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ASUS has come to CES 2025 with a host of updates to its laptops and other PCs, including the latest AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm processors as well as Nvidia’s new GPUs.
However, the star of the show from ASUS is the Zenbook A14, an extremely light, 2lbs, a 14-inch alternative to the MacBook Air, based on the Snapdragon X chip line
I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the A14, and it is an extraordinary laptop. It includes some of the best battery life claims I’ve seen for any portable.
Key Takeaways
- The ASUS Zenbook A14 weighs just 2lbs, rivaling the MacBook Air in portability.
- The ultralight laptop is powered by Snapdragon X chips and claims multi-day battery life.
- A vivid 1200p OLED display delivers 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy.
- The scratch-resistant Ceraluminum coating adds durability and elegance.
- Starting at $900 and released in February 2025, it offers affordability alongside premium features.
First Impressions: ASUS Zenbook A14
The weight is immediately noticeable the moment you hold the Zenbook A14. Lifting it is virtually effortless. And that’s the “heavy” 2.2lbs model with a 70Wh battery — it should be even better with the 2lbs model that uses a 48Wh battery.
ASUS says it achieves the feat by using lightweight components and materials in unusual areas, including the cooling system (which can still cool a Snapdragon X Elite at its full 45W power draw. It even uses oxidation of the magnesium-aluminum body (not paint) to get its beige and gray color options.
At the same time, the A14 doesn’t feel flimsy like some thin-and-lights do, with little display wobbling or chassis flex.
It should also survive contact with the real world, as this is ASUS’ first laptop with a scratch-and smudge-resistant Ceraluminum coating across the entire design, not just on the lid as with earlier computers like the Zenbook S14.
The input lives up to ASUS’ usual above-average standards, with satisfying keyboard travel and “smart gestures” on the trackpad for brightness and other controls. There’s also better-than-usual connectivity for this laptop category with a USB-A port and HDMI in addition to two USB-C ports, using one of those USB-C ports for charging.
Not that you’ll have to worry much about plugging in. ASUS claims “multi-day” battery life even with the 48Wh power pack and estimates up to 32 hours of video playback with a 70Wh configuration. Your actual experience is bound to vary, but that still equates to a machine that can last a whole workday with room to spare.
ASUS Zenbook 14 Screen & Specs
The 1200p, 60Hz OLED display is vivid and color-accurate (100% of the DCI-P3 space), although the resolution isn’t as crisp as the 1664p you get with the MacBook Air. There’s also no touchscreen option, although that’s common in this space. But it does support HDR at up to 600 nits of brightness.
If there are concerns at this stage, they’re the same ones that affect all Snapdragon-powered PCs. Windows app compatibility with ARM-based chips is still limited, particularly for gaming — to the point where a MacBook can run some common software a Snapdragon machine can’t.
You are also limited to a maximum of 32GB of RAM, which is fine for the target audience but won’t satisfy some pros. The peak 1TB of storage is worth noting as well.
It’s relatively affordable, at least. When the Zenbook A14 is released in the U.S in February 2025, it will start at a price of $900 for a variant with a Snapdragon X Plus, a 70WHr battery, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
That significantly undercuts the $999 MacBook Air M2 as of this writing, and you can upgrade to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB drive for $1,100.
The Bottom Line: First Impressions
If you know the apps you use will run natively, I can already say the Zenbook A14 is worth considering if you want a laptop that you almost won’t notice in your bag and where the battery lasts so long that even the Air seems short-lived.
