What you need to know
- The ASUS ZenBook 14 and 15 are both available today through several retailers.
- The laptops feature a touchpad that's also a display and an impressive selection of ports.
- The ZenBook 14 starts at $1,200 and the ZenBook 15 starts at $1,400.
The ASUS ZenBook 14 and 15 are now avaialble at several retailers including Amazon and Best Buy. The newest laptops from ASUS feature a touchpad that also functions as a secondary display, called ScreenPad 2.0. They also have an immersive screen, a wide selection of ports, and have variants with the NVIDIA GeForce MX250 for the ZenBook 14 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q for the ZenBook 15.
The unique feature of both ZenBook laptops is ScreenPad 2.0. It can be used for productivity apps like a built-in calculator from ASUS, but can also be utilized by developers to interact with apps. A Quick Key feature allows users to program complex keyboard sequences into a single tap on the display. ScreenPad 2.0 supports handwriting as well to give users another input method. It can also be used as a number pad, which is a clever way to add a number pad to a laptop without adding bulk or width.
The ZenBook 14 and 15 are available with up to an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor. The ZenBook 14 is available with up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX250. The ZenBook 15 is available with up to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q. Every model of both laptops has 16GB of RAM.
Both laptops feature a primary display that has a 95 percent screen-to-body ratio. The ZenBook 14 features a wide range of ports, including USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB Gen 2 Type-A (Up to 10Gbps), USB 2.0, HDMI, microSD reader, and an audio jack. The ZenBook 15 has a similar list of ports including USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (display support), USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A (up to 10Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (up to 5Gbps), HDMI, SD card readers, and an audio jack.
Both laptops support gigabit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity. ASUS claims that the ZenBook 14 gets up to 12.3 hours of battery life and that the ZenBook 15 gets up to 14.9 hours of battery life.
The ZenBook 14 starts at $1,200 and the ZenBook 15 starts at $1,400
This thin and light laptop features a touchpad that is also a secondary display. It also has an impressive set of ports and internals for its price.
This thin and light laptop features a touchpad that is also a secondary display. It also has an impressive set of ports and internals for its price.
Portable (and affordable) power accessories we love
Each and every one of these charging gadgets will keep your favorite gear and gadgets going for longer, and none of them costs more than $30.
VisionTek 8,000 mAh micro-USB power bank ($13 at Dell)
This compact dual-output powerbank can speedily recharge any and all your devices, thanks to a two-amp "fast charge feature," using its micro-USB out port. Its simple design includes an LED indicator, and it costs about as much as a single ticket to the movies.
Panasonic eneloop AA batteries (From $13 at Dell)
Panasonic's rechargeable batteries are among the best available, and just a couple of them will keep your favorite remote, mice or other peripherals powered up when you need them. They're also eco. And the company's affordable charger fits and charges both AA and AAA batteries at the same time.
Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad ($30 at Dell)
This unobtrusive Qi wireless charging pad looks good (and kind of like a UFO …) and easily charges all your Qi-compatible device up to 5W. Its LED indicator lights up when you're charging. And it costs just $30.
