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TheAsus Vivobook S14andAsus Zenbook 14look like identical twins at first glance.
You’d be forgiven for getting one mistaken for the other. Don’t make a mistake by buying the wrong laptop, though.
These two Asus laptops havea lotin common — at least, on paper. They’re both 14-inch mainstream laptops with sleek, matte black designs, nearly identical specs, and similar prices.
However, our testing revealed some major differences between the Vivobook and Zenbook that highlight where each one shines, and where each falls flat. The differences set one apart as the better deal for most users.
Asus Vivobook S14 vs. Asus Zenbook 14: Price and configurations
On paper, the Asus Vivobook S14 (Q423) and Asus Zenbook 14 (Q425M) are nearly identical. They have the exact same display size and type, the same RAM, the same graphics processor, and virtually the same dimensions and weight.
The few areas where these two laptops differ make a world of difference, because oneisbetter value for your money.
The most important specs to notice are the processor and the price. The Vivobook only comes in one configuration (at the time of writing) which features an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V CPU and costs $949. In comparison, our review unit for the Zenbook costs $100 more at $1,049 but features a much stronger processor, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. On top of that, it has twice as much storage as the Vivobook (1TB vs. 512GB).
That extra $100 is a small price to pay for double the storage and a big leap in processing power, making the Zenbook a better deal for your money.
The Asus Vivobook S14 on a white table seen from behind
It’s hard to compare the Asus Vivobook S14’s design to that of the Asus Zenbook 14 because they are virtually indistinguishable. If you look closely, though, one laptop’s design has an edge.
The Vivobook and Zenbook both feature minimalistic, metallic chassis with a 14-inch display and the same keyboard deck. Both also have a built-in webcam shutter, which is a huge plus. Even their dimensions are similar, down to a fraction of an inch:
Asus Vivobook S14 (Q423): 12.22 x 8.74 x 0.55 inches, 2.87 pounds
Asus Zenbook 14 (Q425M): 12.3 x 8.67 x 0.59 inches, 3 pounds
Things get a little more interesting when we look at the ports on each. The Vivobook offers a much better port selection with one extra USB Type-A port and even a microSD card reader. Those could be deal breakers for many users, especially for creatives, who will appreciate having a built-in microSD card slot.
On top of that, the Vivobook also features a dedicated Copilot key for quickly accessing Microsoft’s AI assistant. Both laptops have access to the Copilot app, but this dedicated key makes launching it a bit more convenient. That, on top of the extra ports, gives the Vivobook a slight lead in this category.
The Asus Vivobook S14 on a white table playing an episode of Disney’s Agatha All Along
In this case, regardless of which Asus laptop you choose, you’ll be getting a sharp OLED display. OLED panels generally offer more vibrant colors and better contrast.
The Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 have very similar displays. The Vivobook features a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, OLED displaywithouta touchscreen. In comparison, the Zenbook has a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, OLED display thatistouch sensitive.
Both look good in hands-on use. In our reviews, we praised each display for its good bold colors and detail. So, you will likely get a good viewing experience from either.
However, there are some slight differences in our test scores that hint at which display has an edge. It’s a close call, but the Vivobook S14 came out on top in all three of our main display tests, giving it the win in this category.
Asus Vivobook S14 vs. Asus Zenbook 14: Performance
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) open facing camera on a wooden desk
Overall performance is arguably the most important category when you’re trying to choose between two laptops. This is also where major differences between the Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 appear.
Our review configurations include two different processors, although both configurations are similarly priced. The Vivobook S14 is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V CPU while the Zenbook 14 features an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU.
Technically, the Vivobook’s CPU is a newer model from Intel’s 2024 “Lunar Lake” family. However, newer isn’t always better and that’s certainly the case here.
The Zenbook 14 scored significantly higher on the Geekbench 6 test, our main overall performance benchmark. This highlights the gap in performance between Intel’s Core Ultra 7 processors and its less powerful Core Ultra 5 processors. The Zenbook’s processor will be more capable of handling multi-tasking and demanding apps, particularly those that rely on multi-core performance such as photo and video editing apps.
So, the Asus Zenbook 14 wins this category.
Winner:Asus Zenbook 14 (Q425M)
Asus Vivobook S14 vs. Asus Zenbook 14: Graphics and gaming
The Asus Vivobook S14 running Death’s Door on a white table next to a game controller
While neither of these Asus laptops is designed for gaming, you might want to use either for some casual gaming between work or school.
The Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 both feature Intel Arc integrated graphics. If you’re looking for a laptop with a dedicated GPU capable of running AAA games, you would be better served with one of thebest gaming laptopsinstead.
However, Intel Arc integrated graphics can be surprisingly capable, particularly with lightweight titles and indie games. Even so, I was surprised at just how high the Asus Vivobook S14 scored on ourSid Meier’s Civilization VIbenchmark. The Vivobook was able to average 51.4 fps on Medium graphics in 1080p, over 20 frames higher than the Zenbook averaged.
Sure, that’s not as high as a purpose-built gaming laptop would score, but the Vivobook can deliver a surprisingly smooth casual gaming experience, one that’s a bit better than what the Zenbook can offer.
Winner:Asus Vivobook S14 (Q423)
Asus Vivobook S14 vs. Asus Zenbook 14: Battery life
Battery life can make or break your experience with any laptop, especially if you’re a student or a commuter. Luckily, the Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 bother offer enough battery life to get you through a full day on the go.
One laptop has an edge, though. The Vivobook S14 lasted nearly 2 hours longer than the Zenbook 14 in our battery life test, giving it the win in this category.
Winner:Asus Vivobook S14 (Q423)
Overall winner: Asus Zenbook 14 (Q425M)
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) open on a wooden desk at an angle
The Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 each have their strengths and weaknesses, but one offers much better value for your money: the Asus Zenbook 14 (Q425M).
It’s a close call, especially considering these two laptops have similar specs, effectively the same design, and nearly identical displays. However, the Zenbook 14 offers twice as much storage and a much better processor for just $100 more than the Vivobook S14.
While the Vivobook offers a slight edge in several categories, the Zenbook is very close behind. The Vivobook is surprisingly good for casual gaming, but neither of these is a gaming laptop. For the average mainstream laptop user, overall performance and storage are likely much more important than casual gaming performance.
You can also compare the Asus Vivobook S14 and Asus Zenbook 14 to thebest laptopsof the year and thebest budget laptopsfor even more alternatives.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is the most powerful phone on the market at the time of writing. It’s also remarkably easy to use day-to-day, with a relatively subtle design, outstanding battery life, an adequate camera, and plenty of pleasing quality-of-life features. It isn’t fully optimized for either purpose – gaming or everyday use – but it takes a pretty convincing stab at covering all bases.
Pros
+Class-leading performance
+Excellent battery life
+Relatively easy to use everyda
Cons
-Very expensive
-Not perfectly optimised for gaming
-Still only two years of OS updates
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro: Two-minute review Asus took a bold turn towards the mainstream with the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro in 2023, repositioning its flagship (but typically niche) gaming phone as something you might actually want to use day-to-day. You don’t get two consecutive radical overhauls in the modern smartphone era, so the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro serves as more of a gentle refinement.
