Folding computers are here
Let’s preface this review by saying that this is the most unique PC experience I’ve had the pleasure of testing. Specs-wise, the ZenBook 17 Fold sits pretty much in the mainstream productivity notebook category. My unit came with an Intel 12th-gen Core i7-1250U processor, 16GB DDR5 memory, Intel Iris Xe graphics and 1TB SSD. On one hand, it is a 12th-gen Alder Lake i7 processor,
but on the other hand, it is a lowpowered 9W U-series model. There are benefits to this of course. The ZenBook 17 Fold is whisper quiet, even though it has a fan inside for an active cooling system. Battery life is commendable for day to day use. ASUS claims up to 9.5 hours with its 75Wh battery. I have managed to get through a full 8-hour work day of emails, surfing the web, and (many) lazy YouTube videos in between before the low battery warning prompt came up.
Design-wise, the ZenBook 17 Fold is a notebook with a 17.3-inch foldable OLED display. Image quality is amazing. You've got a 2,560 x 1,920 pixel display with a nice 4:3 aspect ratio for productivity work, VESA Display HDR True Black 500 certified, with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and is Pantone validated.
The ZenBook 17 Fold on the other hand unfolds into an impressively large, but not unwieldy 17.3-inch tablet, and folds into a compact, yet very usable 12.5-inch notebook.
However, I had not expected to actually spend most of my time in what
Asus calls the “Extended Mode”. This way, I have an angled portrait display where I have either one long 3:4 scrolling window or two 12.5-inch widescreen landscape windows to multi-task with. While many monitors can be rotated into a portrait mode, this angled experience is really unique.
Due to the size of the panel and wider angle of the fold, the dreaded ‘crease' is less of a sharp line, and more of a wide bar. It is practically unnoticeable when you're doing anything with the notebook.
The last thing to note is that even though the ZenBook 17 Fold has a touchscreen display, it is not compatible with any type of digital smart pen. You can use those unpowered, soft-top rubberised styluses though.
The included ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard is a hit and miss. It does have a decent 1.4mm of key travel, making good work of typing, and I do like the texture of the palm rests. As you get close to the middle though, you'll start noticing a great amount of flex.
The ZenBook 17 Fold is literally all screen and battery, it only comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports which support Power Delivery and Display, and weirdly, a combo 3.5mm jack though. Because input devices have to basically connect via Bluetooth, even if you can run casual games on low settings just fine, the input lag is going to be horrendous.
Audio-wise, the ZenBook 17 Fold has Harmon Kardon speakers running along both sides of the chassis, but hearing experience will depend on the orientation you have it in. When it is fully unfolded on its kickstand, the two speakers face left and right, giving you decent stereo separation and balanced loudness. When it is in notebook mode however, the two speakers are firing upward and toward you at the bottom. This creates a rather odd floating audio sensation. And the bottom speaker bounces off table surfaces rather harshly, which can create an artificial shrillness at higher volumes.
The final note is of course price. The ZenBook 17 Fold OLED has officially launched with a US$3,499.99 price tag. Local pricing and availability has not been announced, but you can be sure that it will not be an affordable device. You're paying for the latest in foldable display innovation and design, which I feel ASUS deserves for the engineering that went into making the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED possible.
However, with retail availability still a few months away, and Lenovo having just announced their 2nd generation ThinkPad X1 Fold with a cheaper price, the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED might have greater competition right out of the gate than ASUS expects it to have.
NOT TECHNICALLY A LAPTOP; ASUS HAS SUCCESSFULLY CREATED A FOLDABLE AIO COMPUTER, AND IT’S GOOD.