Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED
I hesitate to even put the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED into a category, as this is a “laptop” that transcends the usual computing norms. It’s a 17in all-in-one PC. A gigantic 1.6kg tablet. A two-screen ebook reader. But also, by bending the screen in half and placing the bundled Bluetooth keyboard across the lower portion, a 12.5in laptop. The world needs a super-word that goes beyond “versatile” to describe this extraordinary piece of technology.
But let’s snap back to reality for a moment. Asus hasn’t yet announced a price or a release date, nor have I managed to lay my hands on the product. That’s crucial, because the success of the ZenBook 17 Fold will live or die by the quality of its engineering. For a start, if it’s a great PC to use – and the integrated stand and Core i7 U Series chips ( see p30) suggest that it could be – then it has a chance.
Then you also need to take advantage of its tablet features.
How usable will it be? Unfolded, it’s 379 x 288 x 12mm, so you won’t be holding it in a single hand. You’ll need it to be sturdy enough to take on your travels and have strong battery life (it includes a respectable 75Wh battery). Perhaps most of all, you need Windows 11 to work equally well in all modes.
I’m confident the screen will be a strong point. As its name gives away, this is based on OLED technology, and Asus promises 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Even the 5MP webcam and quad speakers sound promising.
Am I optimistic? That’s too strong a word. What I do know is that Asus deserves plenty of praise for thinking so radically, and delivering on the promise – with a prototype at least. PC Pro will be first in the queue for review samples when it launches later this year.