During CES 2024, Asus revealed its new Zenbook Duo, the world’s first 14-inch dual-screen OLED laptop. We’ve been lucky enough to go hands-on with an engineering sample of this unique piece of tech.
This year’s Asus Zenbook Duo is a revolutionary innovation. The previous Zenbook Duo models feature a modest secondary screen, taking up half of the real estate of the keyboard. Now, Asus is providing access to a dedicated second 14-inch display hidden underneath its removable Bluetooth keyboard. In many modern instances, those using a dual-screen desktop experience have to make concessions when using a laptop. Forgoing a second screen, workflows are often impacted when working on a laptop.
The Zenbook Duo (2024) aims to mitigate that by offering a two-display solution. The new Zenbook offers dual 14-inch 2K 120Hz OLED displays, supporting a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio, 500 nits peak brightness and a 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut. It’s also received its DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. The Zenbook Duo is packed within a tight 14.6mm-thin chassis.
The Zenbook Duo sports up to Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 processor, featuring six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, two low-power efficiency cores and 22 threads. The Core Ultra 7 introduces Intel’s first integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), unlocking AI capabilities. On top of that, Asus’ latest innovation offers up to 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to a 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It also supports a 75Wh battery with up to 20 percent more charging cycles than the previous generation, Asus claims. From a port perspective, Asus’ latest device boasts two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
With its dual-screen support, Asus can accommodate a handful of orientations and modes, depending on preferences. Of course, the Zenbook Duo can be used as a traditional single-display laptop. It’s Bluetooth ASUS ErgoSense keyboard and touchpad lay as they normally would. However, users unlock even more functionality when removing the detachable keyboard. Tailored to the user, the Zenbook Duo can be used in ‘Dual-Screen Mode’, where the user unlocks a full 19.8 inches of screen real estate. The single expansive display leverages the laptop’s ViewMax feature. However, users can also use the dual 16:10 displays independently with window management features available. There are so many real-world benefits from using this orientation. There’s no shortage of combinations, whether using both displays for productivity or pulling up a YouTube video while answering some emails.
‘Desktop Mode’ is also available, allowing a vertical orientation for both displays. Supporting a side-by-side portrait experience, this option has thus far been exceptional for writing, social media management, and other types of workflows. Depending on the productivity app, one can be placed on the left display while references, spreadsheets, etc. can be placed on the right. For word-processing apps like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, two vertical displays can lengthen the space you have to write. Additionally, a vertical setting can be great if you are managing social accounts. Alternatively, with ViewMax, content can be displayed across the entire screen’s width.
Finally, with the built-in 180-degree hinge, the Zenbook Duo supports a ‘Sharing Mode’ where both screens can lay flat on a surface. This is a great option for presentations and during meetings. It allows users to avoid having to huddle around a singular display. Content on the upper display can be rotated 180 degrees with ease as well. After experimenting with all the orientations for a week, this is the one that feels as though it’s designed for special use cases. However, it’s a great engineering feat to see the Zenbook Duo lay flat while operating just the same.
The Zenbook Duo will be available on the Asus eShop and select retailers in Canada for $2,199 starting in February. Later in 2024, Asus is launching high-end Zenbook Duo with the Intel Core Ultra 9, featuring 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD, and a dual 3K OLED 120Hz panel.