The chief improvement comes from the switch to Qualcomm’s impressive Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which provides a measurable bump in performance. This is paired with a whole lot of RAM and a passive cooling system that has been beefed up yet further.
Whatever the contributing factors, the ROG Phone 9 Pro addresses our concerns over its predecessor’s sustained performance, remaining consistently fast over longer gaming sessions.
The ROG Phone 9 Pro sticks to the design template of last year’s model, with the same (relatively) discrete shape and style. Quality of life features like wireless charging and IP68 certification make a return, too, and continue to be unique among gaming phones.
(Image credit: Future) Hardcore mobile gamers will likely continue to regard this as a compromised layout, however. Asus has only half-heartedly addressed the lack of dual front-firing speakers, while the display continues to be partially obstructed by a hole punch camera, unlike that of the Red Magic 9S Pro.
One gamer-friendly change on the ROG Phone 9 Pro is the provision of a larger 5,800mAh battery, which ensures epic stamina in regular usage. More to the point, you’ll be able to indulge in some serious gaming on your commute without fear of running out of juice. Charging speeds are quick enough, and there’s a secondary USB-C port on the left-hand edge for easy charging while gaming.
Asus’ rear-mounted AniMe Vision system, introduced in the ROG Phone 8 Pro, has been improved, with a bunch more LEDs. You can even play a series of simplistic games on it, using the returning mappable Air Trigger controls. It’s a fun addition, but pretty superfluous given the range of games (both simple and otherwise) that can be played on the main screen.
Talking of which, Asus has stuck with broadly the same 6.78-inch AMOLED panel as before. The only real difference is that the refresh rate now goes up to 185Hz, but you’ll struggle to find many games that can capitalize on such a feature.
(Image credit: Future) Also similar is the ROG Phone 9 Pro’s camera system, which adds an improved gimbal stabilization system to the package. It’s far from one of the best camera phones out there, especially among its premium-priced flagship competition, but it’s capable of capturing solid shots in a variety of scenarios.
The software provision remains the most thoughtful of any gaming phone, with a straight choice between Asus’ bespoke gamer aesthetic and a more traditional stock(ish) Android UI. It’s a real shame you’ll only be getting two major Android updates, though at least the AI-enhanced Android 15 is available out of the box.
For all its many minor improvements, it’s questionable whether the ROG Phone 9 Pro is the best out-and-out gaming phone on the market, and it’s certainly not the best value. However, it’s quite clearly the best option if gaming is merely the first among many interests.
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Price and availability
From $1,199
Shipping expected second half of December
Global Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro pre-orders are open now, with shipping expected to begin in mid-to-late December.
The ROG Phone 9 comes in three variants: the regular Asus ROG Phone 9, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, and the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition. It’s the latter that I’ve been testing for this review, though it’s broadly the same phone as the regular Pro.
Pricing starts at $1,199.99 for the ROG Phone Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The ROG Phone Pro Edition is the same phone, but with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, as well as an external AeroActive Cooler X Pro fan included in the box. This top-tier model costs $1,499.99.
It’s worth mentioning that there’s a little more meaningful differentiation for the regular ROG Phone 9 this year. It has a simpler AniMe Vision LED set-up on the back, and swaps out the dedicated telephoto camera for a lesser macro one.
Value score: 3.5 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Specs
Dimensions:
163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm
Weight:
227g
Display:
6.78-inch up to 185Hz Full HD+ AMOLED
Chipset:
Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM:
16GB / 24GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage:
512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0)
OS (at launch):
Android 15
Primary camera:
50MP f/1.9 Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor w/ 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal
Asus dropped its juvenile gamer aesthetic for the ROG Phone 8 Pro in favor of something a little more subdued and mature. Indeed, so comprehensive was the transformation, Asus essentially re-released the phone several months later as the normie Zenfone 11 Ultra.
Unsurprisingly, it has stuck to its design guns with the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. The phone looks and feels almost exactly the same as its predecessor, with identical proportions of 163.8 x 76.8 x 8.9mm and a similar weight of 227g. That’s big by normal standards, but not especially so for a gaming phone.
Like the ROG Phone 8 pro, this heft is partly softened by a soft-touch precision-etched glass material on the rear that curves off at the edges. The Pro model only comes in a sober Phantom Black finish, which has just the slightest of glimmers about it. It’s totally non-reflective, however, and also mercifully resistant to fingerprints.
There are still a few gamery decals dotted around the back of the phone, but at least Asus has ditched the cheesy ‘Dare to Win’ message this time around.
(Image credit: Future)
One thing Asus has leaned into is the AniMe Vision secondary display that debuted on the ROG Phone 8 Pro. Completely invisible by default, this LED system (up from 341 to 648 LEDs) only lights up when you dive into the menus and activate it. You can have it play little animations when music is playing, for incoming calls and notifications, and more. I particularly liked the little countdown timer and smiley face that appears when you take timed photo.
The big new addition is the ability to play simplistic games on this stylized secondary display, but that’s arguably the least consequential use for it. Using the Air Trigger controls, you can play crude knock-off versions of Space Invader, Snake, and the like. None of them are especially good, and I’m not sure why you’d ever opt for one of these given the range of games available for the main screen.
Asus added IP68 certification with the ROG Phone 8 Pro, and it makes a return here. It’s something you don’t get on the likes of the Red Magic 9 Pro with its big fan vents, and it’s most welcome as the bad weather starts to roll in.
For gamers, this more accessible design is something of a mixed bag. On the plus side, you get a secondary USB-C port on the left-hand edge, which makes it easy to charge while you’re gaming. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack for latency-free audio.
Conversely, Asus’ more streamlined design reduces the bezels to the point where there’s no room for dual front-facing speakers. The earpiece fires frontwards, but the other speaker is on the bottom edge of the phone. This will never match true front-firing speakers for stereo clarity, and Asus knows it.
(Image credit: Future)
In a somewhat half-baked attempt to address this, the manufacturer has made it so that both of its official cases (including the bundled ChillCase) redirect the downwards-firing audio frontwards. It works to avoid you blocking the speaker with your finger while gaming, but it’s still a half measure, especially if you don’t care for the case.
As for the sound output itself, it gets nice and loud and clear, but it’s no match for the nuanced output of similarly priced regular phones like theiPhone 16 Pro Max.
Those compact bezels also mean that the front camera is marooned in a sea of screen, which isn’t optimal for gaming, even if it’s a standard measure for the vast majority of non-gaming phones. Still, it does mean that the selfie camera is usable, unlike with the Red Magic 9S Pro’s awful in-display solution. Again, it all comes down to your priorities.
I’ve already drawn a contrast with the way Asus handles cooling compared to Nubia. Instead of integrating a physical fan into the body of the phone, Asus includes the aforementioned ChillCase, which draws heat away from the body of the phone. It also bundles in the AeroActive Cooler X Pro, which is a clip-on fan that serves to draw heat away from the body, as well as provide additional physical shoulder buttons and a built-in stand.
This AeroActive Cooler X Pro runs off the phone’s power by hooking into its extra USB-C port, and also uses this to run some ROG lighting, which you can adjust or toggle off in the Armoury Crate app.
