ASUS has been on a roll lately with smaller form factors, new features and augmented experiences making their way to their laptop lineup. Not too long ago, the company announced a slew of new laptops which would define their offerings for the coming year. One of their new offerings announced was the new Zephyrus M16, the latest entry into the Zephyrus M series which comes under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand.
The new Zephyrus M16 is the first laptop in the series that offers a larger, 16-inch display in what is typically a body for a 15-inch laptop. In addition to the larger display size, the Zephyrus M16 comes with a chassis that is 5% smaller than the previous Zephyrus M15. In addition, it’s also more powerful than before with the 11th generation Intel Core i9 processor paired with NVIDIA’s latest RTX 30-series graphics cards.
Coming in at slightly under 2kgs, it’s also one of the lightest gaming laptops – barring the ROG Flow – currently available. It also comes with 1TB of SSD storage with an extra slot for added memory. This paired with up to 32GB of RAM out of the box will definitely give you an edge over your gaming competition.
You can get the full details in our detailed write up of the international announcement.
Pricing & Availability
The new Zephyrus M16 is now available for the Malaysian market. The configuration sporting the RTX3060 is already available for purchase with official price set at MYR8,999 (USD$2,133.40*). The more powerful configuration with the RTX3070 will be available in August for MYR11,999 (USD$2,844.72*).
*Conversion rate taken from Xe.com on 19 July 2021 at 1 USD = 4.21799 MYR
Qualcomm has made a name for themselves pushing the boundaries of mobile processing with their successful Snapdragon processors. However, the company has – until now – left commercial hardware to their many partners. The company is changing things up with their latest announcement: a Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders.
Source: Qualcomm
The company seems to be taking a page out of Google’s book and is introducing a concept smartphone built from the ground up to highlight their processors. Designed by ASUS, the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders brings the full potential of the Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform. The smartphone comes with compatibility for the latest connectivity standards: WiFi 6E, 5G support for both mmWave and sub 6 bandwidths and Bluetooth 5.2. Together with the connectivity, Qualcomm is removing any bottlenecks in performance by equipping the smartphone with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard UFS 3.1 memory. The processor and top of the line storage promises some of the best read and write speeds.
Cameras Augmented by Qualcomm’s Triple ISP Technology & AI
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders comes with Qualcomm’s vision for the best camera experience on its platform. It comes with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor with quad bayer technology; an aperture of f/1.8 and a effective focal length of 26.6mm with a 78.3° field of view; and four axis optical image stabilization. The triple sensor setup comes complemented with a secondary 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor. This sensor has a f/2.2 aperture and an effective focal length of 14.3mm with support for macro shots. An 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and upto 12x hybrid zoom completes the triplet of cameras. On the front is a 24-megapixel sensor.
Source: Qualcomm
Qualcomm is touting the camera setup as a professional grade camera featuring AI augmentations that allow the camera to take good low light shots and intelligently focus and identify the best shot. Additionally, AI auto zoom allows your subject to be the focus of the shot while bringing you closer to the action. You can even shoot video in 4k and 8K resolutions. This is made possible by the Qualcomm Spectra 580 ISP which has gigapixel processing speeds.
Audiophile Experience Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology
The new Qualcomm smartphone is also one of the first to feature Snapdragon Sound technology. The new optimizations allow users to wirelessly stream high quality, 24-bit audio with bitrates of up to 96KHz. Snapdragon Sound also enhances audio from end to end for a more robust sound with clear highs and boomy bass. It also enables super wideband voice for clear, true to life audio when making calls.
Source: Qualcomm
Of course, since Snapdragon Sound is focused on wireless audio, Qualcomm is including a set of wireless earphones by Master & Dynamic in the box with the Smartphone. The MW08SI comes with active noise cancelling and is powered by Qualcomm’s QCC5141 low power Bluetooth Audio SoC. It is able to do ultra low latency bluetooth streaming with true high resolution audio quality. It even has augmentations for better connectivity in environments with dense RF interference.
Desktop Gaming Experience on the Go
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders comes with the Adreno 660 GPU which is touted to bring 35% faster graphics rendering. Variable Rate Shading brings an additional 30% boost in performance as well. This experience is augmented by the 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED display. It comes with a Full HD+ resolution of 2448×1080 pixels with a response rate of 1ms and 144Hz refresh rate. The display comes with HDR10+ certification and has a ΔE of less than 1. It also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection and support for always on display. Qualcomm is also touting up to 20% increased responsiveness thanks to Qualcomm Game Quick Touch.
