Zenbook A14 Unveiled As A Great Rival For The MacBook Air

Zenbook A14 Unveiled As A Great Rival For The MacBook Air

At CES 2025, Asus introduced the Zenbook A14, a sleek Windows laptop aiming to rival Apple’s MacBook Air. Weighing only 2.18 pounds, lighter than the MacBook Air M3, the A14 boasts a magnesium alloy chassis with a ceramic-like “Ceraluminum” finish, emphasizing portability and elegance. It is fueled by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor, offering an impressive 32 hours of battery life from its 70Wh battery, surpassing the MacBook Air’s 52.6Wh cell.

Available in mid-January for $1,099.99, the base model includes 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14-inch OLED display with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 600 nits brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate. In March, a more budget-friendly variant priced at $899.99 will be exclusively sold at Best Buy, featuring a Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, weighing slightly more at 2.4 pounds.

The A14 offers a wider range of ports compared to the MacBook Air, including two USB 4 Type-C, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, a full-size HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It supports up to three external monitors, with one needing power via USB-C.

While the Zenbook A14 impresses with its design, OLED display, and competitive pricing, concerns linger about its performance and compatibility. While Snapdragon X processors have shown improvements in efficiency and performance, Windows on ARM may still encounter app compatibility issues. Benchmarks indicate that the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite processors can compete with Apple’s M3 chip, but the entry-level Snapdragon X in the A14 may face challenges, especially with Apple’s upcoming M4 models.

Specs

Feature Details
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X (base) / Snapdragon X Plus (cheaper variant)
Display 14″ OLED, 1920 x 1200, 60Hz, 600 nits
RAM 32GB (base) / 16GB (cheaper variant)
Storage 1TB SSD (base) / 512GB SSD (cheaper variant)
Battery 70Wh, up to 32 hours claimed battery life
Weight 2.18 lbs (base) / 2.4 lbs (cheaper variant)
Build Material Magnesium alloy with “Ceraluminum” ceramic coating
Ports 2 x USB 4 Type-C, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack
External Display Support Up to 3 monitors (1 must supply power via USB-C)
Starting Price $1,099.99 (base) / $899.99 (cheaper variant, Best Buy exclusive)
Release Dates January 2025 (base) / March 2025 (cheaper variant)

Filed in . Read more about Asus and Qualcomm.

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