Asus Debuts Lightest Copilot Plus PC and Updates Massive Dual-Screen Laptop
2025-01-08 / Read about 8 minute
Source:CNET
The Zenbook A14 is a very light, very rigid 14-inch laptop, and the Zenbook Duo gets the latest Intel silicon.

Among the many laptops Asus announced at CES, a pair of Zenbooks stand out. The first is the ZenBook A14, which Asus claims is the lightest Copilot Plus PC. The second is the Zenbook Duo, which is lightweight when you consider it's packing a pair of 14-inch OLED displays. Asus delivered only an internal upgrade to the Zenbook Duo while rolling back the same design we saw last year, but it's still notable given its unusual design.

Asus

Zenbook A14: Light and long-running

The ZenBook A14 is the world's lightest Copilot Plus PC, Asus claims. For a product category that's defined by a product's thinnest and lightness, that's something. Asus is debuting two laptops in the new Zenbook A14 line -- the lower-end model weighs 2.4 pounds, and the higher-end unit weighs a scant 2.18 pounds. That's half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air and with a larger 14-inch display.

And these aren't flimsy laptops that you wish were more rigid even if it meant a heavier chassis. Both are made from a material that Asus dubs Ceraluminum that are a mixture of aluminum and ceramic. The Zenbook S 14 that I reviewed last year featured a Ceraluminum chassis, and I came away impressed.

The ZenBook A14 is light and also long-running thanks to its efficient, ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. Asus quotes runtimes of 29 to 32 hours. That's exceptional battery life, even among long-running Snapdragon X-based Copilot Plus PCs. And it's especially impressive for an OLED laptop.

The higher-end Zenbook A14 (UX3407QA-PS76) comes in a color Asus calls Iceland Gray and will be available at Asus and Best Buy starting on Jan. 13 for $1,100. The lower-end model (UX3407QA-X1P512 ) will come in beige and arrive at Best Buy for $900 in March.

Zenbook Duo gets Intel Core Ultra 200H update

Josh Goldman/CNET

The Zenbook Duo looks no different than last year's model. It boasts two 14-inch 3K OLED displays that you can use side by side or one on top of the other using the built-in kickstand. One screen can be used as an onscreen keyboard when the Zenbook Duo is folded into laptop mode, or you can lie the whole thing flat to use as a giant, dual-screen tablet. There's also a physical, attachable keyboard.

The problem I have with the Zenbook Duo is the break between the two displays, which is something the foldable display on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 avoids. The X1 Fold offers an undersized 12-inch display in laptop mode, but it can be folded flat where it becomes a seamless, 16.3-inch display. That's less screen real estate than you get with the Zenbook Duo -- and at a greater price -- but I do like the seamless experience better.

This year's update adds Intel Core Ultra 200H CPUs. There's a $1,700 model with a Core Ultra 9 285H that will be available on Feb. 10. The step-down model offers the Core Ultra 7 265H and will start at $1,600 when it starts shipping in March.