Source: Qualcomm
Dual stereo speaker augmented with Smart AMP up the ante when it comes to audio experience. Snapdragon Sound also works it magic in delivering high quality audio over these speakers. It also comes with multiple profiles optimized for content type. With the large, Quick Charge 5.0 enabled 4,000mAh battery, you should be gaming for hours on end.
Pricing & Availability
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders will be available starting on August. It will be available first in the U.S., China, Denmark, U.K., Japan, South Korea followed by India. No indication if the smartphone will be available outside these regions just yet.
Source: Qualcomm
ASUS will be distributing the smartphone. It will be retailing for USD$1,499 (MYR 6,268.31*). It will be available only in Midnight Blue.
*exchange rate taken from xe.com on 9 July 2021 at USD$ 1 = MYR4.18
AMD announced a slew of items at their COMPUTEX 2021 keynote. One of the many things that they announced was the AMD Advantage Design framework. In this framework, AMD has outlined certain criteria which they believe will provide gamers with the best experience. One of the hallmark criteria is the utilisation of AMD’s Ryzen Mobile processors together with their newly announced Radeon RX6000M graphics processors. The new combination allows the new laptops to take advantage of smart access memory and smart shift among other optimisations that come with using a complete AMD setup.
ASUS is one of the first partners that are jumping on the AMD Advantage bandwagon with two new editions of its popular ROG Strix G line up. The new ROG Strix G15 and G17 come with AMD’s most powerful Ryzen 9 5900HX processor paired with the newly announced Radeon RX 6800M. The new GPU brings along with it AMD’s new RDNA 2 architecture which has been packing performance. It also brings AMD’s newly announced FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) which allows light to be simulated more realistically allowing for more immersive gaming.
The laptops come with up to 32GB of high performance DDR4-3200 RAM and up to 1TB NVMe SSD memory. The Strix G Advantage edition also comes with an additional M.2 slot that allows users to add more memory should the need arise. Their performance is matched with ASUS’s implementation of Liquid Metal thermal compound and the new Intelligent Cooling. The cooling system allows for better airflow without the increased noise.
Like other Strix G laptops, the ROG Strix G Advantage Edition laptops come display options for any gamer. Users can choose from options with 300Hz refresh rate, WQHD resolution with high colour accuracy. To complete the package, it comes with twin Smart Amp speakers that fire sound directly from behind the keyboard. These speakers are Dolby Atmos certified and can produce 5.1.2 channel surround sound.
Pricing & Availability
The ASUS ROG Strix G Advantage edition will be making its way to the market in the third quarter of 2021. No pricing has been announced just yet.
ASUS has no plans at this time to bring the ROG Strix G Advantage edition to Malaysia.
It’s been quite a while since Malaysia saw a Zenfone. The last Zenfone officially launched in Malaysia was the Zenfone 5 – which, to be honest, was a stellar device. However, since then, ASUS hasn’t brought any of their smartphones – aside from the ROG Phone – to Malaysia. This year, it seems like ASUS will be kicking into gear bringing in not one but both of their Zenfone 8 offerings to Malaysia.
The Zenfone 8 series launched internationally earlier this month. The series brings two new Zenfones into ASUS’s portfolio – the Zenfone 8 and the Zenfone 8 Flip. The Zenfone 8 marks a new approach for ASUS when it comes to smartphones. The company is committing to creating smaller, palmable devices with killer specifications. Of course, to do this, they leave behind some of the defining features of the Zenfone including the flipping camera. That’s where the Zenfone 8 Flip comes in. With a larger body, it brings along the now signature flip camera of the Zenfone series.
Palmable Performance with the Zenfone 8
The Zenfone 8 still carries the honour of being the ASUS flagship. ASUS is packing a top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor into the smartphone with the Adreno 660 GPU. IT’s coming with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. The Zenfone 8 also packs a 5.9-inch, Samsung AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120HZ refresh rate.
Of course, being equipped with a flagship processor, it comes with support for WiFi 6 connectivity and Tri-band WiFi support on 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz. It also supports Bluetooth 5.2 and Qualcomm’s aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and NFC. It is also 5G ready.
On the camera front, the smartphone comes with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor with 1/1.7-inch sensor size and 0.8μm pixel size equipped with Quad Bayer technology. The sensor has an f/1.8 aperture, with a 78.3° field of view and a 26.6mm focal length. This sensor is complemented by a Sony IMX363 12-megapixel ultra-wide, dual pixel sensor. It comes with 1/2.55-inch sensor size and 1.4 μm pixel size and f/2.2 aperture. This sensor supports dual phase detection autofocus and has real-time distortion correction. It also supports 4cm macro shots. On the front is a Sony IMX663 12-megapixel sensor with a 1/2.93-inch sensor with 1.22μm pixel size and 76.5° field of view. It supports Dual Phase Detection autofocus.
