I Spent A Week With the ASUS Zenbook S 16 to See How It Can Level Up My Life

Your laptop can literally make or break your entire week. A lag on Monday can become Friday’s problem, and I really do not have time for that. While I’d love to live a zen lifestyle that floats along glacially, that’s just not me. And I’m OK with that! But it’s important that whatever tech I’m using can not only keep up, but can handle literally any task I throw at it (a consequence of being raised by the Internet).

So, when I was given the opportunity to spend a week with ASUS’ new Zenbook S 16, I was ready to put it through the ringer. This year has been all about levelling up my life, and I need my sweet, sweet screens (big or small) to level up as well.

Safe to say — the Zenbook S 16 isn’t just a level up, it might have levelled me up as well. The way it uses AI to boost everyday tasks (not just work related) and its mammoth battery life are complete game-changers.

The OLED Display of Your Dreams

The one thing that impressed me most about the ASUS Zenbook S 16 is its incredible display. It rocks a 16” screen OLED display that is so clear it feels like you can see through time. We’re talking perfect blacks, over a billion colours (you read that right) with crystal clear colour definition. This became super useful when I was doing my night routine of bedrotting and watching my favourite shows. And it also made using the Zenbook S 16’s AI capabilities (more on that soon) visually smooth. We’re talking super precision and true-to-life accuracy no matter what task you’re tackling.

We all know that some TV shows, for whatever reason, are getting darker and darker. Watching on the ASUS Zenbook S 16, this simply wasn’t a problem. No more squinting at the screen for me!

However, a problem with my bedrotting routine is that the amount of blue-light emitted from screens can really screw up my sleeping pattern. But, the ASUS Zenbook S 16 heavily — and I mean heavily — reduces blue-light emissions. Certified by a third party, the Zenbook S 16 has reduced the amount of blue light emitted by 70%. My eyes feel healthier just reading that sentence. However, unlike traditional blue light filters, ASUS’ OLED display doesn’t compromise colour quality or accuracy when shifting the spectrum — say goodbye to those dingy yellow overtones.

What’s even more impressive is that it’s not just this laptop in ASUS’ new range that sports OLED technology. ASUS Lumina OLED technology can be found on 20 different ASUS laptops, meaning that no matter the need or the budget, everyone can experience the seamlessness of OLED.

AI for ME

In a creative role like mine, my laptop kind of needs to be able to do it all. Not just video editing, not just photo editing, not just a million meetings — all of it. The Zenbook S 16 has AI capabilities that help make jumping from app-to-app so much easier, and boosts what I can do across the board.

From an admin perspective, this laptop really helped improve my productivity just through all the obstacles it jumped for me. I’m terrible for missing what was said in a meeting and having to circle back. But this laptop is all about clear communication (something the people I match with on dating apps could do with).

An average week for me consists of at least 10 virtual meetings. Thanks to the laptop’s AI-powered noise cancellation abilities, clear communication is something I no longer have to worry about. It even sports capabilities like background blurring, lighting correction, auto-framing, face detection, and gesture control, which not only improves the quality of my calls but also makes me look gorgeous in them. As cameras get sharper and sharper, I need all the help I can get.

On top of that, sometimes I rely on AI to help jumpstart my brain so I don’t need a 3pm creativity coffee that thereby ruins my sleep. While usually I’d have to scour a million different tabs on the internet to try and get the help with what I need, the Zenbook S 16 sports CoPilot. CoPilot literally is a click away, and can help with almost anything I need. Brainstorm jump starters, quick access to exactly the information I need, and even proof-reading. In fact, CoPilot literally proof-read this very article you’re reading! Dare you to spot an error.

No matter where people are on their AI journey, ASUS’ lineup of AI-powered devices can accommodate everyone. It’s one of the most comprehensive ranges on the market in that respect — head to ASUS’ website to learn more about how their use of AI can change the game and change your day.

There’s the Look and Feel

When a laptop packs as much of a punch as the Zenbook S 16 does, you expect it to be clunky and heavy. We’re trying to ditch baggage this year, not add more on. Remarkably, the Zenbook S 16 doesn’t feel clunky or heavy at all. In fact, sometimes I literally had to check my bag to make sure I remembered to pack it before I left for work because of how light it is.

Don’t get it twisted, though — despite how light it is, it still feels durable and reliable. 

Not only that, but the design is super sleek and unique. Sharp, metallic lines adorn the lid, which add a nice detail to what usually are pretty boring looking machines. It’s got a level of cool to it that matches its vivid display (we mentioned over a billion colours, right?) It was also perfect for living out my main character fantasy as I posted up in a coffee shop to work. And, when I felt I’d overstayed my welcome at that café, it was light enough for me to carry to another coffee shop without any worries. 

Power and Battery

When people think of AI, the conversation tends to go one of two ways — typing prompts into a machine to spit out silly little images or that it’s an all-powerful, all-conquering behemoth that’s coming for us all.

However, working with the ASUS Zenbook S 16, and how it utilises AI, you’ll realise that it doesn’t have to be silly or scary — it can be incredibly useful in ways you don’t even realise.

An AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with Ryzen AI powers the ASUS Zenbook S 16. Might sound confusing, but let me put it simply — it means this thing is really powerful. Now, you might not need a laptop for rocket science, but it’s still great to know that no matter how menial your day-to-day tasks are, this laptop can handle it all — and then some.

But the Zenbook S 16 can also handle an entire day’s work without a charger. I’ve been scarred by battery life before—it feels like my phone can’t go an hour without needing some juice. But this laptop survived an entire day — I’m talking 8am to 9pm — and it still had 20% battery left. There are some days where I can’t even last that long without a sneaky lunch break nap. It was perfect for a day where I left my charger at home accidentally, before realising that I really wouldn’t even need it — the Zenbook S 16 still had more to give, regardless of what I was using it for.

Ultimately, no laptop is for everyone, but if there was a laptop that was built for the everyday, on-the-go person without compromising on power and ingenuity, it’s the ASUS Zenbook S 16.

Head to ASUS’ website to snag one of your own, and learn more about the Zenbook S 16 can level up your every day.