If Apple launches a low-cost MacBook, this will not be the first educational sector-centric product from the company. The company launched eMac in 2002 to be sold in volume to educational institutes but those eMacs were not a low-cost product like Chromebooks. Apple recently tried to re-enter the educational market with iPads, but they failed to gain traction due to the competition from low-cost Chromebooks.

For the unversed, Chromebooks are affordable laptops that run on ChromeOS, which is developed by Google and gives access to the Google Play Store, and all Google apps. Google offers its own Chromebooks with Pixelbook series, and it has also partnered with other OEMs such as Dell, HP and Lenovo. More than 33.5 million units of Chromebooks were shipped in 2021, as per the Digitimes report.

Meanwhile, Apple is set to host its ‘Wonderlust’ event on September 12, 2023. The event will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California and fans. Those who are interested can watch the event live stream starting at 10:30PM IST on the company’s official website and its Apple TV app.

The company is expected to launch its next series of iPhones, that is, the iPhone 15 series and Apple Watch Series 9 at the event. In addition to this, some reports suggest that the company could launch a new variant of the Apple Watch Ultra. The new iPhone 15 series is rumoured to feature a USB-C port, a customizable Action button, an A17 Bionic chip, Wi-Fi 6E support, and more while the Apple Series 9 Watch could come with a new S9 chip.

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To kick things off, the Envy lineup comprises of HP’s premium yet affordable convertibles. These are two-in-one machines, so versatility is one of their strong suites, and the HP Envy x360 IMAX is no different. However, I suggest you read the full thing to make an informed decision. Or maybe, you can jump to the conclusion, quite literally in this case.

HP Envy x360 Specifications

HP Envy x360 review: Design and build

The HP Envy x360 IMAX has a premium, rounded, metallic finish

Right off the bat, the HP Envy x360 is premium machine with a smooth, rounded finish. There are no sharp corners, but a smooth curved chassis that encompasses this 15-inch laptop. Even the lip at the center where you’re supposed to lift the lid is completely rounded. This has advantages and disadvantages too.

The advantage is that it is a really lap-friendly laptop and feels good to use. The disadvantage being there’s no way you can open it with one hand. I think it is a new unit so the hinge feels really tight, but that’s a good thing as the hinge will have a longer lifespan this way.

The HP Envy x360 IMAX has a compact footprint for a 15.5-inch machine, but it still retains all the useful ports. You get 2x USB-A ports, 2x Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports, 1x HDMI port, a headphone jack, and an SD card slot. That SD card slot gives you the option to directly dump footage from professional cameras to this laptop for editing, because the specs make it a fairly powerful option for video editors. However, more on the performance part later in our HP Envy x360 IMAX review, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, IMAX.

HP Envy x360 IMAX review: Display and speakers

It is a decent screen for movie watching, but a better resolution display would’ve changed the game.

I had to do a fair share of reading to learn what it takes for a device to get the IMAX-Enhanced badge. HP had to build this from the ground-up, playing around with the aspect ratio, the colors, and overall picture clarity on this screen. It had to go really dim and really bright on demand, and it had to do all of this for cinema, while also being a usable, everyday laptop.

Hence the specifications. The 15.6-inch multitouch OLED panel, 500nits peak HDR brightness, DCI-P3 certification with IMAX-Enhanced badge give it the bells and whistles it needs. But then, it is only a Full HD (1920x1080p) display, with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. That’s one of the most confusing things about this machine. Something meant for movie watching with only FHD resolution and no high refresh rate screen is somewhat off-putting.

However, the usage experience makes up for where the specs fall short. Despite this resolution and refresh rate, it is a bright, clear, vibrant display which also has touchscreen capabilities. So as an overall deal, you’re not getting a super-high-resolution panel, but you are getting a decent deal for the price.