The smartphone also comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor. It runs on Android 11 with ZenUI 8. All of this runs on the Zenfone 8’s 4,000 mAh battery which is charged via a USB-C port. The hallmark is that all of these specifications and features are housed within a compact body measuring only 148mm x 68.5mm x8.9mm.
Zenfone 8 Flip – Flipping Bigger than its Flagship
The Zenfone 8 Flip shares most of the same specifications as its flagship brother. However, it comes with a larger 6.67-inch FHD+, AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It comes with only 8GB of RAM and only 256GB of internal storage. It’s also powered by a larger 5,000mAh battery.
The biggest difference comes in the form of the flipping camera. ASUS has imbued the Flip with a triple camera setup which functions as both the main and selfie cameras. The setup comes with the same sensors as the back camera on the Zenfone 8 but is further complemented by an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom and 12x hybrid zoom.
Pricing & Availability
The Zenfone 8 will be available starting from 28th May 2021 at all authorized dealers and ASUS Digital Stores. It will come in two configurations; one with 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory which retails for MYR2,699 and a 16GB RAM with 256GB onboard memory retailing for MYR3,299. The latter will be available exclusively on Shopee. It comes in Obsidian Black or Horizon Silver.
The Zenfone 8 Flip will retail for MYR2,999 for the 8GB and 256GB version in Malaysia. It will be available in Galactic Black and Glacier Silver.
Purchases made on ASUS’s Shopee Mall front will be entitled to early bird promos from 28 May to 11 June 2021. Purchases made within this period will be entitled to a SolidSuit Case. ASUS is also offering a trade-in deal where customers are able to trade in their old Zenfones for an MYR200 rebate on the Zenfone 8 series. However, this trade-in offer is only available at physical retail stores from 28 May until 25 June 2021.
The introduction of Intel’s new Tiger Lake 11th Generation Intel Core processor is actually more significant than you think. While the desktop variants may not have seen that much in terms of progress, the mobile variants have. The most powerful mobile processor Intel houses now is the Intel Core i9 instead of the good ol’ Intel Core i7.
In that case, if you want the ultimate gaming notebook, you might want to look for that golden number ‘9’ on your notebook. There is not that many manufacturers out there that would offer you that kind of power though, mostly because they cost so much. But ASUS, they are a little different, especially when it comes to their in-house skunk works gaming department that is the ROG.
While ROG already makes some compelling choices for gamers in the ASUS ROG STRIX series and ROG Zephyrus G series line-up, those are not really the ultimate tools for the modern gamer. Above the Zephyrus G line-up there are even thinner and even more powerful stuff. These are the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
At the higher end of the gaming spectrum is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 gaming notebook. Like the previous high-end gaming notebook, there is liquid metal technology in this one too. While it doesn’t pack the innovative keyboard hinge that S17 has, this one is still a highly powerful machine that you can game with and work with at anytime, anywhere.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 packs the new Intel Core i9-11900H processor. The range-topping Intel processor is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU for an amazing gaming experience and also seamless content creation. This combination also powers an industry-first, fast 16-inch 165Hz refresh rate 3ms display that pushes WQXGA (16:10) resolution. You even get 100% of DCI-P3 for great colour accuracy, important when you are creating content on-the-go.
With up to 2TB in SSD storage, you should not be wanting more in terms of storage for all your games and even content creation needs. You also get up to 32GB of RAM, which is sort of an overkill for gaming, but perfect for content creation. What makes the whole package more interesting is that it comes with a USB Type-C charger that charges at 100W, so you do not have to lug around a heavy package to get the notebook working. They say also you can get about eight hours in battery life with the Zephyrus M16.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is said to be available in Malaysia at the end of June 2021 onward, barring any shipping delays (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD). There is no official pricing just yet at this time but ASUS says that pricing should be announced June onward.
ASUs ROG Zephyrus S17
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
At the top of the ladder you get the very innovative, very powerful ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 with Intel’s Core i9-11900H processor. The powerful CPU is paired with a very powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. The very powerful GPU can power up to a 17.3-inch QHD display at up to 165Hz in refresh rate.
