It caused a sensation when it was launched at the IFA in Berlin. The Zenbook Fold OLED is now a consumer product, although accessible to the thickest wallets.
Marketed at 4,000 euros, this laptop is gifted with contortion skills. Able to fold back on itself, it can turn into a giant tablet, desktop PC, digital book…
Always quick to show off its talents for innovation, is Asus giving a preview of our PCs of tomorrow or is the Zenbook Fold OLED still a gadget? To find out, we tested it for several days. So what is a folding laptop good for?
Asus Zenbook Fold OLED price and availability
© Lemon squeezer
Like any technological innovation, the Zenbook Fold OLED is worth its weight in gold. Count 4,000 euros all the same to offer you this extraordinary laptop.
Already available from Asus partner distributors, the machine is therefore reserved for those wishing to be part of those known as “early adopters”. Geeks will also see a revolutionary machine from a technological point of view. Not necessarily in terms of uses.
Asus Zenbook Fold OLED at the best price
Base price: €3,999
Modular but bulky
What is a flexible PC used for? To be flexible of course. Thanks to this new format, Asus is able to offer no less than 6 different uses. The Zenbook Fold OLED can take the form of a laptop PC, a laptop PC with virtual keyboard, a laptop PC with remote keyboard, a desktop PC (thanks to the kickstand on the back of the chassis), a a tablet or a digital book/journal.
This feat is therefore made possible by the integration a flexible 17.3” screen which, when folded, turns into a PC with 12.5” keyboard. When closed, it does not fold completely but curves in the center of the screen, leaving enough space between the two parts to slide a physical Bluetooth keyboard.
On paper, it’s dreamy. Indeed, we cannot hide our admiration for such a technological advance. However, theThe Zenbook Fold OLED still lacks finesse to look like a truly revolutionary product.
To integrate such technology, Asus had to make considerable aesthetic sacrifices, making the Zenbook Fold OLED as sexy as a prototype. The choice of faux leather and glass to dress this beautiful beast may bring a touch of elegance, but we can’t help but see the Zenbook Fold OLED as a big machine that lacks class.
The finishes may be exemplary, this folding PC weighs in with its weight of 1.8 kg and its size when folded. Not really cut out for mobility, the Zenbook Fold OLED is therefore a hybrid device with a neat but ultimately unattractive construction. Fortunately, its stunning foldable screen makes up for this slightly disappointing design.
Stunning screen
-
-
© Lemon squeezer
-
-
© Lemon squeezer
As with all folding electronic devices incorporating a screen, that of the Asus Zenbook Fold OLED is its main attraction.
Asus opts for a 17.3 ” touch screen (nothing less) at 4/3 ratio with a definition of 2560 x 1920 pixels. Once the PC is folded up and associated with its keyboard, the definition goes to 1920 x 1280 pixels in 3/2 format.
Using OLED technology (as its name suggests), the screen of the Zenbook Fold OLED is distinguished by its infinite blacks and its excellent colorimetry. On the other hand, its brightness does not exceed 400 cd / m2 with HDR which prevents the reflections from being blurred, the only black point of this sublime screen.
Because yes, the Zenbook Fold OLED screen is stunning. By its size, by its image quality, by its modularity, it is a unique work and entertainment tool in the world. A gem of technology.
Efficient and enduring
With such a gigantic screen, one would have thought (in view of what folding smartphones are capable of) that autonomy would be one of the weak points of the Zenbook Fold OLED. It is not so.
If it does not reach the performance of the reference models, thehe Zenbook Fold OLED is positioned in the soft underbelly of the ranking of the most enduring laptops. A very correct performance and, let’s admit it, unexpected, given the size of its screen.
This good result is made possible by the integration of an imposing battery (75 Wh) on the one hand, but also of a 12th generation Intel processor (the latest) with low energy consumption.
The latter (in i7 version on our test model) associated with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD also allows you to enjoy a very good level of performance while limiting heating.
It must be said that this chip is designed for very thin ultrabooks. The thickness of the Zenbook Fold OLED therefore allows better heat distribution and exploits the full potential of the processor.
Concretely, the Zenbook Fold will meet the expectations of users looking for productivity (excluding overly demanding creative software) and entertainment. However, players will have to do without the most recent games, which consume too many graphic resources.
In theory, a price of 4,000 euros for a machine unable to run the latest games of the moment would be inadmissible. As for the Zenbook Fold OLED, the level of performance is not the essential purchase criterion. Let’s say the pill goes better.
The weak points of the Asus Zenbook Fold OLED
The Zenbook Fold OLED is undoubtedly an innovative laptop. However, Asus had to make some sacrifices making the daily experience sometimes complicated.
First of all, the manufacturer had to limit the connection. The Zenbook Fold OLED only has two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and a 3.5 mm jack. And that’s all. You will therefore always have to carry around a dongle in your satchel / bag, especially since the connection is limited to one port when you plug in the PC to recharge it.
Another perfectible element: the keyboard. Although it is comfortable, it is not equipped with a backlight. Above all, its autonomy does not exceed 24 hours, which seems really fair for a Bluetooth keyboard. These two weak points are added to the size, the excessive weight, the reflections on the screen and the very high price.
Mostly, it is difficult for us to know to whom such a portable PC is addressed. To mobile workers? The weight and size are prohibitive. To teleworkers? For this price, they equip themselves with an overpowered machine, fixed or portable, capable as a bonus of running the best games. Entertainment lovers? Again, a laptop with a 17” screen works just as well.
In reality, this Zenbook Fold OLED is mainly aimed at consumers wishing to test the experience of the folding PC before everyone else. Because in terms of use, this technology does not seem to revolutionize much.
Asus Zenbook Fold OLED at the best price
Base price: €3,999
Our opinion on the Asus Zenbook Fold OLED
Technically, the Zenbook Fold OLED is a dream. The prowess achieved by Asus undoubtedly makes it a unique machine of its kind. Sometimes tablet, sometimes laptop, sometimes desktop PC, sometimes multimedia screen, the Zenbook Fold shines with its modularity. Its 17.3 ” screen capable of folding back on itself is also breathtaking.
Asus has also equipped it with high-performance hardware ensuring good endurance as a bonus. So much for the advantages of this Zenbook Fold OLED.
The set is not devoid of defects: the connection is too limited, the reflections on the screen are sometimes annoying and the keyboard is not backlit. But all these little weaknesses are just details.
The real question we are asking is: who will buy a Zenbook Fold OLED at 4,000 euros? Because in terms of uses, apart from its modularity, it does not revolutionize much. Finally, the Zenbook Fold OLED suffers from the same problems as folding smartphones: it is spectacular but we still wonder about the usefulness of such a device.
