Changing times call for ever-changing tech innovations. As we are all forced to work and study through the screens of our laptops for the rest of the year, might as well choose a laptop that can keep up with our fast-paced needs. To give consumers more options, ASUS recently launched two more laptops that carry the first ever 11^th Gen Intel Processors in the Philippines! In case you missed the ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325 and ASUS VivoBook S14 S433 launch streamed through their Facebook page last Friday (October 23, 2020), here’s a brief recap along with our thoughts about it and the full specs.

As a content creator, I tend to look for laptops that are small enough to fit in my bag, lightweight enough to be carried around even for an entire day, and fast enough to keep up with the many programs and files that I simultaneously use for almost 24/7. These are the reasons why it was tempting for me to compare the ZenBook 13 and VivoBook S14 as both seem to fit my taste and they’re also sleek, portable, and definitely worth considering for people who are always on the go.

The ASUS VivoBook S14 bears the new Intel Iris Xe graphics in its i5 variant and even though the i7 is a better option, its i5 variant is able to show off an FHD 60FPS gameplay on select titles while also having a competitive battery life. Both i5 and i7 features an Intelligent Performance Technology (AIPT) for optimized power and performance. While both have an 11^th Gen Intel Processor, I still prefer an i7 over an i5, but it’s amazing how ASUS was able to upgrade these in a short period of time.

Although it’s a bit bigger than the ZenBook 13, the VivoBook S14 has a lightweight chassis that is lighter than the average laptop. Weighing 1.4kg, this 14” laptop can easily fit a backpack or a tote bag. Performance-wise, this seems better than the ZenBook 13. I also like how it already has a USB-C port which is already being widely used by devices. The charging port isn’t a USB-C, though, and this is the part where ZenBook 13 reigns supreme.

Personally, the ZenBook 13 is very appealing to someone like me who values portability and camera features so much. While watching the launch, I realized how important it is now to have a laptop that has a clear camera for online video meetings and classes. Its 3D IR HD camera can definitely make our lives easier since this won’t require an external camera anymore just to deliver clear visuals and it also has Windows Hello, which can be used to easily unlock our laptop through facial recognition. Plus, it’s only 1.11kg light and 13.9mm thin but it has almost all the I/O ports that we need for work and play.

Despite running on i7, it also has 2 NVMe SSDs and 8GB 4266MHz LPDDRX4 memory and storage for all the files we need. It’s also commendable that the ZenBook 13 has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports that support fast charging so we won’t need to bring bulk chargers with us everywhere we go. We can also opt not to bring chargers with us because it has a 15-hour battery life, which is enough for a whole day outside. Definitely a small yet powerful device to have!

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Both the VivoBook S14 and ZenBook 13 also have nice keypads, but the latter has a LED-illuminated numeric keypad in case you work on a lot of numbers for school or work. Pretty handy and professional-looking, to be honest.

I could go on and on about which is which, but here’s a complete rundown of the specs so you can compare them easier:

FULL SPECIFICATIONS

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SPECS	ASUS VivoBook S14 (S433EA/EQ)	ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX325EA)
CPU	Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 processor (S433EQ) Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 processor (S433EA)	Intel® Core™ i5 1135G7 Processor
Display	14” LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9                   Frameless four-sided NanoEdge display with 85% screen-to-body ratio 178° wide-view technology	13.3” Full HD (1920 x 1080), 16:9 aspect, anti-glare screen, 300nits brightness display Four-sided frameless NanoEdge design with 88% screen-to-body ratio 2.9mm-thin side bezel and 12.9mm bottom bezel1 IPS-level wide-view technology
Operating System	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Home
Graphics	NVIDIA® GeForce® MX350 (S433EQ) Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (S433EA)	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Main Memory	8GB 3200MHz DDR4	8GB 4266MHz LPDDR4X
Storage	512 GB SSD	512GB PCIe® NVMe™ 3.0 x2 M.2 SSD
Wireless	Intel® WiFi 6 GIG+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth® 5.0	Intel WiFi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0
Camera	HD camera	3D IR HD camera with Windows Hello support
I/O Ports	1 x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 2 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1 x Audio combo jack 1 x MicroSD card reader 1 x DC-in	2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® (up to 40Gbps) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (up to 5Gbps) 1 x Standard HDMI 1 x MicroSD card reader
Audio	Array microphone with Cortana voice-recognition support          3.5 mm headphone jack Certified by Harman Kardon	ASUS SonicMaster stereo audio system with surround-sound; smart amplifier for maximum audio performance Array microphone with Cortana and Alexa voice-recognition support Certified by Harman Kardon
Battery	Fast charging: 60% in 49 minutes 50 Wh 3-cell lithium-polymer battery 65 W power adapter Plug Type: ø4 (mm) (Output: 19 V DC, 3.42 A, 65 W) (Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)	Up to 15 hours battery life4 (all other models) 67Wh 4-cell lithium-polymer battery 65W power adaptor Plug Type: USB-C® (Output: 20V DC, 65W) (Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal)
Colors	Dreamy White / Indie Black / Gaia Green / Resolute Red	Pine Grey, Lilac Mist
Dimensions	Height: 1.59 cm Width: 32.49 cm Depth: 21.35 cm	Height: 1.39cm Width: 30.4cm Depth: 20.3cm
Weight	1.4 kg (3.08 lb)	1.11kg
Price	Php 49,995 (i5) Php 59,995 (i7)	Php 54,995

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The new ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325 is already available in ASUS Concept Stores and via the ASUS Official Lazada Store for Php 54,995, while the ASUS VivoBook S14 (S433) is priced at Php 49,995 (i5) and Php 59,995 (i7). The new ASUS VivoBook S will be available in ASUS Concept Stores, IT Multi-brand Stores, ASUS E-Store, Shopee and Lazada starting first week of November.

However, we know it’s not that easy to have at least Php 50,000 in a snap but it’s easy to make a TikTok video! For those who are up for the challenge, ASUS will also be giving away an ASuS VivoBook S14 to the winner of their #BeIncredibleChallenge happening on November 3, 2020! For more details about this giveaway, just follow ASUS Philippines’ Facebook page for updates. In case you prefer watching, the #BeIncredible Kick-off Event can still be re-watched through this link.

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*Photos courtesy of ASUS Philippines.