The ample 16GB (up to) of RAM should help the notebook trundle along nicely even when you render 4K videos. With up to 2TB of storage with up to 2 extra NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 slots, there should be no worries with storing all your games alongside your contents. On top of that, a 100W USB Type-C charger should keep the notebook running happy and fast while remained plugged in. The charger can also charge the notebook to 50% in just 30 minutes.
The notebook also features an innovative hinge that lifts the keyboard for a larger opening for increased airflow. The newly designed fan also helps airflow for the notebook. The lifted keyboard also allows for a better and more comfortable typing experience.
The availability ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 has yet to be announced at this time. That also means there is no official pricing for the device at this time. We are keeping our ears close to the ground for any sings of availability of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 though.
Last year NVIDIA announced their next generation GPUs, the GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs that they claim to have the largest generational gap over the older series. It is inevitable then for fans to be asking for the mobile variant of the GPUs to be put in the ever popular and growing gaming notebook market. They are also asking for more budget friendly variants like the RTX 3060 Ti and updated variant of the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti.
That is not all though, new CPUs are also introduced in 2020 and early 2021. AMD came swinging hard with the new AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPUs with Zen 3 architecture making them the most powerful consumer level CPU overall currently on sale. Intel pushed their own boundaries with their 10nm architecture 11th Generation CPUs early in 2021 too. To be fair though Intel came with the mobile variant of the 11th Generation Core processors early in 2020 before the desktop variants were introduced in 2021.
TUF Gaming F15 and F17 (FX506H-CHN021T, FX706H-CHX065T, FX506H-MHN103T)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
ASUS kicks of with the new TUF Gaming notebooks, both in 15-inch and 17-inch flavours. You get to choose between an Intel Core i5-11400H and an Intel Core i7-11800H for the ASUS TUF Gaming F15’s (FX506H) processor. That powerful GPU also comes paired with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 RAM.
To ensure that you get a smooth gaming performance too, RAM is at up to 16GB for the top-of-the-line TUF Gaming F15 with room to spare. For storage you get a single SSD with 512GB in capacity. The storage is also expandable still with free extra NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot.
The 15-inch and 17-inch variants both get a 144Hz IPS display that pushes Full HD in resolution. For even more immersive gaming, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs DTS Audio and speaker calibration. Of course, a great gaming experience today also means stable internet connection, and the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs WiFi 6 capabilities alongside Bluetooth 5.2 for extra stable wireless peripheral connection. With 90WHrs 4-cell battery, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 may not last a whole day, but at least a few hours of use away from the wall socket should be enough for you to get your emails and whatever else done.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available mid of June 2021 onward at MYR 4,199. The TUF Gaming F17 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available at the end of June 2021 at MYR 4,299. The TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 will be available at the end of this month (May 2021) onward at MYR 5,599.
For extra portability, you might want to look at the ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15, a thinner and lighter TUF gaming notebook like no other. At 2kg, it is no ultrabook. Still, it is a light gaming device with the power to match.
You get the 11th Generation Core i7-11370H processor that also has an Intel Iris Xe Graphics integrated GPU for general usage at lower power draw. For all the high-performance stuff though, this thing packs a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. Thanks to the integrated GPU, the notebook draws minimal power from the 76WHrs battery and ensures that the notebook can last longer than your average gaming notebooks.
The powerful NVIDIA GPU though powers the 15.6-inch IPS display to push Full HD into your face. You even get fast 144Hz refresh rate to ensure you still have the necessary competitive advantage in any gaming situation. With up to 8GB of RAM, you can be sure that gaming is a smooth and snappy experience.
The ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15 will be available in two colour options – Eclipse Grey and Moonlight White. The new gaming laptop will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The thinner and lighter TUF Gaming notebook will set you back MYR 4,799.
ASUS ROG Strix G15 and G17 (G513Q-CHN019T, G512Q-CHN020T, G712Q-CHX022T, G512Q-CHN096T)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The new ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 packs up to the highly acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor. With AMD’s processor, the ROG STRIX G15 and G17 is also a powerful creator class GPU. Pair that with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 and you get a capable video editor and gaming notebook that you can take with you anywhere you want.
You get up to 8GB in RAM and up to 512GB in SSD storage. If those are not enough though there is an extra available slot for you to expand your RAM and SSD storage still. An extra 8GB and an extra 512GB of SSD storage would do you nicely for the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17.
You get to choose up between 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch display sizes for the new ASUS ROG STRIX series. Both sizes are IPS displays that churns out Full HD in resolution too. Of course, for the extra smooth feel and edge in competitive gaming, the displays refreshes at 144Hz.