While the display has had the elephant’s share of this section, the speakers can be summed up in a jiffy. The Envy has good speakers as long as you place it on a flat surface like a table. Pick it up, put it on your lap, or use it in tent mode, and the sound loses its punch. That’s because it has two bottom-firing speakers that really come into their element when the laptop is resting on a table.

HP Envy x360 review: Keyboard and trackpad

A tactile keyboard, large trackpad, and a touchscreen display. The HP Envy x360 has multiple input methods to adapt to your usage

The smooth finish of laptop also continues on the keyboard and trackpad. Being a 15-inch machine, it has a short travel keyboard, but the keys are spaced really well, so you can type really fast on this laptop. The HP Envy x360 IMAX keyboard is also made from recycles plastic keycaps and scissor mechanism.

Overall, I like the tactility of the keyboard, and the trackpad is also pretty responsive. However, the key column on the right side slightly pushes the whole keyboard to the left, so it’ll take some time for you to get used to this layout.

HP Envy x360 review: Software and privacy features

Windows 11 makes for a decent touchscreen interface, and it remains true for the Envy x360.  It is optimized to cleverly rearrange the windows when you change orientations or flip the laptop into tent mode. Other than Windows 11, there are some HP apps to help you tweak the laptop a bit, but there’s nothing much you can do to customize the machine.

Coming to privacy features, there’s a keyboard button to mute the camera and mics, and a physical webcam shutter at your disposal too. The webcam itself is a 5MP infrared camera with Windows Hello facial recognition. So, the HP Envy x360 IMAX can be quickly unlocked with your face, and you can also physically shutter the webcam if you wish to do so.

HP Envy x360 IMAX review: Gaming, performance, and benchmarks

The HP Envy x360 doesn’t get earth-shattering benchmark scores, because it isn’t supposed to. These are decent numbers because the Evo chip is meant to be balanced between performance and battery life. In my usage, I experienced that the HP Envy x360 doesn’t just give punchy performance and just settle. It can keep delivering consistent performance, which comes in handy, especially for long working hours.

Even with Intel Iris Xe graphics, the laptop can run games through sheer processing power. The RTX 3050 version would definitely be a better option to game on.

Our unit came with Iris XE graphics, and I’d like to try the RTX 3050 unit to see the difference. However, even without a dedicated GPU, the Envy managed to clock 3 hours of Farcry 6 at normal graphic settings. But if you want to game on this machine, I recommend you go with the RTX 3050 variant, or get one of the OMEN or Victus laptops, because the Iris XE simply can’t handle heavy graphic duties.

This is a good machine for basic video editing. There’s a big 15.5-inch screen, touchscreen input, and a decently powerful chip to handle editing duties. Overall, the HP Envy x360 IMAX can handle heavy tasks and deliver sustained performance with a decent 8-10 hours of battery life. We didn’t notice any abrupt heating, lag, or throttling during our tests.

HP Envy x360 review: Battery and charging

The charger has a braided cable on the brick. It is premium but bulky, so if you don’t want to carry it, just use your phone’s charger to power up the laptop.

Again, this is a premium machine with an Intel Evo chip, which reflects in the battery as well as charging experience. However, your experience will vary depending on the variant you buy. All variants share the same 4-cell, 55watt-hour battery, but you get a 90-watt USB-C charger with the top-spec variant. The other variants get a 65-watt charger.

Our model had the 65-watt USB-C charger, which comes with a premium braided cable, but you can charge with any other USB-C charger which is lighter to carry.

HP Envy x360 review: Verdict

This may be a first-generation IMAX display, but it is certainly not the first time HP has released an Envy laptop. I’m saying this because it has certain traits of a first-gen laptops that can be hopefully improved in the next generation. For starters, this gets the IMAX badge, but only with an FHD-resolution display. There’s no high refresh rate option either, and the GPU is literally from last year.

