Premium laptops often struggle to justify their high price tags when it comes to build quality and design. At this price point of A$3399, consumers should expect an exceptional user experience. Fortunately, the Asus Zenbook S 14 delivers on that front. With its sleek design, compact form factor, and stunning display, there’s a lot to appreciate here.
The Asus Zenbook S 14 is an impressive ultrabook with plenty to offer, from its AI-powered Copilot+ integration to its incredible OLED display. However, what truly sets it apart is its battery life—lasting an incredible 21 hours in our tests. If you’re someone who constantly worries about carrying a charger, this laptop will make that concern a thing of the past.
As someone who primarily writes on a laptop for a living, sometimes you need to get out of the house and be one of those people in a cafe drinking coffee, scarfing down muffins while banging out written pieces.
The not-so-fun part of this process is making sure you have a device that can handle long hours while allowing you to browse online, create and edit documents with a power cord hanging around, or your battery dying in the middle of your session. The Zenbook S 14 has solved all of these issues and is the perfect lightweight machine that can keep you going.
Design
One of the standout aspects of the Zenbook S 14 is its build material. Asus has opted for a unique ceramic-aluminum blend, known as Ceraluminum, a material often found in luxury watches due to its combination of durability and lightweight properties. At first touch, it almost feels like high-end plastic, but upon further use, the smooth yet non-slippery texture becomes unmistakably premium.
A key advantage of this material is that it resists fingerprints, maintaining its polished look even with extended use. Weighing just 2.65 lbs and housing a 72Wh battery, the Zenbook S 14 is impressively lightweight.
Most of its weight distribution leans toward the screen, giving the main body an almost weightless feel. In terms of portability, this is an ideal example of what a premium ultraportable laptop should be—slim, easy to store, and effortless to carry.
On the connectivity front, Asus has equipped the laptop with a solid selection of ports. It includes a USB Type-A port, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. While it may not cater to power users needing an extensive array of connections, it provides enough versatility for most business and productivity needs. The typing and navigation experience is also commendable.
The backlit keyboard is comfortable, and the touchpad is surprisingly spacious—offering a luxurious amount of room for gestures and navigation. Asus has also integrated its newer arrowhead-style logo subtly into the design, specifically on the audio bar, adding a nice touch of branding without overdoing it.
The audio performance exceeded my expectations, with the upward-firing speakers delivering a well-balanced sound profile. While working, I found myself enjoying music with a clarity that isn’t always common in ultraportable laptops.
Peformance & Functionality
Under the hood, the Zenbook S 14 is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 7 Series 2 CPU with integrated Arc Graphics. As a Copilot+-ready laptop, it’s designed to handle AI-centric applications seamlessly. With 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, the laptop performs efficiently, even under heavy multitasking. Microsoft 365 apps, multiple browser tabs, and other productivity tools run smoothly without noticeable slowdowns.
Additionally, despite extended use, the laptop remains relatively cool, which is a testament to its efficient thermal management. However, it’s worth noting that the Zenbook S 14 lacks a dedicated mobile GPU, meaning it isn’t built for high-end gaming.
Installing my Steam and Epic Games launchers and trying to get any game to run was a pointless task; it couldn’t even load the title screen of older games like Sonic the Hedgehog, so if you are looking at doing any kind of offline gaming, this is not the device for you.
One of the highlights of this laptop is its incredible OLED display. The 14-inch screen, with its 2880 x 1800p resolution and ultra-slim bezel design (boasting a 90% screen-to-body ratio), offers an immersive visual experience. Colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and overall clarity is excellent—making it an ideal choice for media consumption.
While not quite 4K, the display quality is more than sufficient for most users, offering a significant upgrade for those coming from previous-generation models.
Additionally, the glossy touchscreen panel supports a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth navigation. If media consumption and content viewing are a priority, the Zenbook S 14 is certainly worth considering.
Verdict & Value
Overall, the Asus Zenbook S 14 stands out as a premium Windows laptop, particularly for business professionals and media consumers.
While its price may not offer the best raw performance-to-dollar ratio—especially for those who need a dedicated GPU—it delivers a refined, high-quality package that won’t disappoint.
Asus has successfully carved out a distinct identity for its flagship Zenbook lineup, and this model is a testament to that effort.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Large battery life, light-weight design so easy to put in your bag
Lowlights: Little to no gaming ability
Manufacturer: Asus
Price: A$3399
Available: Now
Review is based on a unit supplied by Asus and is available via the official ASUS website.
