Over All Rating 5/5
Price Starts From ₹1,79,900/-
PROS 👍
- Dual-screen design
- High-quality OLED displays
- Strong performance with Intel Ultra 9
- Multiple usage modes
CONS 👎
- Heavier than single-screen laptops
- Limited gaming performance
- Battery life varies
The Asus Zenbook Duo has long been a standout in the laptop market, offering a unique dual-screen design that promises to revolutionize productivity and multitasking. In this iteration, Asus pairs its innovative form factor with a capable Intel Ultra 9 processor, aiming to deliver a blend of performance and versatility for professionals, creatives, and tech enthusiasts. With two vibrant OLED displays, a detachable keyboard, and a sleek chassis, the Zenbook Duo seeks to strike a balance between portability and power. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
Review of ASUS ZenBook Duo
Design and Build
The Asus Zenbook Duo impresses with its premium aluminium finish and minimalist design. Measuring approximately 0.78 inches thick and weighing around 1.65kg (including the detachable keyboard), it’s not the lightest ultrabook on the market, but it’s impressively compact for a device packing two 14-inch screens. The build quality is top-notch, with a solid hinge connecting the dual displays and a reassuring heft that suggests durability.
The star of the show is, of course, the dual-screen setup. The main 14-inch OLED display sits above a secondary 14-inch OLED panel where a traditional keyboard typically resides. This lower screen has a detachable Bluetooth keyboard that magnetically docks over it for a conventional laptop experience. When detached, a built-in kickstand props the device up, revealing the full potential of its dual-screen design. The keyboard is surprisingly well-crafted for a detachable unit, featuring backlit keys with a satisfying 1.4mm travel distance and a responsive trackpad. There are plenty of ports available, including two Thunderbolt 4-C ports, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 output, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, providing more connectivity than many competitors in this category.
While the design is innovative, it’s not without trade-offs. The added thickness and weight make it less portable than single-screen ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, and the lack of an SD card slot might disappoint some creatives. Still, the Zenbook Duo’s thoughtful engineering and premium materials make it a striking piece of hardware that turns heads.
Performance
Under the hood, the Asus Zenbook Duo we’re reviewing is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285H, with 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficient) capable of boosting up to 5.6GHz. Paired with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, this configuration promises robust performance for a wide range of tasks. The integrated Intel Arc graphics handle visuals, offering a step up from the older Iris Xe but falling short of discrete GPU territory.
In Practice, the Zenbook Duo efficiently manages daily productivity tasks. Multitasking across both screens with multiple browser tabs, Microsoft Office applications, and light photo-editing software like Photoshop is smooth and responsive. The dual-screen setup enhances workflow efficiency, allowing you to keep reference material on one display while working on the other.
However, this isn’t a machine built for heavy creative workloads or gaming. Video editing in Premiere Pro is manageable for shorter projects, but the lack of a discrete GPU limits its potential for 4K rendering or graphically intensive tasks. Similarly, while Intel Arc graphics can handle light gaming (think older titles or esports games at moderate settings), don’t expect high frame rates in modern AAA games. Thermal management is decent, with fans that kick in under load but never become excessively loud.
Modes We Can Use
The Zenbook Duo’s versatility is its defining feature, offering multiple usage modes to suit different scenarios. In Laptop Mode, the detachable keyboard sits over the lower screen, providing a traditional clamshell experience with a single active display. It’s ideal for casual use on the go, though the keyboard’s placement does make the device bottom-heavy.
Remove the keyboard, and you enter Dual-Screen Mode. With the kickstand deployed, both 14-inch OLEDs offering of combined workspace. This mode is ideal for multitaskers, allowing coding with documentation on one screen, video calls with visible notes, or editing with toolbars on a secondary display. Asus’s ScreenXpert software enhances this experience, allowing easy window management and gestures like three-finger taps to call a virtual trackpad.
For creatives, Tablet Mode lets you lay the device flat and use the included stylus on either screen, though the experience depends heavily on app support for handwriting or drawing. Finally, Book Mode stands the laptop vertically with screens side by side, great for reading or presenting content. Each mode serves a purpose, but switching between them can sometimes disrupt workflow due to minor software glitches, such as apps not resizing smoothly across displays.
Battery
Battery life is a critical consideration for a dual-screen laptop, and the Zenbook Duo’s 75Wh battery delivers mixed results. In single-screen Laptop Mode, with brightness set to 150 nits and Wi-Fi active, it lasts around 9 hours for web browsing or video playback respectable for an OLED-equipped machine. Enabling both screens drops this to roughly 7 hours, as the power draw increases significantly. The Intel Core ultra 9 efficiency helps here, but the dual displays are undeniably taxing.
Charging is managed with a 65W USB-C adapter, and a full charge takes approximately 1.5 hours. Asus incorporates battery health features that limit charging to 80% to prolong battery life, similar to what is seen in smartphones. While the battery life may not be the best in its class, it is adequate for a typical workday with careful usage. However, users who frequently utilize dual screens might want to keep the charger nearby.
Verdict
The Asus Zenbook Duo, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, offers a unique dual-screen experience that appeals to multitaskers and productivity enthusiasts. Its premium design and vibrant OLED displays enhance usability, while the Ultra 9 ensures smooth operation for various tasks. However, its added weight, reduced portability, and limited battery life with both screens active may discourage some users, especially power users like gamers or video editors due to the absence of a discrete GPU. Priced around 179990, it’s a worthwhile investment for those who can maximize its dual-screen potential, making it a fascinating peek into the future of laptops.
Key Specification
| Display: | 2x 14-inch OLED Display |
| RAM: | 32GB DDR5 |
| Processor: | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| Battery: | 75Wh |
| OS: | Windows 10 Home |