For all your connectivity needs there is the usual WiFi 6 that should be standard today. It also packs Bluetooth 5.1 for an extra stable wireless peripherals experience. You can find a USB Type-C port, but unfortunately Thunderbolt is not supported on the AMD based notebook.
The ROG STRIX G15 and G17 notebooks with either an AMD Ryzen 5-5600H or the AMD Ryzen 7-5800H will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The AMD Ryzen 5 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 will set you back MYR 4,199. The AMD Ryzen 7 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 will sell for MYR 4,499 and MYR 4,599 respectively. There is also an Elctro Punk special edition ASUS ROG STRIX G15 with AMD Ryzen 7-5800H that comes with its own set of colour matching accessories like a mousepad, a gaming mouse, and a backpack for MYR 4,799.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401Q-HHZ078TS, GA401Q-CHZ083TS, GA401Q-EK2023TS)
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, in our books, is one of the notebooks that put AMD’s Ryzen processors name in the gaming laptop map. The first Zephyrus G14 was a brilliant product that received many accolades. That packed the older generation AMD Ryzen 3000 series mind you.
The new one of course packs the new AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor to boot. You get to work with up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU for all of your gaming and content creation needs. Both the CPU and GPU are supported by an 8GB RAM that you can easily expand with an extra RAM slot in the thin and sturdy body with the very recognisable Matrix LED shell. Storage wise, you get 512GB in SSD with an extra expansion slot too.
The powerful CPU and GPU combination pushes games to up to 144Hz (120Hz for WQHD variant) on the 14-inch IPS display that comes with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. You get to spec your Zephyrus G14 with up to WQHD display too if you need the extra resolution for content creation purposes. On both the Full HD and WQHD displays, you get 100% coverage of DCI-P3 for a super deep colour accuracy and Pantone validation as the cherry topping.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 will be available in Eclipse Grey and Moonlight variants. The ROG Zephyrus G14 with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 GPU will come with a non AniMe Matrix shell while the rest of the variants get the AniMe Matrix panel on the shell of the notebook for extra personalisation. The new AMD Ryzen 7 powered ROG Zephyrus G14 notebook is available this month (May 2021) onward and will start at MYR 4,799 and tops out MYR 6,499.
The ASUS ZenBook name is one of icon. We say that because the ASUS ZenBook name goes back to 2011. You can trace the ZenBook at the birth of Windows UltraBooks as well. In fact, the ASUS ZenBook of 2011 was the first Windows PC UltraBook that is introduced to the world.
The ASUS ZenBook line-up has expanded to not just ultra-portable notebook PCs. It now covers ASUS’ premium line-up of lightweight notebooks that are made at the highest standards possible, it covers their convertible notebooks too. There are even dual-display notebooks within the line-up now.
For 2021, ASUS’ is bringing another innovation to their new ZenBooks – the power of OLED displays. They start with the ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371), ZenBook Flip 13 (UX 363), and ZenBook Duo 14.
ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 Flip OLED (UX363)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
True to its name, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED comes with an OLED display measuring 13.3-inch to be precise. It boasts Full HD in resolution. Thanks to OLED technology, colours pop on the glossy display with 100% coverage on DCI-P3 colour gamut. Because it is OLED also, it is bright at 400nits. Of course, because this is a convertible, the 13-inch display is a touch sensitive display.
The Flip 13 packs some punch as well though to keep the OLED display happy. There is an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to) to boot within the svelte all-metal body. The processor is supported by Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics integrated GPU as well, to ensure that you still can edit videos on the go. You get up to 8GB of RAM as well to work with and up to 512GB of SSD for speedy data reads and transfers. SSD also means that Windows can boot up near instantly. It also comes with ASUS’ innovative and compelling ASUS NumberPad 2.0 technology which allows for a full-sized edge-to-edge keyboard without squeezing the keys to fit the number keys (not like there are any extra spaces for it anyway).
Small and light does not mean limited though with the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED. You still get full I/O ports like the USB Type-A power and a standard HDMI port alongside two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports. You get big audio too with Harman Kardon certified audio system on ASUS’ SonicMaster stereo speakers. Of course, you get the latest networking technology in the WiFi 6 connectivity and dual-band Bluetooth 5.0.
ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Full HD may not be enough for you. You can get your hands on 4K in that case with the ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED. You still get OLED on the 13.3-inch display convertible. Only this one is a 4K UHD display with up to 100% DCI-P3 coverage and up to 400nits in brightness too.
The internals are just as impressive as the ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 too. You get the latest Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor as well with Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics to power the 4K UHD display. On top of that though you get 16GB of RAM, twice more than the regular ZenBook Flip. You also get up to 1TB in SSD storage space.