Compared to last year’s AeroActive Cooler X, the AeroActive Cooler X Pro features a 12.5% larger fan and extra thermal material, boosting cooling efficiency by a claimed 29%. Its design is fundamentally similar though, and it’s good to see that Asus is continuing to sell the older fan as a cheaper alternative.
Design score: 4 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Display
(Image credit: Future)
6.78-inch LTPO OLED
FHD+ resolution
Refresh rate now goes up to 185Hz
Asus has gone with a 6.78-inch E6 AMOLED display for the whole ROG Phone 9 range, which is the same as the ROG Phone 8. You might expect a sharper resolution than 1080 x 2400 (FHD+) given the price, especially of this top model, but image clarity is fine and fewer pixels make for better performance.
The brightness hasn’t been cranked up at all, with the same claimed peak of 2,500 nits inHDRtasks and 1,600 nits in high brightness mode, which automatically activates in sunny outdoor conditions. It’s far from the brightest screen on the market, but it proves to be more than enough in practical terms.
Color output is certainly on the punchy side, even in the supposedly Natural display setting. You can rein this in by switching to Standard mode, which offers a pleasingly balanced look, while you can also fine-tune the color temperature and saturation level according to your taste.
This is an LTPO panel, which means that it can operate at any one of 14 refresh rates depending on the task at hand, thus maximizing energy efficiency. This is actually one more gradient than the ROG Phone 8 Pro was capable of, and that’s because the ROG Phone 9 Pro can extend beyond the previous 165Hz limit to 185Hz.
You can only access this elevated refresh rate when the screen is set to Auto, and it’ll only activate within games. It’s also a simple fact that vanishingly few games will actually take advantage of such a refresh rate. Indeed, most won’t even hit 120Hz. Even the super-fluidDead Cellstopped out at 167fps for me.
Still, this is a phone built around high-end mobile gaming, which means it needs to offer the maximum possible gaming performance. In terms of display technology, it’s mission accomplished.
Display score: 4 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future)
Familiar 1/1.56-inch main camera sensor with improved gimbal
13-inch ultra-wide with freeform lens
Dedicated 32MP 3x telephoto on Pro models only
It might appear as if Asus has switched to a new main camera sensor on paper, but theSonyLytia 700 is merely a rebrand of the 1/1.56-inch IMX 890 found in the ROG Phone 8.
All that’s new this time around, at least from a hardware perspective, is an improved gimbal system. The six-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 4.0 can manage five degrees of motion compensation rather than the previous three.
As we’ve seen with previous Asus flagship phones, this system results in freakishly stable images and video footage, which has positive ramifications for low-light shots. By keeping even steadier, the ROG Phone 9 Pro can keep its shutter open for longer without it negatively affecting clarity – so long as the subject is relatively static.
Sure enough, food shots taken in dim restaurant lighting looked appropriately sharp and delectable, while Night mode shots were reasonably crisp and clear. I didn’t spot too much of that artificial brightening effect that often blights less-than-top camera systems either.
You get the same 13MP ultra-wide camera as before, which can’t manage the same detail or contrast as the main sensor. The overall tone is broadly of a piece, however, and edge distortion isn’t excessive thanks to the provision of a freeform lens.
We also get the return of the ROG Phone 8’s 32MP 3x telephoto camera – or at least, the ROG Phone 9 Pro does. In a noteworthy downgrade, Asus has dropped the telephoto from the regular ROG Phone 9, replacing it with a 5MP macro.
Speaking of the Pro model, the dedicated telephoto camera takes sharp and balanced shots at its native 3x zoom, and usable snaps using the hybrid 2x mode. Things start to get soft at 10x, however, while the 30x hybrid zoom turns out awful impressionistic snaps. Some of the facial features I captured on distant subjects in these extended hybrid zoom shots will haunt my dreams for some time to come.
The 32MP selfie camera makes a return, and it continues to go about its business adequately. Skin still looks a little waxy, but detail is fine; it makes the subject pop against the background nicely, and I appreciated the option of a wider perspective for group and landscape selfies.
That above-and-beyond gimbal further earns its place when capturing video at up to4K/60fps or8K/30fps. You can add electronic image stabilization (EIS) to the equation in HyperSteady mode, but this is only available at up to 1080p/60fps. Auto HDR can also be applied to videos, but only up to 1080p/30fps.
More than any hardware improvements, Asus seems to have gone the extra mile on its camera software this year. The big addition is Photo Vibes, which let you fundamentally alter the tone of your shots between five major settings.
Standard is Asus’ idea of a balanced look, and it was also my preference throughout my test period. Rich & Warm cranks up the contrast and drops the temperature. Soft & Warm drops both, Vivid gives you high color temperature and high contrast for that cool blue tint, while Gentle Cold gives you high temperature but low contrast.
The other new feature that feels potentially meaningful is the ability to map the right Air Trigger button to the shutter. It’s turned off by default, but when activated it gives you something of a point-and-shoot camera feel.
This is still only a capacitive button, so you don’t get the same tactile feedback as the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button, but it’s a welcome addition nonetheless. I particularly appreciated that the shot was taken on release, not the initial press, which helps with stability and shot composition.
Make no mistake, this still isn’t a top-notch camera system, despite the premium price you’re paying for the phone. Neither night nor daytime shots are up to the level of the iPhone 16 Pro Max,Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, orSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
That’s part of the deal with even thebest gaming phones, and this is still comfortably the best gaming phone camera in town. It’s a low bar admittedly, but it’s one that last year’s ROG Phone 8 cleared with ease. The ROG Phone 9 Pro nudges things forward.
Camera score: 3.5 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro camera samples
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Features the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip
18GB or 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM
512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage
Let’s face it, for all the ROG Phone 9 Pro’s mainstream refinements, we’re all here for the performance. You can take your gaming phone design in any direction you like, but if it can’t run games better than regular phones, you’re onto a loser.
Suffice it to say, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is very much a winner in the performance department. Much of that success can be laid at Qualcomm’s door, with the third-party chip maker providing its latest and greatest 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with its brand new Oryon CPU architecture.
Now add in an absolute stack of fast LPDDR5X RAM – 18GB in the Pro, 24GB in the Pro Edition – and you have as good a foundation as any phone on the market. My benchmark tests indicate a healthy advance on the previous Android flagship generation, which tended to run on the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
In the CPU-focused Geekbench 6, the ROG Phone 9 Pro scored an average of 10,106. That’s a 40% increase on the ROG Phone 8 Pro, and a 15% increase on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
(Image credit: Future)
There’s a slightly less remarkable improvement in GPU terms, but Qualcomm’s new Adreno 830 GPU still represents a solid bump. The improvement across a selection of GFXBench GPU benchmark tests stood at around 24% on average compared to the ROG Phone 8 Pro.
Benchmark tests are especially necessary in figuring out how fast this phone is, as no games available on theGoogle Play Storecan really stretch it.Genshin ImpactandWreckfestboth run on the highest graphical settings at a more or less consistent 60fps.
