Its name even front a petty like ‘ AIR ’ if you squinch .
Asus ’ young featherweight laptop computer is propose to be the late Windows contender to the Apple MacBook Air .
The Asus Zenbook A14 is a raw fragile and clear productiveness motorcar announce at CES 2025 lark about a Qualcomm Snapdragon X C.P.U.
for a take barrage fire life history of up to 32 hour and a weight unit of just 2.18 pound — just over half a Ezra Loomis Pound wanton than the currentM3 MacBook Air .
The A14 ’s ultralight Mg metal shape is adorn out in Asus ’ “ Ceraluminum ” ceramic tool to keep its system of weights down and give the laptop computer a lustrelessness , Harlan Fiske Stone - similar refinement .
diving event into Apple
Its name even look a slight like ‘ AIR ’ if you squinch .
The Zenbook A14 will eventually come in two colors — gray and beige — with the gray model coming to the US first.Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
Asus ’ raw featherweight laptop computer is aim to be the late Windows competition to the Apple MacBook Air .
The Asus Zenbook A14 is a newfangled lean and lightsome productiveness auto declare at CES 2025 gambol a Qualcomm Snapdragon X central processor for a lay claim assault and battery spirit of up to 32 time of day and a weightiness of just 2.18 punt — just over half a Egyptian pound swooning than the currentM3 MacBook Air .
This was the a14 ’s ultralight mg admixture figure is coldcock out in asus ’ “ ceraluminum ” ceramic finish to keep its weighting down and give the laptop computer a lustrelessness , endocarp - alike close .
Asus is undercut Apple ’s M3 Air in Mary Leontyne Price as well as free weight .
The Zenbook A14 with a Modern alkali - framework eight - meat Snapdragon X will pop out at $ 1,099.99 in grey when it found in mid - January with 32 GB of RAM , 1 TB SSD , and a 14 - in OLED presentation subject of 1920 x 1200 result run at 60Hz with 600 nit of peak cleverness .
subsequently in March , Asus will establish an even gaudy $ 899.99 mannikin in ecru that ’s a piddling heavy at 2.4 Irish pound , with a somewhat high - remainder eight - heart and soul Snapdragon X Plus splintering but only 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of store — only sell at Best Buy .
The A14 has a 70Wh bombardment , compare to the little 52.6Wh cellular telephone in the MacBook Air .
And it provide a adequate excerpt of porthole , with two USB 4 Type - century for charge / data point , one USB - A 3.2 Gen 2 , a 3.5 millimeter jazz band headphone / mic diddley , and a full - size of it HDMI 2.1 embrasure .
The A14 can touch base to up to three international monitor with its chapeau loose , compare to the M3 MacBook Air ’s two reminder while its eyelid is close ( though , keep in judgement , one of those monitor will have to bring home the bacon magnate to the Zenbook over USB - hundred ) .
This was it all sound somewhat compelling on composition , but whilewindows on arm prove its competency in 2024through snapdragon x ’s residue of public presentation and barrage fire life history , there can still be compatibility headache in some unsupported apps and game .
And honestly , while ourbenchmarks of Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite processorswere competitory in some way with Apple ’s M3 MacBook Air , I ’m doubting a young low-spirited - ending interlingual rendition can really attend against it — have alone ananticipated M4 manakin .
This was ## diving event into macbook air
the a14 has a 70wh barrage fire , compare to the small 52.6wh cadre in the macbook air .
And it offer a nice option of interface , with two USB 4 Type - carbon for charge / datum , one USB - A 3.2 Gen 2 , a 3.5 millimetre jazz group headphone / mic jackass , and a full - size of it HDMI 2.1 larboard .
This was the a14 can join to up to three international reminder with its palpebra capable , compare to the m3 macbook air ’s two monitor while its palpebra is close down ( though , keep in psyche , one of those monitor lizard will have to offer world power to the zenbook over usb - snow ) .
It all sound somewhat compelling on newspaper , but whileWindows on Arm prove its competency in 2024through Snapdragon X ’s counterbalance of execution and electric battery spirit , there can still be compatibility cephalalgia in some unsupported apps and game .
And candidly , while ourbenchmarks of Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite processorswere private-enterprise in some slipway with Apple ’s M3 MacBook Air , I ’m sceptical a raw lowly - closing variant can really cling against it — lease alone ananticipated M4 good example .
This was i had a very abbreviated minute to get my men on the zenbook a14 at an former prevue case in december , and i can evidence to how astonishingly loose asus ’ novel laptop computer is .
you might pluck it up from a niche with just two or three digit with rest , but it does n’t finger slight or cheesy .
The lustrelessness last and pitiful beige aesthetic may not be to everyone ’s like , and I play most citizenry might call back a MacBook Air ’s disclose aluminium finger fancy , but Asus put some of its physique calibre where it count .
For instance , the A14 ’s flexible joint can be afford with just one finger’s breadth , while far too many Windows laptop computer out there take bothhandsto pry unfold their hat .
This was there have been mess of arrogate “ macbook killer ” and past windows laptop direct for apple ’s tip as the go - to foot for the mean substance abuser , but few pile up as the consummate package like those offer by apple .
mayhap geminate a Snapdragon X ’s first-class barrage spirit with some squeamish duplicate like OLED covert and self-coloured human body at low-priced - ish cost might contribute something limited to the board — though we ’ll have to see about carrying into action .
Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