You still get full connectivity with a full-sized USB Type-A and standard HDMI ports as well besides the two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports with charging capabilities. Of course, you also get Harman-Kardon certified ASUS SonicMaster stereo dual speakers to work with. On top of all of that, ASUS claims a battery life of 15 hours, which is impressive if you can actually get that much battery life.
ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482)
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
For even more flexibility in work, you need two displays. Rather than buying a notebook and a high-resolution external monitor, you could get yourself a notebook with two displays. That is the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14. The main display pushes 1080p Full HD resolution at 14-inch. You get 100% sRGB colour gamut as well as Pantone validation on the IPS display for the highest level of colour accuracy on the display. Of course, it is also a touch sensitive display like the secondary display that tilts to you. The secondary display is also a high-resolution Full HD 12.6-inch display. Obviously, you are not getting full height on the display, it covers the usual spot for the keyboard.
To keep the two displays running happily is an Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to) 11th Generation processor and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce MX450 discrete GPU. You also get u to 16GB of RAM to keep the two screens happy with multiple windows running at the same time. For all your storage needs, there is a 512GB SSD storage to keep things trundling along smoothly and quickly. Of course, in the interest of speed and stability you also get WiFi 6 connectivity as standard alongside Bluetooh 5.0.
In terms of utility, this workhorse needs to offer maximum flexibility in working ports. There are two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports accompanied by one USB 3.2 Type-A port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, a standard HDMI port and a microSD card slot. Its speakers are Harman Kardon certified units too, so you can rely on the notebook’s speakers to edit your videos and audios. This one is a content creator’s dream tool.
Availability and Pricing
The ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED (UX363) will be available today onward from ASUS authorised dealers and all ASUS official online stores retailing at MYR 6,799 onward. The ASUS ZenBook Flip S OLED (UX371) will be available today onward as well from ASUS authorised dealers and all official online stores retailing at MYR 4699 (Core i5) and MYR 5,199 (Core i7) onward. The ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 will also be available today onward from ASUS authorised stores and all online stores for MYR 5,499 (Core i5 + 8GB RAM) and MYR 6,499 (Core i7 + 16GB RAM) onward. For more information on the new 2021 ZenBook line-up you can head over to ASUS’ website.
ASUS is arguably one of the first companies to make a gaming smartphone. The original ROG Phone launched back in 2018 to much acclaim and praise and with a customised chipset from Qualcomm. This year, ASUS refines its ROG Phone series with more features and more affordable price points.
The ROG Phone 5 series is the first in the ROG Phone family to officially be introduced with more than one entry into the line up. The series will consists of the ROG Phone 5, the 5 Pro and the 5 Ultimate which are differentiated by a few features and key specifications. On the outside, the ROG Phone 5 series continues to inherit the ostentatious design queues which have become its signature. Over on the back you have the angular accents of the camera modules and the angular design of the new ROG Dotted Matrix Design which allows for some extensive customisation. The Pro and Ultimate variants, this is replaced by angular lines which surround the ROG Vision screen.
Specc’d to Game
When it comes to the phone itself, the ROG Phone 5 series comes equipped with a Samsung AMOLED screen. The screen is a 6.78-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 2448×1080 pixels. The phone boasts one of the only displays with a 144Hz refresh rate. On the protection side of things, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for better scratch and shatter resistance.
The new entries are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with either 8GB, 16GB or 18GB of RAM with up to 512GB of internal storage. It doesn’t seem to support memory expansion with a microSD card – making it the third flagship this year to eschew the microSD card. The ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate are available with 512GB of internal storage with 16GB and 18GB of RAM respectively. The ROG Phone 5 caps out at 256GB with 16GB RAM. The series is also the first in the ROG Phone series to support 5G connectivity.
Perfecting Audio
The new ROG Phone continues to support better audio features by not only retaining the 3.5mm audio jack but also introducing even more audio centric features. Of note is the inclusion of a high-end ESS9280AC Pro DAC on the 3.5mm jack for better audio fidelity. It also supports symmetrical dual front-facing speakers. These are some of the largest speakers on smartphones coming in at 12x16mm. ASUS promises a louder, more rounded experience with these speakers. Also along for the ride this time is a DIRAC tuned AudioWizard with customizable equalizer for your perfect sound. DIRAC is providing optimisations on the ROG Phone 5 series to minimise crosstalk and widen the sound stage of the audio experience on the ROG Phone 5.