More noteworthy for gamers is the ROG Phone 9 Pro’s improved sustained performance – that is, its ability to run consistently fast over extended periods, which is important for prolonged gaming sessions. In the 3DMark Solar Bar Stress Test, which runs 20 consecutive minute-long high-intensity graphical workouts, the ROG Phone 9 Pro scored 99.6% consistency.
That’s better than the ROG Phone 8 Pro’s 92.2%, and is right up there with theRed Magic 9 Proand its integrated cooling fan on 99.7%. You might want to bring the AeroActive Cooler X Pro into play for hour-long sessions and beyond, but this is a meaningful improvement.
How much of this is down to efficiency gains on Qualcomm’s part and how much is Asus’ improved GameCool cooling system remains unclear. At the heart of this is Asus’s custom X Mode which, as well as ramping up the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU, monitors thermal limits and adjusts output accordingly.
Besides a meaty multi-layer cooling system, Asus has positioned the heat-generating SoC at the center of the phone, away from your hands. It’ll still warm up after a prolonged gaming session, but not uncomfortably so.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Software
(Image credit: Future)
Android 15 with ROG UI
Armour Crate app to fine-tune gaming settings
Only two OS updates, five years of security updates
One of the big things that, for me, sets the ROG Phone 9 Pro apart from its Red Magic rivals and makes it a more pleasant phone to use day-to-day is Asus’ approach to software. Right at the start of the set-up procedure, you’re given a choice between a custom Asus UI or a more stock take on Android.
As a fan of Google’s Pixel phones, I went with the latter, with its familiar icons, volume control system, and integrated quick settings panel. But tinkerers, power users, and those coming from non-Google-branded phones may appreciate Asus’ alternative. The choice is most welcome, and I wish more manufacturers would offer it.
Asus adds a few of its own apps out of the box, including its own Gallery app and the usual everyday tools – think Clock, File Manager, Calculator, Themes, and the like. There’s nothing too egregious here, though that depends on your opinion of Facebook.
Armoury Crate is the company’s custom game interface, granting access to different power modes and display configurations. For popular games likeGenshin Impact, you’ll find downloadable Air Trigger button mappings.
Artificial Intelligence figured highly in Asus’s press materials for the ROG Phone 9 Pro, but most of it is typical stuff for a high-end phone launched in 2024. There’s an AI Wallpaper feature for bespoke backgrounds; natural language image search in the Gallery app; localized AI transcriptions and summaries within the Recorder app; AI call translations; and various image and video editing enhancements. Google’s Circle to Search tool is also here.
Asus has also applied some AI smarts to its gaming UI with X Sense. It’s only in Beta at present, but it can use AI to identify when the ‘Pick up’ button appears on a game likeGenshin Impact, and automatically activate it. It’ll also offer you the option to auto-run, and can speed up conversations in lengthy cut scenes. X Sense can even automatically hammer the escape button when it detects that your avatar is frozen or trapped.
All this positivity is tarnished somewhat by Asus’ inexplicably bad update promise, which only commits to two additional major Android versions. Still, at least Android 15 comes with it out of the box, and you’re also guaranteed a pretty decent five years of security patches.
There’s also the simple fact that anyone splashing out $1,000 / £1,000 or more on a cutting-edge gaming phone is likely to be the type of person who upgrades fairly regularly. Even so, this is an area Asus needs to improve on if it really wants to break into the mainstream with its ROG line.
Software score: 3.5 / 5
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review: Battery
(Image credit: Future)
Larger 5,800mAh battery
Comfortable all day heavy usage
65W wired and 15W wireless charging
One of the unwelcome compromises Asus reached in streamlining the ROG Phone 8 Pro was dropping the size of the battery to 5,500mAh, which isn’t the sort of thing a committed gamer wants to hear.
While it hasn’t quite restored us to the heights of the ROG Phone 7’s 6,000mAh battery, Asus has given us an improved 5,800mAh cell this time around. Together with the improvements to energy efficiency, I’m pleased to announce that the Asus ROG Phone 9 is once again a stamina monster.
On a 15-hour day of moderate usage, with around 4 hours 30 minutes of screen on time, I was left with 60% in the tank. That’s notably better than the ROG Phone 8 Pro, which left me with less than 50% in similar scenarios, and is right up there around the Red Magic 9 Pro and Red Magic 9S Pro with their 6,500mAh cells.
Of course, at the time of writing, Nubia has just announced the Red Magic 10 Pro with its ridiculously large 7,050mAh battery, so Asus may still be a little behind on the gaming stamina bragging rights. Watch this space.
Asus hasn’t changed its charging provision, and it arguably didn’t need to. Once again it bundles in a 65W charging brick, which gets the phone from empty to full in a little over 45 minutes. That’s a tad worse than the ROG Phone 8 Pro, but about the same as the Red Magic 9S Pro.
One thing that stands out from other gaming phones is the provision of 15W wireless charging. It’s another small quality-of-life improvement that makes the phone a little nicer to use day to day.
Battery score: 5 / 5
Buy it if…
You want the fastest phone on the market At the time of writing, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is the fastest phone out there, bar none.
You want an everyday gaming phone Yes, the ROG Phone 9 Pro is incredible at gaming, but it does all the everyday stuff pretty well too, and without looking like a Transformer.
You want a gaming phone with a little extra Most gaming phones don’t come with wireless charging, IP68 waterproofing, and a telephoto camera. This one does.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re on a budget The ROG Phone 9 Pro doesn’t come cheap, and you can get broadly similar performance for much less.
Pocket space is limited While the ROG Phone 9 Pro is pretty discrete for a gaming phone, it’s still quite big and heavy by regular standards.
You don’t want to upgrade for some time While the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro has plenty of performance and storage headroom, it’ll only get two full OS updates.
It looks great and has the best battery life we’ve ever seen from an Intel laptop.
ASUS’s latest Zenbook S14, much like the Zenbook 14 OLED we reviewed last December, is a solid ultraportable with one major selling point: It’s among the first laptops to use Intel’s newest CPUs. In this case, it’s the Core Ultra 7 258V, a processor that sits in the mid-range of the company’s “Lunar Lake” lineup. While Intel touts these chips as its most efficient ever, I’ve been curious about what that means for raw performance, especially since they top out with just eight cores.
Based on my testing, I can confirm that the Zenbook S14 delivers the best battery life we’ve ever seen from an Intel laptop. It reached 16 hours and eight minutes in the PCMark 10 battery benchmark. In comparison, the Zenbook S16 powered by AMD’s new Ryzen AI 9 365 chip only hit 12 hours and 47 minutes. The Intel system’s timing is close to the 17 hours and 45 minutes we saw from the Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ , which is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite.
ASUS Zenbook S14 The Zenbook S14, powered by Intel’s new Lunar Lake chips, is an attractive ultraportable that’s ready to tackle AI-infused features. It’s an incredible value, especially with an OLED screen, and it offers stunning battery life.
Pros
Attractive modern design
Incredible battery life
Excellent OLED screen
Useful port selection
Responsive and large trackpad
Cons
Keyboard could use more feedback
Performance isn’t much better than Intel’s last gen
We’re still waiting for more AI ready apps to appear
While it’s astounding to see how much progress Intel has made with battery life, that does come with some compromises. In a few benchmarks, the Zenbook S14 doesn’t score much higher than Intel’s last-gen Core Ultra chips, and it’s often bested by AMD’s Ryzen AI on multithreaded tasks. But, as we often say, benchmarks don’t tell the entire story.