However, at this price, you’re getting a good display for day-to-day work and movie watching. You can enjoy IMAX-enhanced movies on this screen, and also get a x360 convertible machine for more creative and productive use cases. So, all in all, I think I can wrap this HP Envy x360 IMAX review by saying that this laptop doesn’t really do justice to the IMAX badging, but is an otherwise good machine for the price.

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Asus Chromebook CX1400, CX1500 India price and availability

As far as pricing is concerned, the Asus Chromebook CX1400 and CX1500 come at a starting price of Rs 21,990 in India. However, they will be available at an introductory price of Rs 18,990 on Flipkart starting September 1, 2023. Furthermore, the company said as a part of the introductory offer, it is offering a 12-month Google One subscription on the purchase of the Asus Chromebook CX1400 and CX1500 models. The Google One subscription includes 100GB of cloud storage that can be used across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos as one shareable family plan.

Asus Chromebook CX1400, Chromebook CX1400 Flip, Chromebook CX1500 specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, there are few differences in the Chromebook CX1400, the Chromebook CX1400 Flip and the Chromebook CX1500. First is the display and the second is battery. The Chromebook CX1400 comes in two variants. While the first variant comes with a 14-inch Anti-glare FHD display with a 16:09 aspect ratio, 60Hz screen refresh rate and 220nits of peak brightness, the second variant offers 250nits of peak brightness.

Chromebook CX1400 Flip comes with a 14-inch touch screen Glossy FHD display with a 16:09 aspect ratio, 60Hz screen refresh rate, and 250nits of peak brightness. The Chromebook CX1500, on the other hand, comes with a 15.6-inch anti-glare FHD display with a 16:09 aspect ratio, 60Hz screen refresh rate and 220nits of peak brightness.

Coming to the battery, the Asus Chromebook CX1400 and the Chromebook CX1400Flip come with a three cell 50Wh battery while the CX1500 comes with a two cell 42Wh battery.

Beyond this, all the three Chromebook models come with the Intel Celeron N4500 processor and the Intel UHD GPU that are coupled with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC storage space. They run Google’s ChromeOS operating system. The three Chromebook models come with a 720p HD camera and they have a built-in microphone with built-in 2W stereo speakers. These Chromebook models come with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity. Additionally, they have Titan C chip for security.

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In the letter sent to Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY, on August 22 and seen by IANS, Pankaj Mohindroo who is the Chairman of ICEA wrote that an overarching factor that should be taken into consideration in “avoiding supply chain disruption till domestic production ramps up” is that any “reduction in supplies or even an indication will lead to hoarding and market distortion.” This, in turn, can push up consumer prices, “which will adversely impact not just key stakeholders such as students, but also those who are the core of growing the digital economy, i.e. start-ups, IT and ITES firms, BPOs,” he said. “It is critical that we ensure an uninterrupted supply for at least a year, till such time we can build up domestic capacity,” Mohindroo noted.

The ICEA pitched that the industry seeks at least a nine-month breather after the PLI for IT Hardware was launched. “The government may undertake a re-assessment of the investment pipeline and the supply situation before inviting the industry to discuss whether any further policy intervention is needed at that stage. It may be too early to assess the full implication of the new scheme before then,” according to the ICEA letter.

Where servers are concerned, the ICEA has received inputs that companies in that sector seek a relook at their inclusion in the proposed intervention. “Overall, we will request the government to layer any intervention in a manner that works well for the industry as a whole, since individual companies are differently placed, at varying degrees of investments and products at this stage,” the letter read.

The Central government earlier deferred its decision to restrict the import of certain categories of laptops and computers until November 1, allowing companies three months time to import these devices. Post-November 1, no entity will be allowed to import laptops, computers, and related items without a license. According to the ICEA, a “one size fits all approach” will need reconsideration by the government.

Earlier this month, top consumer electronics companies like HP, Apple and Dell urged the government to extend the November 1 deadline for the licences required for PCs, laptops and tablets by at least and year, as it will take time to configure and set up manufacturing/assembling units as per new guidelines.

