ASUS revealed a slew of new Zenbook notebooks earlier this month, which will be available in retail outlets around the world very soon. In fact, some of them have only recently made their Malaysian debut.
Let’s get started with the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3402), the most affordable model introduced at ASUS Malaysia’s Zenbook launch event. ASUS has equipped the model with not only an OLED display but also a new outer design that was supposedly inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese technique of restoring broken ceramics with gold, for this year’s release.
At the same time, the business claims that the chassis of the laptop is tough enough to meet MIL-STD-810H specifications. The Malaysian version of the 1.39kg laptop includes a Pantone and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600-certified 14-inch display with a native resolution of 2880 x 1800, a refresh rate of 90Hz, a maximum brightness of 600nits, and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.
In Malaysia, the 14 OLED comes standard with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. The standard variant, priced at RM4,399, is powered by an Intel Core i5-1240P processor and has a 512GB PCIe Gen4 solid state drive, while the variant with an Intel Core i7-1260P processor and 1TB SSD costs RM5,599.
Moving on, the Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition (UX5401), which was the star of yesterday’s launch event, is the next model on the list. This model was created to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first ASUS laptop, which was launched into space in 1997.
The laptop in question was a P6300 that lasted 600 days aboard Russia’s space station Mir. Two more P6100 computers were supplied to Mir the same year.
In keeping with the space concept, the 2022’s 14X OLED Space Edition is believed to be fit for space travel as well, as it is meant to meet the US Space Systems Command Standard SMC-S-016A criteria. This includes the capacity to tolerate high vibration at frequencies ranging from 20 to 2000Hz, as well as operating temperatures ranging from -24 to 61 degrees Celsius.
The styling of the 1.4kg laptop revolves around space as well. For example, on its lid is an etching of a morse code that reads Ad Astra Per Aspera, which means “Through Hardships To The Stars” in Latin.
The identical quote was inscribed on the laptop’s underside. In addition, there are morse codes throughout the laptop that depict the Mir station, P6300, and many more.
The presence of a 3.5-inch OLED monochrome display called ZenVision on the 14X OLED Space Edition’s lid distinguishes it from other Zenbooks. It can display personalized words, time, battery status, identification tag, and space theme animation for owners.
ASUS has even designed unique packaging for the 14X OLED Space Edition. It also comes with a handy accessories box that users can use as a makeshift laptop stand, which the manufacturer claims is set at a 23-degree inclination.
The 14X OLED Space Edition, like the 14 OLED, has a 14-inch 2880 x 1800 display, but ASUS has chosen to use a touch panel instead. 16GB LPDDR5 RAM is also included, however the laptop is powered by a far more powerful Intel Core H-Series processor.
The 14X OLED Space Edition with an Intel Core i5-12500H and 512GB solid state drive is available in Malaysia for RM5,599. There is also an RM6,499 variant with an Intel Core i7-12700H and a 1TB solid state drive.
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402), which is primarily aimed towards creative professionals, had its Malaysian premiere at the launch event. As the name suggests, this model is a more compact version of the Pro 15 Duo OLED, with a smaller 14.5-inch 2880 x 1800 120Hz display.
Even the secondary ScreenPad Plus display on the Pro 14 Duo OLED is significantly smaller than the one on the 15-inch model, measuring 12.7-inch and sporting a native resolution of 2880 x 864. The screen, dubbed the ScreenPad Plus by ASUS, sits atop a raisable base outfitted with the AAS Ultra mechanism.
Apart from making the screen slightly easier to see, the platform can be tilted up to 12-degrees. ASUS claims that the AAS Ultra implementation enhances airflow and can reduce the operating temperature of the laptop by up to 7 degrees Celsius.
For the time being, the Pro 14 Duo OLED is only available in our market with an Intel Core i7-12700H processor. The dual-screen laptop costs RM8,999 and has NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 16GB LPDDR5-4800 RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive.
Meanwhile, ASUS has announced the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) would be available in Malaysia. This laptop, dubbed by the company as the most powerful Zenbook ever, was not on exhibit at the launch event, despite the fact that it is already available for purchase from ASUS dealers across the country.
The Pro 16X OLED, like the Pro 14 Duo OLED, has the AAS Ultra portion, but instead of a second screen, it houses the laptop’s keyboard. The 2.4kg laptop also includes an integrated ASUS Dial for quick access to favorite tools within compatible creative software.
It also includes a 16-inch 4K touch screen that supports the ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus. In Malaysia, this model is presently available in only one configuration, which features an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics, 16GB LPDDR5-5200 RAM, and a 1TB solid state drive for RM11,999.
In general, all of these new 2022 Zenbooks are available from authorized ASUS dealers in Malaysia, both offline and online. That being said, we recommend that you phone them first or check the web directory of these retailers to be certain about the availability of these laptops, as it may differ from one dealer to the next.