Of course, the ROG Phone 5 series comes with all the bells and whistles of its predecessors including improved Air Triggers and motion controls. In addition, ASUS is also introducing a new AeroActive cooler which come with two physical buttons for the triggers when plugged in.
Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
As with previous ROG Phones, ASUS is bringing a whole slew of gaming oriented accessories to enhance the ROG Phone 5. The first, is the AeroActive cooler which helps cool the phone down during intense gaming sessions while allowing you to charge the phone. This year, there are actual buttons on the AeroActive Cooler to provide a more tactile experience when it comes to using the triggers.
This year sees an improved ROG Kunai 3 controller. The controller allows you to have the versatility to play in a more console like way on the gaming smartphone. If you’d rather a more attached experience, the ROG Clip gives you a controller with a clip for the smartphone. It can attach via the USB-C port on the side of the ROG Phone 5.
ASUS has also opted to include more audio centric accessories this year with the ROG Cetra II earphones which comes with active noise cancelling with ambient mode. The wired earphones come with LSR drivers for premium sound quality and embedded microphones. ASUS also introduced the ROG STRIX GO BT with the ROG Phone 5. The wireless headphones come with up to 45 hours of battery life and AI noise cancelling microphone technology.
For those looking to upgrade from the ROG Phone 3, take note that not all accessories are forward compatible. Notably, the TwinView Dock 3, Mobile Desktop Dock and AeroActive Cooler 3 are not supported. The Kunai GamePad II, on the other hand, is partially supported by the 5.
Pricing & Availability
The ROG Phone 5 series will be available starting March 2021. The regular ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for MYR2,999 (USD$726.84) for the 8GB/128GB version and MYR3,799 (USD$920.73) for the 16GB /256GB version. Both will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White. These versions do not come with the AeroActive Cooler. Internationally, the ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for €799 (USD$950.16) for the 8GB/128GB, €899 (USD$1,069.02) for the 16GB/256GB version and €999 (USD$1,187.94) for the 16GB/256GB version.
The ROG Phone 5 will be available for pre-order in Malaysia from 11 March 2021 to 25 March 2021. Pre-orders of the ROG Phone 5 will come with a free Kunai 3 GamePad. You can pre-order the phone exclusively on the ASUS store on Shopee.
The Pro will be retailing for MYR4,499 (USD$1,090.39). It will be available only in Phantom Black and comes with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. The Pro will be available starting in May 2021. Internationally, it will be costing €1,199 (USD$1,425.83).
The Ultimate will be retailing for MYR4,999 (USD$1,211.51). It will be available only in Storm White and will come with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. It also comes with the limited edition ROG Ultimate Fan Gift box which hosts a whole bunch of ROG swag. Internationally, the Ultimate will be costing €1,299 (USD$1,544.75).
Update (10 March 2021): More rumors are continuing to surface about the ROG Phone 5 in the days leading up to its release. The first is that the new gaming phone will have a variant with 16GB of RAM. Something we highlighted in our original article. In addition to this, we’ve got our first look at the phone thanks to leaker @IshanAgarwal on Twitter. It seems like the phone will be coming in a new, sleek white color similar to the Zephyrus G14/15. The official renders also show a new AeroActive Cooler with a slight redesign.
And here is the ASUS ROG Phone 5 White Color Variant!
ASUS’s ROG Phone is arguably one of the most popular gaming phones on the market. ASUS launched the first ROG Phone to much fanfare in 2019 creating a new niche for loud, gamer-proud devices. They also pack specifications and software features that allow users to get the most out of their phones when it comes to performance and comes with software optimizations for gaming. Don’t forget the plethora of gaming-centric accessories that is now a signature of the ROG Phone lineup.
In the past, ASUS has announced their gaming smartphone closer to mid year. However, this year, the company has already announced that they will be revealing their new entry into the ROG Phone line up on March 10 at 7pm. With that in mind, we thought it’s be an opportune time to round up the rumours and everything else we know so far about the ROG Phone 5.
Bringing New Design Cues from Successful Laptops
Yep. You read that right. No you didn’t miss a ROG Phone somewhere in between. Instead, ASUS has decided to skip straight to 5 as the number 4 in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects sounds similar to the word for death.
With that out of the way, let’s get down to business. You’d have realised that ASUS has been teasing the ROG Phone 5 for about a week now. If you’ve been paying attention, it looks like the AniMe matrix from the ROG Zephyrus G14 is coming along for the ride. It seems to be the hallmark design feature of the phone and will be replacing the RGB logo which was one back of the phone.