A gorgeous ultraportable When I reviewed the Zenbook 14 OLED a year ago, I couldn’t help but point out how dated it looked. It was practically the same as ASUS’ laptops from a decade ago (albeit with slimmer screen bezels). Not so with the Zenbook S14. It’s impressive the moment you open it up and feel its lid, which is built with a material ASUS calls “Ceraluminum.” As the name implies, it’s a combination of ceramic and aluminum, and it feels almost uncanny, like something between high-end plastic and smooth metal. It’s still premium, but it’s also distinctly different from most other laptops. Combining ceramics and aluminum isn’t exactly new — ASUS notes that it’s a popular option for aerospace and watch designs — but we haven’t yet seen it deployed in laptops. It’s not just for looks, either. The material should also be more durable than standard metal. The rest of the Zenbook 14 S’s body is made out of a solid block of metal, but ASUS added some unique tweaks there as well. The lower part of the case features a geometric grille above the keyboard, consisting of 2,715 circular cooling vents. ASUS claims this design enhances airflow while also keeping dirt and dust out.
ASUS 14-inch 3K “Lumina” OLED display dominates the Zenbook S14, and it delivers everything I want from a modern laptop screen. It sports a fast 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of peak brightness. While its bezels are relatively thin compared to older ASUS systems, they’re still noticeably chunkier than Dell’s latest InfinityEdge screens on the XPS 13 and 14. The system would look much sleeker if ASUS could shave off more of its bottom and side bezels. Most importantly, though, the OLED display looks glorious, with deliciously dark black levels and colors that pop off the screen.
The Zenbook S14 is surprisingly sturdy for a 14-inch laptop that weighs 2.65 pounds and measures 0.47 inches thin. It’s slightly lighter and a hair thicker than the most recent 13-inch MacBook Air, and feels similarly polished. Notably, it also offers many more useful ports than Apple’s ultraportable. The S14 includes two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port, a headphone jack and even an old-school USB Type-A port. The only thing it’s missing is Ethernet and an SD card slot.
Unfortunately, ASUS couldn’t get everything right with the Zenbook S14. Its quad-speaker audio system is serviceable, but the sound loses any sort of depth and detail as you ramp up the volume. And while it’s nice to have a Windows Hello-compatible webcam for fast logins, the 1080p sensor looks far grainier and less detailed than Dell’s XPS line and the MacBook Air.
Its keyboard also feels merely serviceable, with little responsive feedback while typing. That’s a particular shame, since that’s been a constant complaint we’ve had with ASUS keyboards. At least the touchpad is large and responsive to swipes and multi-finger gestures. You can also adjust the volume and other settings by sliding your finger along the sides of the touchpad.
In use: Capable, but don’t stress it Thanks to Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V chip, the Zenbook S14 felt impressively zippy from the start. I breezed through the Windows setup process, downloaded the latest updates and installed my usual testing programs in just a few minutes. It didn’t sweat whenever I needed to jump between apps like Spotify, Slack and Evernote, and I didn’t notice any of the lag I often see on Windows notebooks bogged down by third-party bloatware. It was always ready to get work done.
In PCMark 10, the Zenbook S14 scored almost exactly the same as the Surface Laptop 7 for Business, which uses the last-gen Core Ultra 7 165H. It also matched the XPS 13 Copilot+ edition, which had a Snapdragon X Elite chip, in the PCMark 10 Applications benchmark. The Zenbook’s multithreaded performance was noticeably worse than either of those machines in Geekbench 6, likely due to the reduced core count this generation. The big selling point for Intel’s Lunar Lake chips is their dramatically improved NPU (neural processing unit), which can reach up to 47 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of AI performance. In comparison, the previous Core Ultra chips had a significantly less powerful 11 TOPS NPU, while AMD’s new Ryzen AI chips reach up to 50 TOPS. (More powerful Lunar Lake chips can hit up to 48 TOPS.) Higher TOPS figures means Copilot+ PCs like the Zenbook S14 will be able to tackle demanding AI workloads more quickly, without impacting overall CPU performance.
Unfortunately, there still aren’t a ton of AI features to test at the time of this review. Microsoft’s Copilot+ Windows 11 update for Intel and AMD systems isn’t arriving until November, and even that will only include a beta version of the controversial Recall feature. It’s also hard to find apps that take advantage of a local NPU — most entries in the Windows Store “AI Hub” rely on cloud AI processing.
At least there’s Audacity’s OpenVino plugin, which Intel developed to show off its AI PC hardware. It offers NPU-powered features like noise suppression and transcription, but it also requires an involved setup process that may be confusing to Audacity novices. I was able to completely remove incessant jackhammering from a five-minute clip in one minute and eight seconds using the NPU alone. That’s not very fast in the world of audio editing (CPU rendering can tackle a noise-filled 90 minute file in three minutes and thirty seconds), but what’s key is that the NPU handles the same work using very little power. That could be important if you’re stuck editing on battery in a plane or remote location.
I was also impressed by Intel’s latest Arc 140V GPU, which let me play Halo Infinite between 35 fps and 45 fps in 1080p with low quality graphics settings. That’s far from a smooth experience, but it’s fascinating to see it from a built-in GPU. Intel’s graphics also scored well above the Snapdragon X Elite across the board, especially in the Geekbench 6 GPU test.
Wrap-up The Zenbook S14 leans more on efficiency than raw power, but it’s still an incredible achievement for Intel, a company that used to be infamous for energy-devouring mobile chips. While the Lunar Lake chip’s NPU makes the Zenbook ready for Copilot+ and AI features, its true selling points are its excellent battery life, slick ASUS design and gorgeous OLED display.
The best 14-inch laptops are small but have a lot of potential. A 14-inch laptop hits the sweet spot between the portability of a 13-inch laptop and the performance of a 15-inch laptop. Perhaps because of this, it has become one of the most popular laptop forms – and with good reason.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen the next generation of processors, which will start dominating most newly launched laptops next year. Whether it’s Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, Intel’s Lunar Lake, Apple’s M4, or AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 series, these chips are the future of mobile computing.
We run a series of tests on each laptop :Geekbench(synthetic CPU test), Handbrake(video encoded CPU test), 3DMark(graphics test), display test (brightness, color gamut), battery test (custom battery drain), and more. Our reviewers then put the laptops in a real-world environment. Our two-pronged review strategy gives the full picture of each laptop and allows us to thoroughly compare them.
1. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) Affordable perfection Specifications CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H GPU: Intel Iris XeRAM: 16GB Storage: 1TBDisplay: 14-inch, 1800p Size: 12.3 x 8.67 x 0.59 inches Weight: 3 lbs Reasons to buy +Almost 16 hours of battery life! +Snappy performance +Quality audio +Smooth, comfortable keyboard +Secure webcam privacy shutter Reasons to avoid -Display could be brighter
Buying at a low price does not mean sacrificing good looks or stable performance. In fact, it’s a stylish laptop with Intel Meteor Lake performance, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
Not every laptop has to achieve a high level of performance or graphics capabilities that can compete with the latest game consoles. Instead, the Zenbook 14 OLED offers a nice platform where you can handle a lot of work.
