I have been reviewing the ASUS Zenbook S 14 UX5406SA for over a month, and the positive experience easily translates to the premium price of S$2,799. Zenbook S represents the ultimate premium mobility and precision craftsmanship. Sometimes, you just have to pay for great products. The chassis features the innovative ASUS Ceraluminum, a high-tech ceramic hybrid material that offers exceptional strength, effortlessly resisting scratches and wear.
Here is the specs breakdown:
- Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 258V 32GB 2.2 GHz (12MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 47; Intel Arc Graphics
- 14.0-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500, 1.07 billion colors, Touch screen with stylus support
- 32GB LPDDR5X Memory on Package
- 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (data speed up to 10Gbps)
2x Thunderbolt™ 4 with support for display / power delivery (data speed up to 40Gbps)
1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack - FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello
- Wi-Fi 7(802.11be) (Triple band) 2*2 + Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Card
- MIL-STD 810H Military Standard tested
- 72WHrs, 2S2P, 4-cell Li-ion
- 1.2 kg
Here are the features that I feel makes the Zenbook S 14 a worthy premium laptop to own.
Ceramic Aluminum
It’s an interesting material that makes the aluminum body feels less metallic and less cold to the touch. The matt body surface feels almost like thick dense carbon plastic. The hybrid-metal material can easily dissipate heat, ensuring the Zenbook S 14 continues to operate silently even with the 2 fans spinning at maximum speed. They are so quiet that you can use the laptop in the library without detection.
Touchscreen with 3K OLED
I have a thing about touchscreen. They offer a quick way to interact, allowing me to tap on the screen to select an option instead of swiping my touchpad. The OLED display is also spectacular, making content appear sharp, contrasty, vivid but not over-saturated. It also supports Dolby Vision to further elevate the content.
Lightweight
This is one of the key factors when I look for a laptop. 1.2kg is borderline for me though, because I am so used to my LG gram that weighs less than 1000 grams. Sadly, they don’t make new touchscreen models below 1kg anymore. The Zenbook S 14 is also tested for ruggedness with the MIL-STD 810H where it survives vibration test, altitude test, temperature test, shock test.
Full-sized Ports
I only go for laptops that come with some full-sized ports. Thankfully, the Zenbook S14 comes with one USB-A, one HDMI, and even one 3.5mm ports.
Proximity Sensor and Login
The camera can be used to login to the Windows using Facial Recognition so it saves the hassle of entering passwords manually. It also detects presence so that it auto logs out when you are away.
4-Speakers Audio Quality
There is depth and presence in the audio tuned by Harman Kardon and supported by Dolby Atmos. Use the Dolby Access app to customise the settings or pick one of the presets. It sounds highly compressed so it might not sound accurate for audiophiles, but you get to hear the necessary details without any difficulty. You can also feel the bass moving on the keyboard.
Long Battery Life
With a 72Wh battery and running on the brand-new power-efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, the Zenbook S14 can handle over 10 hours of productivity work. When using the laptop, I don’t feel that the battery is draining excessively when idling, for instance, when writing this review article. Also, the separate NPU means using GenAI functions will be more power-efficient. The charging is also quite fast when using PD chargers.
Here are some minor drawbacks when reviewing the Zenbook S 14:
- Shallow keyboard and small CTRL key needs getting used to.
- FHD camera. ASUS should upgrade the camera to higher resolution. The camera quality is just average, you cannot use it to capture a decent selfie considering the quality we can get from even a budget smartphone. There is also no manual shutter cover.
Verdict
The Zenbook S 14 is a premium-design laptop that offers great user experience in terms of performance, portability and battery life. I like the new ceramic feel which is less of a fingerprint magnet. The camera keeps watch of my presence so it can log me in automatically or lock the laptop. The power management is impressive where it keeps battery consumption optimised, delivering the necessary performance when needed while throttling back quickly when done, which ensures the laptop run for long periods before the next charge.
If you absolutely need a long battery life and higher processor performance in a compact portable form factor, the ASUS Zenbook S 14 is the laptop to get. The UX5406 model retails in Singapore at S$2799, from the ASUS Online Store.
Would I buy it? Honestly, the price is beyond my budget. I love everything except the price. I just have to keep looking for the perfect replacement to my 6-year-old LG gram 13.
