ASUS Zenbook 3 Deluxe (UX490UA) First impressions

Last year, ASUS announced the Zenbook 3 (UX390UA), then earlier this year the newer model, the Zenbook 3 Deluxe (UX490UA). Check out our first impressions about the device below.

Like with most top-of-the-line Zenbooks, the UX490UA is a thin laptop which has a 32.9mm x 21.6mm x 12.9mm dimension. It also has an all-aluminum chassis with a spun-metal finish which gives off a unique sheen when light touches it.

It has a smooth texture above while the sides have a textured feel to it. The diamond-cut edges and golden ASUS lid logo also add a nice touch to its premium aesthetics.

This laptop has a 13-inch body but with a 14-inch display which is made possible by having slim bezels (7.46mm) surrounding the screen. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 60Hz glare panel, and a 178-degree wide-viewing angle display for a good viewing experience. This is mounted with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.

The web camera is located above the screen. Since it is only VGA, we cannot expect much quality from it.

Checking out its side ports, we have two USB 3.1 Type-C ports on the right side. The laptop uses USB Type-C to charge and its port is located near the hinge.

On the left, we can see its 3.5mm audio jack and another USB 3.1 Type-C port.

It has 6 speaker outputs powered by Harman/Kardon technology. The sound is loud, clear, and crisp. The only lacking element on this is its low bass output.

Looking inside, we can see that the keyboard keys are big enough to accommodate different fingertip sizes. We can also see that the keys are labeled in gold and are backlit which is very handy if you need to work on it in the dark. The keys have good quality and are quiet, however, there’s not much travel which can be awkward if you’re used to other keyboard keys with a lot of depth.

Its trackpad has two embedded buttons which serve as the left and the right click. The fingerprint scanner is located on the upper left portion of the trackpad. The trackpad has a smooth texture which allows the user to easily glide their fingertips across.

The Zenbook 3 Deluxe (UX490UA) sports an Intel Core i7 7500U processor with 16GB of RAM. It also has an Intel HD 620 graphics which is an upgrade from its predecessor with only an Intel HD 520. This also has a 1TB SSD internal storage for faster read/write speeds. Lastly, it runs on Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) OS.

This laptop is a recommended productivity device for people on-the-go thanks to its thin body (12.9mm) and lightweight build (under 1Kg), making it easy to lug around even with one hand.

ASUS Zenbook 3 (UX490UA) specs:
14.0″ (16:9) LED-backlit FHD (1920×1080) 60Hz Glare Panel with 72% NTSC 178deg. wide-viewing angle display
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
2.7GHz Intel Core i7 7500U Processor
Intel HD 620 graphics (8GB RAM)
16GB DDR4 RAM
512GB PCI-E Gen3X4 SSD/ 1TB PCI-E Gen3X4 M.2 SSD
Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
VGA Web Camera
6 speakers (Harman/Kardon)
Earphone/Headphone jack
USB 3.1 Type-C charger port
USB 3.1 Type-C port (2x) (Thunderbolt)
Illuminated Chiclet Keyboard
Multi-format card reader
WiFi 802.11 ac
Bluetooth 4.1
Fingerprint scanner
4 Cells 46 Whrs Polymer Battery
19V DC, A, 65 W (Output), 100 -240V AC, 50/60 Hz universal (Input)
329mm x 216mm x 0~12.9mm (WxDxH)

The ASUS Zenbook 3 (UX490UA) is priced at Php81,995 for the 256GB SSD, Php89,995 for the 512GB SSD, and Php104,995 for the 1TB SSD Limited Edition.