Its battery life is especially amazing. In the Laptop Mag battery test, the battery lasted 15 hours and 52 minutes while continuously browsing the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits. We usually recommend a productive laptop with 9 to 10 hours of use, and its performance certainly makes it one of the longest lasting laptops you can buy right now. Even the more expensive MacBook Air 13-inch M3 doesn’t last that long, at 15 hours and 13 minutes.
In Geekbench 6’s overall performance test, the Zenbook 14 OLED’s multi-core score reached 12,707 points, which is very impressive. Again, which is impressive considering its higher price. When you think about this laptop’s amazing OLED display, you won’t believe your eyes. In addition to the seductive deep black ink, you can enjoy a DCI-P3 coverage of 79.8%. Its brightness is good, but 339 nits could be better.
2. Razer Blade 14 The best gaming laptop out there Specifications CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070RAM: 16GB Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD Display: 14-inch QHD+ 240Hz, 2560 x 1600 Size: 12.23 x 8.97 x 0.7 inches Weight: 4.1 pounds Reasons to buy +RTX 4070 performance +Gorgeous display +Sturdy aluminum build +Impactful speakers +Excellent battery life Reasons to avoid -Runs a bit hot -Loud while gaming
Plain and simple, the Razer Blade 14 is the best gaming laptop I’ve reviewed. There’s no beating around the bush in that this isn’t a cheap product, but there’s no world in which it could disappoint with its stunning display, long-lasting battery life, and powerful RTX 4070 gaming performance.
The model we reviewed is built with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Its 14-inch, 2560 x 1440-pixel display at 240Hz refresh rate is excellent on paper and fantastic in practice. Its 114.3 percent reproduction of the DCI-P3 color gamut is phenomenal, soaring far beyond the premium gaming laptop average of 93 percent.
We recommend anything between 80 and 100 percent, but going over 100 percent is even better. Its brightness is also nothing to scoff at, hitting 465 nits on average. This demolishes the category average of 408 nits, meaning you’ll easily carry it outdoors, even in intense sunlight, without worrying about glare.
But its display isn’t the only thing that gives it top marks and makes it our best gaming laptop. Its productivity performance is thanks to its AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor. The Geekbench 5.5 overall performance test managed a multi-core score of 11,121. You can expect solid transfer rates alongside its SSD speed of 1,230 megabytes per second.
Best of all, its battery life is seriously staggering for a gaming laptop. We recommend traditional laptops, which last anywhere between 9 and 10 hours, but expectations are far lower when a dedicated graphics card is involved. The Razer Blade 14 lasts 8 hours and 35 minutes, and in a world where many gaming laptops are trapped between 2 and 5 hours of longevity, this is fantastic.
Best overall
MacBook is at its best with the Pro M3 Specifications CPU: M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural engine) RAM: 8GB to 24GBStorage: 512GB to 1TB Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964 pixels, 254ppi) Size: 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches Weight: 3.4 pounds Reasons to buy +Excellent overall performance +Solid gaming performance +Stunning design +Comfortable keyboard +Incredible endurance Reasons to avoid -No Face ID -Distracting notch
The Apple MacBook Pro M3 sets the standard for other 14-inch laptops. It’s the total package and an obvious top pick for anybody looking to pick up a laptop in this category. Beyond the MacBook’s iconic style, its M3 chip is a consistent powerhouse for accomplishing computing tasks and a real pioneer in efficiency and battery life.
Beyond the MacBook Pro 14’s performance, you’ll find Apple’s iconic keyboard, plus-sized trackpad, powerful speakers, a fantastic high-resolution webcam, and a stunning 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display.
This MacBook Pro 14 is a multipurpose laptop that can do just about anything, from productivity to creation—and even a little gaming, too. Work or play, the MacBook Pro 14 is a best-in-class option well worth a place on any buyer’s prospective shortlist.
On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 managed a multi-core score of 11,870. This is undoubtedly exceptional, which is no surprise considering the M3’s unbelievable processing power. It also took 5 minutes and 38 seconds to transcode a 4K video into 1080p, which blasts past the 7-minute and 51-second category average.
Best of all, the battery life on this thing is unreal. On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits, it lasted 17 hours and 16 minutes before dying. This is phenomenal, making it one of the longest-lasting laptops we’ve reviewed in years. Look no further if you want a powerhouse that can last more than two full workdays.
If you want OLED, its display will leave much to be desired, but its ability to reproduce 81.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut makes it colorful enough for most users. And, of course, Apple never disappoints when it comes to brightness, managing an average of 558 nits. This makes it easy to work on even the brightest days.
Best Ultrabook
4. Acer Swift Go 14 The most colorful display I’ve ever seen Specifications CPU: Intel Core i7-13700H GPU: Intel Iris XeRAM: 16GB Storage: 512GB SSD Display: 14-inch 2,880 x 1,800-pixel OLED Size: 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches Weight: 2.9 pounds Reasons to buy +Incredible performance +Most vivid screen I’ve ever seen +Phenomenal display +Affordable +Satisfying keyboard Reasons to avoid -Runs a bit hot -Subpar battery life
There always has to be one machine out there touting the “MacBook killer” moniker, and our current best pick for that title in the 14-inch laptop category is the Acer Swift Go 14. It’s packed to the gills with high-performance components and ticks off all Ultrabook requirements. Better still, it’s affordable and houses one of the most vivid OLED displays we’ve encountered.
The Swift Go 14’s incredible performance results from a 13th-generation Evo-certified Intel Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and 16GB of RAM with 512GB of SSD storage to back it up. However, regardless of the top-notch tech housed inside, the Swift Go 14’s dazzling 2.8K, 14-inch OLED display will steal the show for many.
Perhaps the only way it fails to fulfill the “MacBook killer” moniker is its underwhelming longevity. MacBooks last 15 to 18 hours on our Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits over Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the Acer Swift Go 14 only survived 8 hours and 5 minutes. Yikes!
But what stands out as being above and beyond reason is that the Acer Swift Go 14’s display has an absurd level of vividity. Its 175.7 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut is practically unreal. Considering the category average is 107.5 percent, it’s wild that this laptop rises above and beyond the rest. Its brightness of 395 nits is also pretty solid, and while a MacBook is often superior in this regard, it’s still great.
And if you are worried about losing that beautiful MacBook keyboard, this manages to emulate it rather well. It is a 60 percent Wiisland-style keyboard featuring black matte keys with an LED backlight. It felt smooth and tactile, allowing you to write your review effortlessly without being held back by mushy keys.
Best 2-in-1
5. HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) A culmination of greatness Specifications CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H GPU: Intel Arc Graphics RAM: 32GBStorage: 2TB SSD Display: 14-inch, 2.8K, OLED, touch Size: 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches Weight: 3.2 pounds Reasons to buy +Sleek design +Beautiful OLED display +Bouncy keyboard +Bumpin’ speakers +Excellent performance +Great battery life +4K webcam Reasons to avoid -Short on ports -Display benchmarks could be better
Once in a while, we’re blessed by the emergence of a 2-in-1 that crushes expectations in every conceivable manner. In this case, the HP Spectre x360 14 is not only the ultimate 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop, but it’s the best of the year, period.
