The very last thing that office-goers and school college students need is a hulking gaming rig weighing them down. As a journalist who is consistently on the transfer, I do know that feeling all too properly. That’s the reason one of many first issues my colleagues and I discover a few laptop computer as of late is how simply it may well slip right into a backpack whereas nonetheless having the ability to fireplace up quick and pack sufficient muscle to deal with demanding duties performance-wise, particularly with all of the AI instruments creeping into our day by day workflows.
That is the place the all-new Asus Vivobook S16 is available in. Launched earlier this month, the 16-inch laptop computer runs on the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon X Sequence processor. The Vivobook S sequence gives a smooth, extra premium design than the Zenbook lineup at a cheaper price, and sits throughout the Taiwanese electronics big’s AI-first PC lineup constructed for on a regular basis use.
I’ve been utilizing the Asus Vivobook S16 for just a few weeks now, and here’s what I take into consideration the laptop computer.
Design and show
The ASUS Vivobook S16’s standout function is well the 16-inch Lumia OLED show with an 89 per cent screen-to-body ratio. It gives sharp particulars and superb color accuracy with Full HD (1920 x 1200) decision and 95 per cent DCI-P3 color gamut assist.
A nonetheless from the Final of Us. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
Because of a 120Hz refresh charge, 0.2 milli-second response time, and AMD FreeSync Premium assist, the playback was constantly easy no matter whether or not I used to be gaming or watching gameplay. In fact, burn-ins are the most important concern on the subject of any OLED panel. However Asus claims that it implements sure measures comparable to Pixel Refresh and Pixel Shift to scale back the chance of burn-in incidents.
A nonetheless from the brand new Tron: Ares trailer. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
Attending digital conferences was additionally a top-notch expertise because the laptop computer comes with Full HD infrared (IR) digicam together with a bodily privateness shutter and an AI-powered digicam that dims the display if you look away.
IR digicam, AI digicam with privateness shutter. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
Even with its 16-inch show, that’s not the very first thing you’ll discover in regards to the laptop computer. In a primary, Asus has launched the S16 fashions in daring new colors comparable to Salvia Inexperienced and BFF Peachy together with Matte Grey and Cool Silver. It sports activities a premium steel design that’s simply 1.59 cm skinny and 1.7 kg gentle.
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BFF Peachy evaluation unit with CNC-engraved emblem. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
Regardless of its slim body, Asus claimed that the laptop computer meets US MIL-STD 810H sturdiness requirements and encompasses a 180-degree hinge that permits you to lay the complete show flat in order for you.
Keyboard and trackpad
The Vivobook S16 will get the fundamentals proper. The keyboard feels snug to kind on, with 1.7mm key journey, gently curved keycaps, and even white backlighting, which I discovered so helpful that I nearly by no means turned it off. Under the keyboard sits a big 150x99mm touchpad. Nonetheless, as a Macbook Air proprietor, I discovered the touchpad difficult to navigate. Deciding on and dragging felt tough even after adjusting the sensitivity a number of instances.
White backlit keyboard. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
As talked about earlier, the laptop computer is a part of Asus’ AI PC lineup which implies that it comes with a devoted Copilot key on the keyboard for immediate entry to Microsoft’s AI assistant, making content material era sooner and boosting productiveness. The laptop computer additionally comes with Asus’ proprietary AI apps pre-installed comparable to StoryCube, Reside Captions, and many others.
With the Vivobook S16, you’ll not want to hold a dongle because the laptop computer comes with two USB4 Sort-C ports (for 4K show assist and 40Gbps transfers), two USB 3.2 Sort-A ports, HDMI 2.1, and a headphone jack. For sound, you get twin audio system with Dolby Atmos, Good Amplifier tech, and a mic with an AI-driven noise cancellation function making it appropriate for work calls. However with the audio system positioned beneath the laptop computer’s base, the sound typically got here throughout as muffled.
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Efficiency and battery life
Below the hood, the Vivobook S16 packs the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon X Sequence processor with 45 TOPS NPU to deal with all of your AI workloads with ease. It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X reminiscence clocked at 8448MHz and a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD for quick storage and easy multitasking. When it comes to real-world testing, the laptop computer held up for duties comparable to video modifying and different intensive workloads.
Air vents on bottom of laptop computer. (Picture: Karan Mahadik/The Indian Specific)
On the software program facet, the laptop computer runs Home windows 11 and Asus can also be providing Microsoft Workplace 2024 with lifetime validity, together with 100GB of OneDrive cloud storage for one yr. The laptop computer is provided with a good 75Whr battery that lasts round 10 to 11 hours on a single cost when performing primary duties comparable to searching the online, writing, and watching movies.
Nonetheless, the laptop computer additionally boasts fast-charging know-how that permits customers to shortly cost the gadget as much as 60 per cent in lower than an hour. One other plus is that it helps Sort C charging.
Verdict
At Rs 65,990, the Asus Vivobook S16 OLED is priced competitively. It’s a strong laptop computer that completely balances portability, efficiency, and AI-first options. The 16-inch possibility with its comparatively slim and lightweight chassis in a vibrant, eye-catching color would possibly enchantment to content material creators and college students, particularly those that are in search of the perfect of every thing at an reasonably priced worth.
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