01-09-2024, 10:53 PM
The new Zenbook Duo aims to Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i with a pair of 14-inch OLED displays for a total of 19.8 inches of screen real estate.
Asus is back with another Zenbook Duo, the latest device in its range of dual-screened laptops. But rather than including a small secondary display above this laptop’s keyboard like previous Duos, the revamped version for 2024 has two equally sized 14-inch screens. They’re both OLED, with resolutions of up to 2880 x 1800, aspect ratios of 16:10, and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Between them, they offer a total of 19.8 inches of usable screen real estate.
It’s a similar approach to the one Lenovo took with last year’s dual-screen Yoga Book 9i, albeit with a couple of tweaks. Like Lenovo, Asus gives you a choice of typing on the lower touchscreen via a virtual keyboard or by using a detachable physical Bluetooth keyboard. But what’s different here is that Asus’ keyboard has a trackpad built in, so you don’t have to use it in combination with an on-screen trackpad.
Asus envisages you using the new Zenbook Duo in a few different configurations. There’s a standard laptop mode, where the bottom screen is entirely covered by a traditional keyboard and trackpad. Or you can rest the keyboard on your desk and have the two screens arranged vertically for “Dual Screen” mode or horizontally for “Desktop” mode. Finally, there’s “Sharing” mode, which has you ditch the keyboard entirely and lay the laptop down on a flat surface with both its screens facing up and away from each other, presumably so you can share your work with a colleague sitting across the desk from you.
Naturally, having launched a year later than its competitor, the Asus Zenbook Duo is also packed with more modern hardware. It can be specced with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and 32GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, and a 75Wh battery. Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, HDMI out, and a 3.5mm jack, and the laptop can be used with Asus’ stylus. The Bluetooth keyboard is designed to be carried between the two screens when the laptop isn’t in use and can charge by attaching to pogo pins on the edges of the lower screen.
The Zenbook Duo (2024) is just one of the many laptops Asus has at CES this year. Alongside it, the company has new Vivobook laptops, including the 15.6-inch Vivobook Pro 15 OLED, which can be specced with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor alongside a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU as well as up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. It also has 15- and 16-inch Vivobook S series laptops, which are also available with OLED screens and come with a choice of the latest Intel and AMD processors but no mention of dedicated GPUs.
Finally, there’s a handful of TUF-branded gaming laptops, including new TUF Gaming F16, A16, and A15 models. The F16 has an Intel Core i7 13650HX processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, while the A16 gets you an AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and RTX 4070. Both have a choice of 16-inch 165Hz LCDs (though exact resolutions vary), up to 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage. Meanwhile, the smaller TUF Gaming A15 is available with an AMD Ryzen 8000-series processor with an RTX 4070 GPU, a 15-inch 2.5K LCD with a 165Hz refresh rate, up to 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. All three laptops can be upgraded with more RAM and storage.
We’ve followed up with Asus for US pricing and release date information for its new laptop lineup. But in the UK, the Zenbook Duo will be available from the end of January starting at £1,699.99 (around $2,161), and the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED will start at £1,599.99 (around $2,034). The Vivobook S series will start at £999.99 (around $1,271) in the UK, where it will be available sometime in Q1.