Laptops for power users are built to perform; for on-the-go users, they need to be lightweight with enough computing capability to get users through their work. For mixed users, the parameters are varied. While mixed-use laptops need to be capable enough to handle everyday tasks, they are also expected to be a good proposition for entertainment and light enough to be carried around to the classroom or the office.
The Asus Vivobook S15 OLED is targeted at users looking for a wholesome experience with good display, capable CPU, and good sound quality. In our review, we used the laptop for casual gaming, watching movies, writing articles and more, and here is what we found.
Unboxing
The Asus S15 OLED unboxing experience is straightforward. In the box you get the device, the charging cable, and some paperwork.
Design
Asus’ design language of minimalism coupled with splashes of bright colours keeps the laptop looking simple, modern, and classy. | Photo Credit: Nabeel Ahmed
While not a fan of bigger laptops, as they can get bulky, we found the S15 OLED surprisingly lightweight, weighing around 1.7 kg with a thickness of 17.9mm. The device comes with a metallic chassis, which looks stylish and feels sturdy. The laptop looks especially good in black colour. Metallic badging and the use of accent colours on the keyboard make this device stylish while keeping the overall aesthetics clean.
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Asus’ design language of minimalism coupled with splashes of bright colours keeps the laptop looking simple, modern, and classy.
Display and sound
With a 15.6-inch full HD (1920x1080) Lumia OLED panel, the Asus Vivobook’s display is easily one of the best features of the laptop. The display comes in a 16:9 aspect ratio with 600 nits peak brightness and 1000000:1 contrast ratio. It is stunning and one of the first things users will notice about the laptop.
The display is accurate, vibrant, and great for content consumption, playing games and work. Even when used in bright outdoor environments, we did not face any problems with the device.
User experience is made even better with the addition of quality speakers backed by Harman/Kardon sound. The bottom-firing stereo speakers get Dolby Atmos. Their performance exceeds expectations, they are loud, the sound is full and there is no hint of distortion or drop in performance even at max volumes.
Technical specifications
- Dimensions: 17.9mm thin and 1.7 kg weight
- Processor: Intel Core i5-13500H (4P + 8E cores, up to 4.7 GHz)
- Display: 15.6” screen with Full HD (1920 x 1080) ASUS Lumina OLED panel
- Storage: 512GB/1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD
- RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 operating at 4800 MHz.
- Input: Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C), USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm audio
- Battery: 70 WHrs, 90 W fast charging
- Sound: Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Smart Amp
- Camera: Full HD 3DNR camera with Infrared sensor and Windows Hello
Performance and connectivity
The Asus S15 OLED comes powered by the Intel 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” processors with a hybrid microarchitecture and 35W base TDP. The device we received for review came with the Intel i5 processor,16 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512 GB PCle 4.0 SSD.
The laptop flies through tasks when multiple apps are run simultaneously, and even with multiple tabs on separate browsers, it did not show any signs of lag. We used the device for entertainment and work, mixed with casual gaming, and it was able to handle all tasks without resorting to the use of its fans.
The backlit keyboard is also easy to get used to. The keys have decent travel and provide a good typing experience overall. The glass touchpad with 129.7x 82.1 mm dimensions is capable. It has good touch sensitivity and is wide enough for work and scrolling needs.
A neat touch is the placement of the trackpad; it sits a little off-centre, towards the left, which we found reduced accidental palm touches.
The fingerprint reader however was the weakest link in an overall impressive user experience. It required multiple attempts to work and would often fail to recognise a registered fingerprint.
The Asus S15 OLED comes with a host of connectivity options. | Photo Credit: Nabeel Ahmed
The laptop comes with a Thunderbolt 4 port with 4K display output support, 40 GB/s data and fast support. It also sports USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A) and USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack, which should be enough for normal use.
WiFi 6E makes connecting to the internet a breeze; however, the addition of an ethernet port and an SD card reader would have made things a lot smoother.
Webcam
The laptop comes with a Full HD 3DNR camera with an Infrared sensor and Windows Hello support. We found the webcam functioned well for video calls. Even in low light, the camera was able to pick up the background without any problem. The webcam also gets a manual shutter for added security.
Battery
Backed by a 70 Whrs, 90 W fast charging battery, the Asus S15 OLED manages to last a good 6-7 hours with mixed-use. Fast charging comes in handy and can replenish the device within 2 hours. Battery standby is also impressive; the laptop managed more than 2 days on standby.
Verdict
The Asus S 15 OLED manages to impress on multiple fronts; the laptop is great for content consumption, capable of handling day-to-day work and packs good battery life with great standby time. The laptop then is a no-brainer choice for users who do not require an ultra-high-end laptop and are looking for a device for mixed-use. The Asus S 15 OLED with the Intel i5 variant is priced at ₹85,990.
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