At the start of 2022, as the consumer electronics world gathered in Las Vegas, ASUS made a quiet but sweeping promise: every ZenBook it ships this year will carry an OLED screen. The first two bearers of that pledge, the ZenBook 14 OLED and a flamboyant ZenBook 14X Space Edition, arrive as signs of a maker trying to make the ordinary laptop feel more like a considered instrument. Whether the promise rewards the people who use these machines will be settled not by the stage, but by the long, unglamorous testing of time and independent judgment.
ASUS Unveils ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition, a Laptop Rated for Space Travel, at CES 2022
A laptop that can officially go to space
Mark
So what's the big change for ZenBooks this year?
Mimi
OLED across the whole 2022 range. Both new 14-inch models use a 2880x1800 panel, 100% DCI-P3 and Pantone validated.
Mark
And the Space Edition is the attention-getter.
Mimi
Yes, it's the 14X, rated for space travel, with up to a Core i9-12900H, 32GB of memory and a 1TB SSD.
Luke
What does "rated for space travel" actually mean? The coverage doesn't say.
Mimi
It doesn't. No testing standard or certifying body is named, so it's ASUS's claim as reported.
Mark
Anything else that sets the range apart?
Mimi
The ErgoSense keyboard with 19.05mm key spacing and longer travel, plus webcam software with eye tracking and background blur.
Luke
Those webcam features are described as a commitment, not a tested result. We don't know how good they are.
Mark
Any practical differences between the two models?
Mimi
The 14X has the faster chip but a 63Wh battery, against 75Wh on the ZenBook 14.
Luke
And no price or ship date is given, so nobody can judge value yet.
Der Puls
- ASUS has staked the whole 2022 ZenBook range on OLED displays, raising the bar for every model that follows.
- A bold space-travel rating on the 14X Space Edition turns a product announcement into a spectacle that critics are quick to question.
- Intel and AMD versions split the lineup, forcing buyers to weigh Thunderbolt 4 and memory choices against each other.
- ErgoSense keyboard and upgraded webcam software aim to close the gap between laptop and desktop comfort.
- Pricing and release dates remain unannounced, so the real verdict waits for independent reviews of the Core i9 model.
At the start of 2022, as the consumer electronics world gathered in Las Vegas, ASUS made a quiet but sweeping promise: every ZenBook it ships this year will carry an OLED screen. The first two bearers of that pledge, the ZenBook 14 OLED and a flamboyant ZenBook 14X Space Edition, arrive as signs of a maker trying to make the ordinary laptop feel more like a considered instrument. Whether the promise rewards the people who use these machines will be settled not by the stage, but by the long, unglamorous testing of time and independent judgment.
At CES 2022, ASUS announced that every ZenBook it releases this year will have an OLED display. The first two models to carry that promise are the ZenBook 14 OLED and the ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition, and the second is billed as rated for space travel, a claim the company has not explained.
The display is the headline. Every 2022 ZenBook will be validated at 100% DCI-P3 and Pantone certified, and the two new 14-inch models share a 16:10 panel at 2880x1800 with a 90% screen-to-body ratio. Dolby Atmos audio with Harman/Kardon speakers and Windows Hello sign-in, by face or fingerprint, are promised across the range too.
The ZenBook 14 OLED comes in Intel and AMD versions, with Intel models reaching a Core i7 1260 and AMD models a Ryzen 7 5825U, both with 75Wh batteries and 100W USB-C charging. The 14X Space Edition is the heavier machine, reaching an Intel Core i9-12900H, 32GB of memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, with a smaller 63Wh battery.
ASUS also reworked the webcam software and the keyboard, with ErgoSense offering 19.05mm key spacing and dished keycaps that Windows Central credits with bringing laptop typing closer to desktop feel. The announcement left out pricing and release dates, and the space rating remains unexplained, so the real test will be independent reviews of what these machines do in ordinary use.
At CES 2022, ASUS announced that every ZenBook it releases this year will have an OLED display. The first two models to carry that promise are the ZenBook 14 OLED and the ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition, the second of which ASUS says is rated for space travel.
The display commitment is the headline. All 2022 ZenBooks will be validated at 100% DCI-P3 and Pantone certified. The two new 14-inch models use a 16:10 panel at 2880x1800 resolution, with a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
Sound gets the same treatment across the range. Every 2022 ZenBook will support Dolby Atmos and use speakers tuned by Harman/Kardon. Each will also support Windows Hello sign-in, through either facial recognition or a fingerprint reader.
ASUS also says it is trying to improve webcams. A software suite adds eye tracking, 3D noise reduction, motion tracking and built-in background blur.
The range also gets a new design language and a new ZenBook logo, which Windows Central says looks like it belongs on Captain Picard's uniform. The keyboard and touchpad combination, called ErgoSense, aims for a more desktop-like feel. Key spacing is 19.05mm, the keycaps are dished, and the keys have longer travel. Windows Central is clear these are not mechanical keyboards, but credits ASUS for pushing laptop typing closer to desktop typing.
The ZenBook 14 OLED comes in Intel and AMD versions. Intel models go up to a Core i7 1260 with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, Intel Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt 4. AMD models go up to a Ryzen 7 5825U with up to 16GB of LPDDR4X, MediaTek Wi-Fi, and no Thunderbolt 4. Both have a 75Wh battery and USB Type-C fast charging up to 100W, including DisplayPort over Type-C. Colors are Aqua and Blue for Intel, and Jade Black for AMD.
The ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition is the more powerful of the two. It goes up to an Intel Core i9-12900H, with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It has Wi-Fi 6E, Thunderbolt 4 and USB 3.2 Type-C with DisplayPort. The battery is smaller at 63Wh, and it also charges at up to 100W over USB-C.
Windows Central jokes that Apple may have the M1, but ASUS has a laptop that can officially go to space. The source does not say what the space rating involves or how it was tested. The announcement also leaves out pricing and release dates, so independent reviews of the 14X's Core i9 performance will be the thing to watch.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Apple might have the M1, but ASUS has a laptop that can officially go to space.— Windows Central
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