

Its retail price is S$2399 and includes the detachable keyboard, a detachable kickstand, the ASUS Pen 2.0 (Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0 supported), and a well-padded backpack.

I am not a fan of the Surface Pro style form factor, but I have to admit the whole design is well-thought. I like the little design elements at the edges that make the ProArt PZ13 look and feel a little more unique instead of just a plain tablet.

I am also impressed that the Snapdragon X Plus processor delivers smooth response and good battery life. Equally brilliant is the 3K ASUS Lumina OLED display with touchscreen and stylus input. The panel boasts a response time of 0.2ms, 50-times faster than the average laptop LCD display, and while the refresh rate is 120Hz, it will achieve better motion clarity than a higher-refresh rate display.

There are only two USB-C ports and an SD Card reader, no legacy connectors like USB Type-A nor HDMI. You will need to get one of those USB Hub if you want to connect those peripherals. This would be my deal-breaker.

The soft keyboard uses real mechanical movements and has 1.35mm key travel that feels similar to a normal laptop keyboard. Connected to the tablet with pins instead of Bluetooth, the communication is lag-free and I can type fast on it. Its touchpad also supports smart gestures at the sides where you can slide to adjust brightness, volume, and playback. When the keyboard is folded to magnetically dock at the back of the tablet, the keyboard is disabled, but it faces out, like the 2-in-1 foldable laptop. The cool part is that you can actually flip around the keyboard to dock with the tablet before folding to the back so that the keyboard faces inwards and not exposed.

The ProArt PZ13 comes with two cameras: a front-facing 5MP IR camera that supports Windows Hello face authentication, and a rear-facing 13MP 4K camera. These cameras are definitely better quality than any laptop cameras. They also come with built-in background filters and real-time image processing options, including a “teleprompter” mode that keeps your eyes movement “stabilised”. The background blur also comes with a “Portrait” blur which reduces the blur effect so that it looks more like a natural bokeh instead of a deliberate background blur.

Promoted as a CoPilot+ PC series, the ProArt PZ13 generously includes AI-powered tools like StoryCube for to help you manage your photos and videos, and ProArt Creator Hub for optimizing workflows. It also includes a six-month CapCut membership that offers rich video editing features.

Verdict
With so much to offer, the retail price is competitive against the latest Surface Pro which does not bundle with the keyboard and pen. The ASUS ProArt is a serious contender for consumers looking for a tablet form factor. If you are mainly a keyboard warrior, it may be a bit of a hassle to use the setup on your lap or on uneven surfaces. Putting that aside, in the standard laptop form, the display is gorgeous, the keyboard and touchpad is responsive, the touchscreen and pen is smooth, the OS runs smoothly, the battery life is respectable, the weight is manageable, it is IP52 rated and military-grade durability. The price is also reasonable given it includes keyboard, stylus, casing, and even a useful backpack. If I were to nitpick, ASUS should have included a USB hub to connect legacy ports like HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet.

Visit the official ASUS website for more product information: ASUS ProArt PZ13 (HT5306) | Creator Laptop | ASUS Singapore
This article is first published on musicphotolife.com.




