Asus picks Malaysia as first country to get its new ZenBook models

By Chong Jinn Xiung June 19, 2017

Slimmer, more lightweight than ever, new ZenBook caters to power users
Combines killer display and sound for a multimedia showcase

Asus picks Malaysia as first country to get its new ZenBook models

TAIWANESE PC maker Asus has revealed two new series of notebooks fresh off from last month’s Computex show. According to Asus Malaysia country manager Leo Tseng, Malaysia is the first country in the world where the new range of notebooks has been introduced.

With an emphasis on elegant, thin and light design, the five models consist of three ZenBooks, targeted towards power users.

Asus touts the ZenBook Flip S (UX370) as the world’s thinnest convertible laptop with a thickness measuring the only 10.9mm, and that it claims is 20% slimmer than Apple’s Macbook. It weights in at only 1.1kg.

The Flip S has a360 degree ErgoLift hinge that has a dual-action mechanism that lifts and tilts the keyboard into the right typing position when the display opened beyond a 135-degree angle.

Speaking of the keyboard, it comes equipped with full size backlit for easy typing in low light.

Despite its small size, the Flip S has a 13.3-inch screen that offers up to 4K UHD resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 plus is compatible with Asus’ pen accessory for those who want to express their creativity.

You won’t need a password to unlock the Flip S as it has a fingerprint sensor that provides near-instant one-touch login via Windows Hello.

To power the Flip S it can be configured with up to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7500U, 1TB PCIe SSD and 16GB of RAM. Asus claims its high-capacity 39Wh lithium-polymer battery offers up to 11.5 hours of battery life while a quick 49-minute charge gets the Flip S up to speed at 60%.

Asus’ Flip S will have an estimated retail price of US$1,566 (RM6,699) and will be available in Aug 2017.

For those who require a bigger screen, Asus has its ZenBook 3 Deluxe (UX490) that houses a gorgeous 14-inch narrow bezel Full HD display in a chassis no bigger than many 13-inch notebooks, measuring just 12.9mm thin and weighing in at only 1.1 kg.

Inside it has all you need for powerful on the go performance, including a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor up to a 1TB PCIe SSD, two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 for dual 4K UHD display support.

To top it all off the ZenBook 3 Deluxe comes with a powerful quad-speaker audio system.

The battery specs say it comes with a 46Wh lithium battery that lasts up to 9 hours and supports the same fast charging capabilities that give it 60% power capacity with 49 minutes of charging.

Unlike the Flip S that you have to wait till Aug, the ZenBook 3 Deluxe is available now at US$1,941 (RM8,299).

But, you may want to hold off on getting the ZenBook 3 Deluxe because, last but not least, is the ZenBook Pro (UX550), a notebook that Asus claims is their most powerful ZenBook to date combining killer looks with serious performance.

A stunning 15.6-inch full HD display and quad-speaker Harmon Kardon surround sound audio complement it. It also comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor for quick and secure login.

As it is all about performance the Pro uses can be configured up to an Intel Core i7-770HQ quad-core processor, gaming grade Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics, a 512GB PCIe SSD and 16GB of RAM.

Despite all that power Asus manages to keep the Pro compact with an all-aluminium body that is just 18.9mm thin and 1.8kg light.

[Corrected: An earlier version cited a different PC vendor. The mistake is regretted.]

The ZenBook Pro is expected to hit retail stores in Aug 2017 and will retail for US$1,706 (RM7,299).

For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.