This is thanks to the culmination of phenomenal battery life, a stunning OLED display, powerful speakers, a sleek design, and solid performance, thanks to the Intel Ultra 7 155H and a satisfying keyboard.
On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits, we saw the Spectre x360 last 11 hours before running out of juice. For context, our previous best 2-in-1, the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 8), lasted 10 hours and 10 minutes before dying.
Thanks to the power of OLED, you don’t have much to worry about if you’re a fan of a solid-looking display. It features a 2,880 x 1,800-pixel resolution touchscreen with OLED technology, meaning blacks are far deeper and inkier.
On the colorimeter, the HP Spectre x360 covered 86% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is solid but not the best compared to competing laptops like the Lenovo Yoga 9i (136%). However, anything with an 80% or higher DCI-P3 coverage is usually more than enough to enjoy a nice and vivid panel. Its brightness of 366 nits isn’t super high, but that’s unsurprising, considering OLED panels are typically a tad dimmer.
Of course, its Intel Ultra 7 155H performance is more than enough to deliver the best of the best available now (until Lunar Lake comes out). On the Geekbench 6.1 overall performance test, the Spectre x360 managed a multi-core score of 12,358. That’s excellent and absolutely crushes previous-generation chips, even pulling ahead of the MacBook M3 (11,968).
How to choose the best 14-inch laptop
14-inch laptops can be used for any number of reasons, including gaming, productivity, business, and more. So here’s what you should look out for when picking a great laptop.
Design: 2-in-1 or Clamshell?
More and more of today’s laptops are 2-in-1s with screens that either bend back 360 degrees or detach so you can use them as tablets. If you like the idea of using your laptop in slate mode for drawing, media consumption, or just standing up, a 2-in-1 could be for you. We even have a foldable laptop on the list for those wanting to get fancy. However, you can often get better features or a lower price with a traditional clamshell-style laptop.
Battery Life: 9+ Hours for Portability
Unless you plan to use your laptop only on your desk, battery life matters. Even within the home or office, having plenty of juice enables you to work on the couch or at the conference table without being chained to the nearest outlet. We recommend getting a laptop that lasted over 9 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test for the best portability. The longest-lasting laptops endure anywhere between 10 and 15 hours. If you’re gaming, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything that lasts this long.
Chromebooks are incredible, lightweight devices, and I’ll show you how to use them
(Image credit: Konstantin Savusia ) The best Chromebooks are known as the most user-friendly devices on the market, making them easily some of the best laptops for those seeking a simple yet efficient computing experience.
Whether you’re a student, a professional, or a casual user, navigating and utilizing the wealth of Chromebook features can significantly enhance your productivity and streamline your daily tasks.
One of the Chromebook’s most appealing features is its simplicity. Unlike traditional laptops and desktops, Chromebooks are designed to be easy to use, without a lot of the bloat that many other laptops come with.
The operating system, Chrome OS, is very lightweight and is based on the same technology that powers the Chrome web browser, making it intuitive and familiar to many users right out of the box.
Chromebooks also boot-up faster and have far fewer maintenance requirements than either Windows laptops or MacBooks.
In addition to its simplicity, Chromebooks are also known for their portability. These devices are typically lightweight and compact, making them especially appealing to anyone who needs a lightweight device for on-the-go work.
Still, if you’re used to the best Windows laptops or best MacBooks, you might feel a bit lost when you first start up a Chromebook. But don’t worry, I’ve used Chromebooks for years and I’m here to help walk you through these increasingly popular devices.
While the Chromebook is designed to be user-friendly, there are advanced features that can take your Chromebook experience even further.
Accessibility Features:Chromebooks offer a range of accessibility features, including screen readers, magnification tools, and keyboard shortcuts for users with disabilities.
Multiple Users:If you share your Chromebook with others, you can create multiple user profiles to keep your data separate and secure.
Remote Desktop:Access your Chromebook from another device using remote desktop features, allowing you to work on your files and applications from anywhere.
Gaming on Chromebooks:While not as powerful as dedicated gaming consoles, Chromebooks can handle casual gaming and cloud gaming services.
Educational Tools:Chromebooks are popular among students and educators due to their affordability, portability, and integration with educational tools like Google Classroom.
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy) The Chromebook’s interface is designed to be intuitive, making it easy for all levels of experience to use.
The Shelf, located at the bottom of the screen, is ChromeOS’s version of macOS’s Dock or Windows 11’s Taskbar, displaying frequently used apps and shortcuts.
To access all installed applications, simply click on the App Launcher icon at the far left of the Shelf.
For quick and easy navigation, the Search Bar is a valuable tool. By typing keywords, you can search for apps, files, or web pages, streamlining your workflow and saving time.
Additionally, the System Tray, located in the bottom-right corner, provides access to essential settings like Wi-Fi, battery status, and user profiles.
Using native apps
(Image credit: Future) One of the Chromebook’s greatest strengths lies in its app ecosystem.
Chromebooks were originally designed to rely on web-based applications, offering a seamless and efficient experience. Popular web apps like Google Docs, Gmail, and YouTube are optimized for Chromebooks, providing a wide range of productivity tools.
In recent years, however, more and more apps are becoming available offline, including the entirety of the Google Play app store, expanding a Chromebook’s functionality significantly. You can download and use popular apps like Microsoft Office, Spotify, and Netflix, just as you would on an Android smartphone or tablet.
For more advanced users, Chromebooks offer support for Linux applications. This feature is particularly valuable for developers or users who require access to powerful tools like Visual Studio Code or GIMP.
Setting up Linux on a Chromebook is relatively straightforward, allowing you to create a hybrid environment that caters to both casual and power users.
Efficient file management in the cloud
The Files app is your central hub for organizing and accessing both local and cloud-based files.
Google Drive, seamlessly integrated into the Files app, provides ample storage space for your documents, photos, and other data. By saving your files to Google Drive, you can access them from any device with an internet connection.
While Chromebooks used to offer limited local storage, that’s changed in recent years, with more premium Chromebooks featuring the same kind of storage options as more familiar Windows and Apple laptops.
For those needing even more storage, Chromebooks support external devices like USB drives, external hard drives, and SD cards. Simply plug in the device, and the Files app will automatically recognize it, allowing you to transfer files between your Chromebook and the external device.
Customize your Chromebook
To make your Chromebook truly your own, you can customize its appearance and settings. You can change the wallpaper, adjust the screen brightness, and even enable dark mode for a more visually comfortable experience.
Additionally, Chromebooks offer a variety of themes and extensions that can be installed to personalize your device further. With that, you’ll be able to make your Chromebook as personalized as you like, especially now that you know all the important tips to using your new Chromebook to its fullest.
There’s something different about the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro. The Asus ROG gaming phone line always surprises me with its distinctive style traditionally appealing to gamers. Yet, this year’s ROG Phone 8 series shocks me by how mainstream it looks. Gone are the spaceship-like white hues of the ROG Phone 6 and ROG Phone 7 and in comes a restrained matte black look — an understated appearance for a mature gaming phone.