The PLI 2.0 for IT hardware has garnered applications from 40 companies including global and domestic, according to the ICEA. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that 32 companies like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Foxconn, Acer, and Thomson, among others, have applied under the PLI 2.0 scheme for IT hardware. The expected incremental production under the scheme is around Rs 3.35 lakh crore, according to the minister. Several domestic companies such as Dixon Technologies, VVDN, and Netweb are among the applicants under the 2.0 scheme for IT hardware.

— IANS

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HP OMEN Transcend 16 Specifications

HP Omen Transcend 16: Build and design

The Transcend 16’s weight is pretty well-distributed, but the build quality doesn’t feel very premium

Let’s kick off this HP Omen Transcend 16 review with the design. This laptop is 14 percent lighter than its predecessor. Starting at 2.09kg for the base variant, this is still a fairly heavy laptop, but the weight distribution is well done. I received this laptop in the office, then carried it home in my backpack, then back to the office the next day. You can comfortably carry this laptop without breaking your back. That said, it is portable when you really need to carry it, but other than that, it’s better kept in one place.

While the weight of the laptop is well-distributed, it is the build quality that might worry you. There’s a lot of flex on the lid, and that continues near the function keys. Moreover, the shadow black finish is prone to smudges, especially on the lid. Coming back to the design, the trackpad is just the right size, to avoid any unwanted taps while playing. There are bigger heat vents in place to increase the airflow, and the I/O options are at the back of the laptop to keep the sides clean.

Speaking of I/O, the HP Omen Transcend 16 gets two USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, one AC connector, and a 3.5mm combination headphone jack. Inside the laptop, there’s a high-speed Intel WiFi 6E modem, and low-latency Bluetooth 5.3 to connect wireless peripherals without lag.

Display and speakers

With a 240Hz high refresh rate mini LED display, the HP OMEN Transcend 16 is packing really good speakers, which have enough punch for immersive audio while gaming.

The display on the HP Omen Transcend 16 is a 16-inch MiniLED panel. It also gets a 240Hz high refresh rate, and 7ms quick response time. As good as these specs sound on paper, they continue to impress in usage too. It has a matte finish so the glares are taken care of, but the panel is bright enough to give an immersive gaming experience.

Sound is taken care of by B&O speakers on our unit. These are also decently loud and detailed speakers with some amount of bass. I played Farcry 6 and Cyberpunk on the HP Omen Transcend 16, and the audio quality of the laptop speakers is really good for an immersive gameplay experience. There’s also a headphone jack and high-speed Bluetooth 5.2, so you can use wired or wireless headsets if you want a completely immersive experience.

HP Omen Transcend 16 review: keyboard and trackpad

The per-key RGB lighting is made even sweeter because of the granular control you get from the HP Light Studio app.

The keyboard is one of my favorite parts of the HP Omen Transcend 16. It is a well-spread keyboard with some clever software trickery. It gets per-key RGB lighting and the HP Light Studio gives you granular control over it. There is interactive light-up, image colors, and many other modes to truly make it unique to your liking. However, it takes a while to get the hang of this keyboard. It isn’t the best keyboard for long typing sessions, but the gaming part is pretty clearly highlighted. The WASD keys on our model come with a smoked finish, which looks good.

Onto the trackpad, there’s a decently large, fairly clicky trackpad that is good for daily use. Overall, this is a decent trackpad if you don’t have a mouse, but since this is a gaming laptop, users are most likely to use a mouse with it anyway. For light usage like Excel or writing work, you can rely on this trackpad.

HP Omen Transcend 16: Gaming and performance

This laptop can handle Farcry 6 at full graphics for long hours. There’s no uncomfortable heating or throttling even after hours of sustained use.