From the leaks, it looks like this may be complemented by a small display. The small strip could be used as a notification ticker or possibly in a similar way that the HTC One Ultra used it for interactive features. However, there’s no confirmations so far on the functionality of the display.
This would be an excellent complement to the triggers that we already know will be coming to the ROG Phone 5. It also seems like there is an extra red button on the phone’s lower left edge. Keep in mind, that the ROG Phone series has historically come with a side mounted USB-C port.
Specc’d to Kill
As is the usual, it seems like the ROG Phone 5 is specced to kill – in a matter of speaking. We know the phone will be coming with a Snapdragon 888 processor. However, what we don’t know is whether the processor will come with a special build like previous years. Typically, ASUS and Qualcomm have launched the ROG Phone 5 with a “plus” or + variant of the year’s top processor. However, this year, the ROG Phone seems to be coming with the run of the mill Snapdragon 888.
We know from TENAA documentation that there will be an 8GB version of the smartphone, possibly the Tencent or STRIX version which we’ve seen in the past. However, we also have an inkling through rumours that ASUS is likely to have a 16GB and 12GB versions as well. Of course, they will be using the UFS 3.1 standard of memory for that snappy runtime. We will definitely see versions with 256GB and 512GB of internal storage however we wouldn’t put it past ASUS to offer a whopping 1TB version too perhaps paired with 16GB of RAM.
When it comes to the battery, we know for a fact that ASUS hasn’t shied away from large battery capacities. This year’s ROG Phone seems to be coming with a 6,000mAh battery if rumours are to be believed. ASUS is apparently achieving this by doubling up on 3,000mAh battery modules. Of course, the phone will be able to support up to 65W Fast Charging and come with Quick Charge 4, USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 and maybe even reverse charging. However, we don’t expect to see wireless charging in the ROG Phone 5 if ASUS keeps to its trends.
Source: ASUS
On the display front, it looks like ASUS might be equipping the ROG Phone 5 with a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen. However, rumours point to the gaming smartphone only coming with a Full HD+ resolution. That said, the display may be getting a boost from the HDR10+ feature it’s rumoured to be touting. It also looks like the smartphone will be coming with Android 11 out of the box.
Thanks to DxO Mark’s audio review, we know that the ROG Phone comes with stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack – hooray~! In addition, it looks like the phone will be equipped with an ESS DAC for better quality sound and it will also have at least four microphones. On the optics side of things, not too much detail is known. However, we do have leads showing that the phone will be coming with a triple sensor setup. It will be fronted by a 64-megapixel main sensor. The remaining sensors are unknown but if we are to go with what came in the ROG Phone 3 and similar phones this year, we’re betting on an ultrawide sensor and a macro sensor.
Pricing & Availability
While nothing much has been said about the price, we’re expecting ASUS to maintain the general price point of the ROG Phone 5. The ROG Phone came with a price tag of $999 in the U.S. and €999 in Europe at launch. In Malaysia, pricing was about MYR4,499 at launch.
However, given Samsung’s move to make the barrier to ownership a little lower this year, we can probably expect that ASUS may do the same; either with a lower specc’d entry or a very slight price decrease. We’ll have to wait and see.
ASUS kicking off a region wide eSports Tournament called the ROG Masters Asia Pacific eSports Tournament which will see eSports athletes from the region compete for a grand prize of USD$10,000. The tournament kicks off in March 2021 with matches happening throughout until the finals in April 2021. Given the current global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament will be held entirely online.
This year, the game of choice is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The competition will involve 15 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. It’s open to enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals across the region. All you have to do is register at rogmasters.gg. Registration opens on February 8 2021.
The competition will be held in three stages over the two months. Kicking off the competition is the Country Qualifiers which will see all the registered teams face-off for a shot in the Country Finals starting on the first week of April 2021. The Country Finals will see professional teams from each country seeded into the battlefield allowing enthusiasts and amateurs to climb further up the ladder. Teams in the Country finals will then stand a chance to head to the Regional finals where they will battle it out for the grand prize.
Matches for the Country finals will be streamed on ASUS ROG’s official YouTube and Facebook pages. The Malaysian Finals will be live-streamed on 4 April 2021. The APAC Finals will be live-streamed at the end of April 2021.
Teams that rise above the rest in the Malaysian Finals will stand to win USD$800 for first place and USD$400 for second place. These prizes also include ASUS ROG Swag. Teams in the APAC finals will then be vying for the USD$10,000 grand prize. The top 3 teams will be awarded USD$10,000 for the grand prize, USD3,500 for the runner up and USD$1,500 for third place.
Get to registering fast for your chance as registrations close on 28th February 2021.