While standing tall with its 6.78-inch display, gone is the upper bezel that hid the last ROG Phone 7’s front-facing camera — otherwise last seen in 2019 on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Google Pixel 4. The ROG Phone 8 Pro has a punch-hole front-facing camera just as we see on most Android phones. The full-color secondary display on the back of the phone says goodbye in favor of a still eye-grabbing mini-LED display, which is even more arresting on the Pro model.
What results is something that looks reminiscent of the black version of the Nothing Phone 2 with the gaming chops of prior ROG phones as well as the specs and $1,200 (£1,100) starting price that we expect from this year’s Android flagships. My particular review unit is the kitted out $1,500 version of the ROG Phone 8 Pro, with a ludicrously high 24GB of memory and 1TB of storage. That maxed-out configuration allows me to easily multitask, which through my testing included alternating between Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Dead Cells and texting while waiting forever to queue into GeForce Now’s free tier for cloud gaming.
The ROG Phone 8 Pro’s appearance might not stand out as much in a lineup of other premium Android phones, but once I actually used it, I could quickly tell it’s still a gaming phone. Unlike mainstream phones in this price range, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro includes a headphone jack. It also continues to offer two USB-C ports, one on the bottom and another on the left side, for two different attachments or to charge your device easier while holding it horizontally. This was particularly nice to have when plugging in my Xbox controller while charging.
That side USB-C port also connects the AeroActive Cooler X fan accessory, which no longer opens a door into the phone to chill the phone’s internal components. Instead, the ROG Phone 8 Pro has a sealed exterior to achieve IP68 certification to keep out water and dust, and the Cooler just chills the outside of the phone. Clipping the accessory to the phone does still feel like attaching a spider to help keep it cool.
The Phone 8 Pro does a nice job capturing photos and videos, with processing that’s assisted by artificial intelligence powered by its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. It’s early days for flagship phones equipped with the new AI-focused chip, and I find the other ways that the Phone 8 Pro takes advantage of AI to be more subtle. They include being able to perform contextual searches on the device, AI noise canceling on calls and text recognition inside of games.
Even with more subtle AI ambitions, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro at its starting spec of 512GB of space and 16GB of memory is still a beast. You get the newest chip, tons of space, lots of memory, and it’s the only high-end phone out there that gives you as many ports as a MacBook Air.
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro design, software, gameplay
While at first the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro looks like any other large black phone, the company includes a number of stylish flourishes including a new animated mini-LED screen on its back. Asus prints its Republic of Gamers logo, its “Dare to Win” mantra and an “Est. 2006” message like it’s a pair of Levi’s jeans. A fairly large camera hump houses a trio of cameras.
But the star of the phone is its animating AniMe vision mini-LED display on the back. While I’m sad to see the full color secondary display retire, the new display includes plenty of details that I’d love to see on more phones. For instance, by default the screen rotates between showing the time, your battery level and the ROG logo. The mini-LED screen can display a camera icon when you are taking a photo, a music visualizer when listening to music or custom animations that you can set up in settings. It reminds me of the LEDs on the back of the Nothing Phone 2, except this small screen allows for text and numbers that are easier to delineate than Nothing’s abstract light patterns. This screen can also be turned off if you don’t want all this blinking.
The front 6.78-inch display has an optical in-screen fingerprint sensor that can unlock the phone. By default the screen runs at an adaptive refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz, but you can have the screen run at 165Hz at all times. The screen has a 720Hz touch sampling rate — the same as last year’s Phone 7 — for responsiveness.
Both features helped when I played Dead Cells, since the game supports a higher refresh rate and battling through dungeons was easier with that responsiveness rate. The Phone 8 Pro also includes its AirTriggers sensors, which I can program like shoulder buttons when holding the phone horizontally. My preference is still to hook the phone up with a game controller when time and space allow, but for subway commuting the responsiveness for the touchscreen has been sufficient for the fast-paced game.
Like other gaming phones, the Phone 8 Pro gets warm when playing games at the higher graphics and frame rates that the phone is capable of. While Asus says that the phone now makes use of conductive cooling to draw heat to the back of the phone, I did find that it makes the back of the phone noticeably hot to touch. A case should help alleviate that, as should the aforementioned AeroActive X cooler attachment.
Using 3DMark’s 20-minute stress test when paired up with the fan attachment running at its highest cooling setting, the phone’s dashboard reported a temperature starting at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and ending at 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit). By comparison when I ran the test without the attachment, the phone started at 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) and ended at a noticeably hotter 53 degrees Celsius (127 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s worth noting that 3DMark’s test is particularly demanding for any phone but could be a comparison for a gamer that’s particularly adept at pushing the limits.
Asus carried over other gaming-focused features from prior years, including a Background mode that can keep an app active even if you turn off the screen, an in-game dashboard to quickly access settings, the ability to customize settings for particular games and the new AI-grabber to scan text within a game. Asus suggests that the feature could be useful for quickly copying and pasting terms inside of a game and then searching the web for related guides.
Another of the Phone 8 Pro’s AI features is its noise cancellation feature for voice and video calls, which works across any service that makes these. This includes services like WhatsApp and within game chat services like Discord.
While these gaming modes are the main draw for the ROG Phone 8 Pro, the new redesign comes with a lot of perks toward how the phone looks and feels. It’s noticeably lighter than last year’s phone, coming in at 225g versus the Phone 7 Ultimate’s 246g. And by eliminating the top bezel of the phone, the Phone 8 Pro’s now 163.8mm (6.4-inches) tall, shorter than the Phone 7 Ultimate’s 173mm (6.7-inches). While Asus was able to keep the display size between the two phones the same, it’s worth noting that the front-facing camera now occupies a punch-hole space within the display much like other Android phones, which might not be great for gamers that prefer an uninterrupted view across their entire screen.
Gaming phone rival RedMagic for instance uses an under-display front-facing camera to provide that unobstructed view, but photos taken by under-display cameras aren’t yet at the same quality as those shooting from a hole cut out of the display. To accommodate this, Asus provides an option to either let games fill the full screen or shrink the display area slightly in order to avoid the cutout from interfering. Most games are unlikely to be affected by the loss of space, but the option is there in the event that it might.
The ROG Phone 8 Pro has a 5,500mAh battery, which is smaller but still sizable compared with the ROG Phone 7’s 6,000mAh battery. While I found the ROG Phone 7’s 6,000mAh to easily get me through two days of use, I found a more mixed result with the ROG Phone 8 Pro.
On days with heavy use, such as one where I ran GeForce Now in the background for several hours while I did other tasks and played games stored locally, I drew the full battery down to 20% by the end of the day. With less intensive use, which still included an hour of gameplay and miscellaneous tasks like calls, texting and music, I was able to stretch the battery to last through two days of use on a single charge. While your mileage will vary according to how power hungry your usage is, Asus does ship the phone with a 65-watt wired charger and this year’s phone includes 15-watt wireless charging. In my 30-minute wired charging test, I was able to get the battery from 0% to 69% while the 30-minute wireless charging test took it from 1% to 26%.