Now that we have talked about the display, speakers, keyboard, and trackpad, it is time to get to the performance. The 2023 HP Omen Transcend lineup comes with Intel i7 and i9 chip options. Both are HX series chips so the performance end is sorted. Even the base variant gets 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, which you can upgrade in the future if you feel the need. Coming to GPU choices, you can pick between the Nvidia RTX 4050, 4060, and 4070 GPU. All three are reliable and powerful GPUs, so the entire lineup has good performance to offer.

Our unit was packing the Intel i7-13700HX chip with Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD storage. With these specifications, it churned out 4 hours of Farcry 6 and 3.5 hours of Cyberpunk on the highest graphic settings.

HP Omen Transcend 16: Privacy and security

It gets an IR webcam for Windows Hello facial recognition. There’s also a physical shutter for peace of mind.

The HP Omen Transcend 16 gets a Full HD IR webcam. This means you get Windows Hello facial recognition, which is both secure and fast. In my testing, I found this more efficient than the fingerprint reader on my current primary laptop. The webcam is fairly high resolution, and the AI noise-canceling mics are really good at filtering out noises during video calls and even in-game chatting.

This webcam also has a physical privacy shutter, which is a nice touch. There should’ve been physical mic mute controls too, but there is a keyboard control for that. While the IR webcam gives you a secure way to sign in, the physical shutter also means you can shut it down any time you like. There are not many privacy controls on the HP Omen Transcend 16, but the current controls should be sufficient for most users.

HP Omen Transcend 16: Battery, charging, and heat management

The top-spec Omen Transcend comes with a 90-watt-hour battery. Our variant came with a smaller 70-watt-hour capacity, but it was still impressive. It gave me over 4 hours of Farcry 6 on battery power. However, more demanding titles like Cyberpunk drained the battery in under 3 hours. Gaming aside, the HP OMEN Transcend 16 has a great battery life for office use. I got around six to seven hours of mixed usage with Office, some web browsing, and even writing this review.

Charging duties are handled by a 230-watt AC adapter. When connected, you have the full power of the CPU, GPU, and the HP Tempest cooling at your beck and call. In my usage, this laptop remained respectably cool during hours of gaming. The rear vents work like a charm, taking all the heat away from your palms, and keeping the temperature in check.

HP Omen Transcend 16 review: Verdict

The HP Omen Transcend 16 borrows heavily from the Transcend laptops of the past, yet manages to remain unquestionably unique. Everything about this machine is really well-balanced, making it one of the finest gaming laptops I can recommend this year. While it doesn’t feel sturdy, the weight distribution, revised heat vents, and the new hinge make it a good deal.

A gaming laptop has to have good specifications and upgradeability, and the HP Omen Transcend 16 scores good marks in that territory too. The base variant gets an i7 HX chip, 16GB RAM, and RTX4050 graphics, and a 165hz refresh rate display. All this considered, our verdict after the HP Omen Transcend 16  review is that if you can live with the build quality, then it is a balanced beast of a machine with great performance across the price spectrum, starting at Rs 1,59,990.

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The UWB have been found in Chromium Gerrit, an open-source code collaboration tool where developers can review modifications on source code. The tests suggest that Google may be planning to introduce UWB in future Chromebooks. This could open up new possibilities for seamless and lag-free connections between devices. For example, a shared drive in a room could be accessed by multiple people without cables with UWB. Or an app could be mirrored on a Chromebook with zero lag.

However, the tests are still in the early stages and there is no guarantee that UWB will make it to the final product. Google has not officially announced or confirmed any plans to use UWB on Chromebooks. 

UWB is not a new technology, but it has gained more attention recently as more devices adopt it. For instance, the Pixel Watch 2 is rumoured to have a UWB module. 

Meanwhile, Google is reportedly working on a major overhaul of its camera app for the upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. The new interface will offer a separate switch for photo and video modes, a redesigned settings menu, and more prominent camera modes.

