ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 and 15 hands-on, first impressions

ASUS released a number of different devices today at IFA 2018 and among them are the new ZenBook Flip 13 and 15 2-in-1s. We actually got to play with them a bit during our media trip in Taiwan, so here are our initial impressions.

The two laptops are very slim and feature the same design cues from top to bottom. Both laptops feature a brushed aluminum chassis that’s smooth and nice to the touch. They actually look and feel premium despite their overall simple design. Their only real difference is size, as the Flip 13 comes in a smaller more compact frame.

ASUS didn’t cut corners with build quality either. Like their ZenBook brethren, these two also have a MIL-STD 810G certified chassis. Even the hinges are rock solid, as they should b, since these machines are 2-in-1s and will be subject to multiple configuration changes.

Moving on to the keyboard, we have two configurations here. The bigger 15-inch has a full keyboard layout with a dedicated numpad, while the smaller 13-inch takes on a TKL (tenkeyless) format. Key travel is short and tactile feedback is good. They are both enjoyable to type on.

As for the trackpad, ASUS also brought that LED-illuminated numpad to the two flips. It has smooth surface and has a good size.

The two laptops have different display configurations. The smaller 13-inch model has a Full HD touchscreen, while the bigger 15-inch can come in either FHD or UHD flavors. Both notebooks’ displays are pretty impressive with good viewing angles, color reproduction, accuracy, and sharpness. They’re even responsive to the touch. The laptops enjoy a 90% screen-to-body-ratio thanks to the really thin bezels.

Powering the laptops are either Intel Core i7 or Core i5 whisky lake processors and Intel UHD 620 GPU (13-inch) or Nvidia GTX 1050 Max-Q (15-inch). They can also come with up to 16GB of RAM and a good mix of storage options. They’re not powerhouses, but these setups are pretty good for standard office use and maybe some light to medium editing and gaming.

The ZenBook Flip 13 and 15 are certainly interesting notebooks. They may not be as small as their other ZenBook brethren, but they are still pretty compact for convertibles. So far they’re showing promise on the functionality, performance, ergonomics, and aesthetic side. Of course, we’ve only scratched the tip of the surface here.

ZenBook Flip 13 (UX362) specifications:

• 13.3-inch Full HD touch display @ 1920 x 1080 resolution, 90% screen-to-body-ratio
• Intel Core i7-8565U 1.8GHz quad-core processor (Max turbo up to 4.1GHz)
• Intel Core i5-8265U 1.6GHz quad-core processor (Max turbo up to 3.4GHz)
• Intel UHD 620 GPU
• 8/16GB LPDDR3 RAM
• 256/512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
• 256/512GB SATA 3 SSD
• WiFi 802.11ac Dual Band 2×2
• Bluetooth 5.0
• HD Infrared webcam
• FHD world-facing camera (optional)
• 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
• USB 2.0 Type-A (without world-facing camera)
• Combo Audio port
• HDMI (without world-facing camera)
• Windows 10
• 50WHr 3-cell Lithium Polymer battery
• 305 x 196 x 16.9 mm
• 1.3kg

ZenBook Flip 15 (UX562) specifications:

• 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) or UHD (3840 x 2160) touch display, 90% screen-to-body-ratio
• Intel Core i7-8565U 1.8GHz quad-core processor (Max turbo up to 4.1GHz)
• Intel Core i5-8265U 1.6GHz quad-core processor (Max turbo up to 3.4GHz)
• Intel UHD 620 GPU
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
• 16GB DDR4 RAM
• 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
• 256/512GB SATA 3 SSD
• 2TB SATA HDD 5400rpm
• WiFi 802.11ac Dual Band 2×2
• Bluetooth 5.0
• HD Infrared webcam
• FHD world-facing camera (optional)
• USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
• USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
• USB 2.0 Type-A
• SD Card reader
• Combo Audio port
• HDMI
• Windows 10
• 57WHr 4-cell Lithium Polymer battery
• 86WHr 6-cell Lithium Polymer battery (SSD only model)
• 357 x 226 x 20.9 mm
• 1.9kg