The new Google Camera app will move the settings icon from the top to the bottom-left corner of the screen, making it easier to access. The settings menu will also be opened by swiping up instead of down. The black strip at the bottom will now house a photo and video switcher, which will change the mode carousel above it accordingly.

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This bug prevented users from accessing location services toggles to allow or block access to location information in any app. In addition to this, users were also not able to see, which apps were using their location information and they were also not able to give access to location to newly installed apps. 

The macOS 13.5.1 update fixes these issues as per Apple’s release notes. Location services are now expected to work properly and affected users can download the latest update from the Software Update section of System Settings.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to download macOS 13.5.1:

Step 1: Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen.

Step 2: Select System Preferences.

Step 3: Click on Software Update.

Step 4: If an update is available, click on the Update Now button to download and install it.

Alternatively, you can download macOS Ventura 13.5.1 directly from Apple’s website.

Meanwhile, Apple is likely to unveil its new Mac devices with its rumoured M3 chipset. We could see the first M3-powered Mac in October 2023, as per a report by Mark Gurman. M3 chip-powered Mac devices will include a new iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. In addition to this, an upgraded version of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will probably launch next year.

“Now that Apple has gotten the 15-inch MacBook Air and new M2 Ultra-based Macs out the door, the October launch could feature the first Macs with M3 chips. October is too early for new high-end MacBook Pros or desktops, so the first beneficiaries of the new chip should be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro,” Gurman wrote in his Power On newsletter.

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“…today, we’re expanding the preview to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel via a controlled feature rollout. This first preview focuses on our integrated UI experience, with additional functionality coming down the road in future previews,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post announcing the development. “To use Copilot in this flight you must have Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22631.2129 or higher in the Beta Channel, and Microsoft Edge version 115.0.1901.150 or higher,” the company added.

What is Windows Copilot?

For the unversed, Windows Copilot is the centralised AI assistant that is available on Windows PCs. It works across the platform, unlike Microsoft’s now dead virtual assistant Cortana that had limited functionality. Simply put, with Windows Copilot, Windows 11 users can complete complex projects, collaborate instead of spending energy finding, and launch and work across multiple applications. Microsoft says that Windows Copilot will appear as a side bar docked to the right where it won’t overlap with a users’ desktop content. It will run unobstructed alongside users’ open app windows, allowing them to interact with Windows Copilot easily anytime.

To invoke Windows Copilot, users need to click the button available on the taskbar. Alternatively, users can press the Win + C keys simultaneously to launch Windows Copilot on their PCs. Once open, Windows Copilot side bar will be available across the apps, programs and windows. Microsoft says that Windows Copilot will use the same Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Active Directory (AAD) account used to sign-in to Windows.

What tasks can you perform using Windows Copilot?

As far as features and functionalities are concerned, Window Copilot can not only copy and paste content — something that we do using manual commands, but it can also rewrite, summarise or explain content. Microsoft says that users can also ask the AI assistant to perform a range of actions, such as finding flights and accommodation before planning a trip, capturing a screenshot, writing summary on a pre-defined topic and fetching specific images among others.

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Zenbooks have been there for a while now, and with every iteration, ASUS has tried to beat the best, the Macbooks. They compete with ultrabooks from HP, Dell, Acer, and others, but I believe that ASUS has come closer to beating the MacBook than any other laptop. This time, the Zenbook S 13 OLED has become the world’s thinnest and lightest ultrabook. I used it as my daily driver for almost a month, and that’s how we reach this ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED review.

Box contents

There’s a whole sustainability theme going around the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED. Right from the box to the components of the laptop, everything is responsibly and sustainably sourced. It comes in glue-free packaging with plant-fiber-made covers for the laptop and the sleeve.

In the box, you get the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED laptop, a 65-watt fast charger, a sleeve, and some paperwork. I checked out the sleeve before taking out the main laptop, and could almost not believe that the laptop will fit inside something so slim. But that’s all for the box contents.

ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED specifications

Build, design, and upgradeability

The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED has a stone-like finish on the lid, which is unique to this laptop’s basalt grey color.

An ultrabook is supposed to be light, powerful, and durable. And this checks all the right boxes. This is a slim, premium, and durable machine. The laptop has an aluminum body with a magnesium-aluminum alloy lid. There’s a stone-like finish on the lid, and the aluminum chassis feels premium to the touch.

Nearly everyone who held this laptop was astonished at how sleek it is. And despite the slimness, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is smartly built to house some necessary ports.

It is packing 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, 1 HDMI port, and a headphone jack. For my work, I sorely miss an SD card slot, but there are enough ports for peripherals like a card reader. It has a sturdy hinge that slightly props up the laptop. The typing becomes more ergonomic and also improves heat dissipation. ASUS used a dedicated triangular foot on the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, but I believe this laptop could also use one as the chassis has a lot of flex when pressed hard. However, even with fast typing speeds, there’s virtually no flex. You’ll only know it is there when you press hard on one spot.

The laptop is slightly disappointing on the upgradeability end. You can replace the SSD to add a higher storage one, but the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. I also reviewed the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 last month, and that also had similar upgradability. It is good that this gets 16GB RAM on the base model, but an upgradable RAM would sit perfectly with the sustainability theme of this laptop.

ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED Display

The brightness on this display can go from 0.005nits to 550nits, which is great for use in dark spaces as well as outdoors under the sun.

The name of this machine proudly says ‘OLED’ and speaks for itself. It is packing a 13.3-inch 2.8k (2880 x 1800) 16:10 ASUS Lumina OLED panel. Add a VESA certification and Dolby Vision badge to the mix, and you get a really good display. It has 550nits peak brightness, and there are burn-in prevention features in place to expand its life.

As expected from an OLED panel, this can go bright enough to use in direct sunlight and dim enough to use in dimly lit rooms. I’ve enjoyed watching Netflix on this display, but this also has its fair share of issues. For starters, it misses out on a high refresh rate as this is a 60Hz refresh panel. And the glossy nature of the panel means if there are lights behind you, they cause a glare on the screen.

Speakers

These speakers are Harman Kardon tuned, but they only come to life if you turn on the volume booster from the MyASUS app

This is the part where I say that a badge is never enough. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with Dolby Atmos speakers, but they are simply not up to the mark. I’ve tested a ROG, a TUF, and now this Zenbook in the last 3 months, and the speakers have been one of the weakest parts on all three laptops.

They’re particularly disappointing on this one as there’s literally low to no volume. I even propped this up on a table for better acoustics, but the speakers are so underpowered, that I could hear the AC fans over them. I can appreciate the brilliant design, but I believe multimedia consumption should not have been an issue here.

Keyboard and trackpad

It is a tactile keyboard with flat keys. The key travel is relatively short, but you can do fast and silent typing on it, thanks to the good spacing between the keys.

I started using this laptop right after testing two gaming laptops from ASUS. This has a different set of function keys that initially confused me. As a work-focused machine, the function keys are exactly where you need them. Volume and brightness controls come first, followed by brightness, screen projection, mic mute, camera off, and screenshot controls. It has a large trackpad, so ASUS added a ‘disable trackpad’ key to the mix so you can avoid accidental taps while typing.

The keyboard has just 1mm key travel but these are tactile keys, so there are low to no accidental clicks. It is a flat keyboard so it looks as if it is almost sitting flush with the base. However, start typing on it and you’ll see the keys are spaced in a way to make it feel like you’re typing on a larger machine.

Once you disable the trackpad, there’s a decently large palm rest at your disposal. This gets a large ErgoSense touchpad. Hands down, this is one of the best touchpads I’ve tested in a long time. While it isn’t as smooth as those on MacBooks, this definitely holds its own. So the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED review for the keyboard and trackpad department is sorted.

Software and smart features

MyASUS app is one of the most underrated apps on ASUS laptops. This gives you a lot of control over everything from fan speed to battery management, mics, and cameras on the laptop.

ASUS laptops are generally well-optimized and 0ffer a clean Windows experience. The laptop has MyASUS app pre-installed, and it offers you good control over the machine. This is a one-stop app to register device warranty,  diagnose errors and crashes, and get customer support. Then there are Link to MyASUS, ScreenXpert, and GlideX tools to connect your phone, manage multiple displays, and professional screen sharing.

Coming to more everyday tools, you get a Battery care mode to stop charging when it reaches 80% battery to increase the battery life. There are fan profiles to manually tweak the fan noise, AI mic and speaker controls, and Sound Modes with a Volume Booster. I’m happy to report that these tools work really well, and you can feel the difference they make when working on this laptop.

Battery and heat management

The battery care mode in the MyASUS app caps charging to 80%, making improving battery longevity. You can select ‘instant charge’ from a pop-up when you plug in the charger to power it up to 100% when you’re traveling.

The ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED has the Intel Evo badge, and this laptop’s battery performs on the promise. I’ve always got around 10 to 12 hours of battery backup on mixed-use from this machine.

In my testing, during the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED review, it manages to keep the heating under check. However, the bottom of the laptop heats up when the fans are in full swing. There’s no heat coming to the palm rest, trackpad, or even the keyboard area. But try to use it on a flat surface to make the most use of its ErgoLift hinge and heat dissipation.

ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED review: Verdict

So in a nutshell, ASUS has indeed made a great coffee shop laptop that will have you back no matter what you throw at it. The ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED is thin, light, and a portable powerhouse. It has a great battery and performance balance and a premium overall experience. While the display should’ve had a high refresh rate, it is pretty good as it is, and the other elements of the laptop also come into their own when you’re working on this machine.

In my usage, I was initially worried about it being so thin that I thought it was fragile. However, it is military-grade tested, and that’s pretty reassuring to know. Wrapping up, we can say that the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED is a combination of good hardware, software, and a responsibility initiative from ASUS that makes it environmentally sustainable as well.

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The company announced the change in a support article, where it also revealed that it will end support for Cortana in some of its other products, such as Teams mobile, Teams Display, and Teams Rooms, by the fall of 2023. However, Cortana will still be available in Outlook mobile, according to Microsoft.

“We’re making some changes to Windows and Microsoft 365 that will impact Cortana users. Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated. Support for Cortana in Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms will end in the fall of 2023. Cortana in Outlook mobile will continue to be available,” Microsoft wrote in the support article. 

Cortana was first introduced in Windows Phone, Microsoft’s mobile operating system that failed to compete with Android and iOS. The assistant was then integrated into Windows 10 in 2015, where it had a prominent place in the taskbar. However, Microsoft decided to remove Cortana from the Windows 11 taskbar and first boot experience and only kept the standalone app until this week.

The demise of Cortana is not surprising, as the assistant struggled to gain popularity and market share against rivals like Alexa or Google Assistant. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella admitted in 2019 that Cortana had fallen behind competitors.

Microsoft is not giving up on digital assistants entirely, though. The company is working on a new feature for Windows 11 called Windows Copilot, which is a sidebar that can control Windows settings, answer questions, and more. Windows Copilot is powered by Bing Chat, a conversational AI service that can chat with users about various topics. Windows Copilot is expected to be available this fall as part of a Windows 11 update that will also include native RAR and 7-Zip support.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced the rollout of Windows Copilot preview to the beta channel. Interested testers can download the preview that offers an AI-infused sidebar, which was first announced at Build 2023.

“This first preview focuses on our integrated UI experience, with additional functionality coming down the road in future previews”, the company wrote in a blog post.

To try out this preview feature, you need to be in the beta channel and have the following versions or higher of Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge: Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22631.2129 and Microsoft Edge version 115.0.1901.150.

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