GoPros are meant to go where most cameras can’t – and now laptop giant Asus is taking inspiration from the popular action camera. The Asus ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition, launched during CES 2026, is a laptop with military grade durability, a 360-degree hinge touchscreen, and a dedicated GoPro shortcut key.

Originally teased in December, the special edition laptop is a collaboration between Asus and GoPro. The GoPro Edition shares several specs with the new standard edition ProArt PX13, including a touchscreen with a 360-degree hinge so the laptop can also be used like a tablet, or the screen can be turned around for sharing video previews on site. Both laptops also share specs like an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, up to 128 GB of memory, a 1TB SSD hard drive, and what the company calls “military-grade durability.”

But the GoPro Edition carries a Black Metal finish with ridges and CNC engravings inspired by the action cam. It comes with a matching laptop sleeve with a bungee for attaching accessories. The box it comes in is designed for collectors and uses a custom foam insert so that it can be repurposed to also hold GoPro gear.

The GoPro collaboration goes beyond the design, however. The ProArt PX13, including the non-GoPro Edition, has a microSD card port, so no adapters are necessary to plug in a GoPro’s memory card. The laptop supports GoPro Cloud for syncing footage without touching the memory card. A GoPro shortcut on the keyboard brings up the action camera giant’s Player software. Asus’ StoryCube software, meanwhile, helps organize and tag footage using AI – including support for 360 footage.

Both the GoPro Edition and standard version of the laptop have Asus Dialpad, although the GoPro Edition uses cyan blue in keeping with the color of the keyboard’s backlighting. Designed for creators, the laptop also supports using a stylus on the 3K, 13-inch OLED screen.

The laptop is tested to the military-grade MIL-STD-810 H standards – which means it’s designed for extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, dust, and sand. That list doesn’t include GoPro-level waterproofing, sadly, but extends the laptop’s use to outdoor, dry conditions. The laptop weighs 1.39 kg / 3 lbs and has a 15.8mm / .62 inch profile.

Do photographers, videographers, and content creators need a laptop that matches their camera? Well, no, probably not, but the set of features speaks to an increasingly mobile, flexible workstation.

Asus has not yet shared the pricing or availability for the GoPro Edition.

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I was already looking forward to seeing what GoPro has in store for next year – but it looks like 2026 will also bring another unusual product with the GoPro name: a laptop. Asus is teasing a ProArt x GoPro collab that’s expected to be unveiled in 2026.

In a teaser shared to the laptop-maker's social channels, Asus shared that “the ProArt GoPro Edition is about to break cover,” along with a save-the-date for January 6 at 9 AM PST, which is during the Consumer Electronics Show or CES.

In the teaser video, Asus shares a few hints, including a close-up of a GoPro shortcut key. The video also hints at a laptop with a textured front and what looks like the Asus DialPad included in some models.

A ProArt and GoPro collab makes sense – in fact, the two companies have worked together before, bringing the GoPro Cloud to the StoryCube media management app earlier this year. The previous collab also brought a complimentary GoPro Premium+ subscription with some ProArt purchases.

But, if the teaser is any indication, the upcoming ProArt x GoPro launch looks like the action-camera maker will be integrated in more than just software. There’s that GoPro key on the keyboard, for starters, and in the final image, there’s something boxy behind the laptop that’s also GoPro-branded.

The teaser leaves a lot of questions. Will the upcoming laptop borrow GoPro’s durability? Some ProArt models, like the P16, undergo tests for sand, dust, drops, extreme temperatures, and vibrations, so the idea doesn’t seem terribly far-fetched. What’s sitting behind the laptop in that teaser video?

GoPro fans won’t have to wait too long, as Asus says the livestream airs on January 6 at 9 AM PST / Noon EST / 5 PM GMT.

That’s not the only GoPro to look forward to, either. CEO Nicolas Woodman has indicated to investors that the company plans to launch a pro-grade low-light camera, which could come as early as 2026.

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As a photographer or filmmaker, you demand speed, accuracy and reliability from your tools. But how well does your hardware really keep up with your creative ambition? If you find yourself held back by sluggish render times, inconsistent colours or the constant fear of equipment failure, it’s time to demand more and take a look at the ASUS ProArt ecosystem.

At a time when clients want content faster than ever, it’s hard to meet deadlines if your PC is choked by RAW files or struggles to process today’s high-resolution video. A monitor with inaccurate or constantly shifting hues can lead to time-consuming corrections, and an aging system can prevent you from being able to take full advantage of the latest AI tools designed to speed up editing.

These challenges are common, but you don’t have to put up with them. The ASUS ProArt ecosystem offers a complete solution built specifically to eliminate bottlenecks for creators like you.

The ASUS ProArt ecosystem: built for creators

ASUS ProArt is a whole family of creative hardware, from monitors to motherboards, graphics cards and pre-built computers. They’re united by a core promise: to solve professional creatives’ needs through precision, performance and reliability.

The result is a holistic ecosystem where colour consistency is guaranteed, render times are slashed and every element works in harmony.

A powerful foundation

At the heart of the ProArt ecosystem lies Intel's latest Core Ultra 200 series processors. Paired with ASUS ProArt motherboards, these CPUs have the raw processing power to handle demanding creative workloads.

Whether you choose the fully featured ASUS ProArt Z890 (around £500) or the more budget friendly ASUS ProArt B860 for around £200, ASUS ProArt motherboards provide robust power delivery for consistent performance, even during extended editing sessions.

This allows lag-free RAW processing, seamless 4K and 8K video editing and effortless multitasking. Extensive PCIe and NVMe storage support allows photographers to work with massive RAW libraries without compromising, while high-bandwidth USB4/Thunderbolt connectivity ensures blazing-fast data transfers.

With a quiet thermal design, the processors won’t distract you with noisy fans, and ASUS's Advanced RMA and 3+2 Year Extended Warranty on ProArt motherboards provides reassurance that your setup will last for years.*

Accurate colours every time

As a photographer or videographer, you need to be confident that the colour you see is the colour you deliver. That’s why ProArt monitors are individually factory-calibrated with a printed calibration report, guaranteeing exceptional accuracy out of the box.

Whether you're working with HDR content or fine-tuning subtle details, ProArt monitors ensure you see your work as it really looks, every time, delivering the precision needed to achieve your creative vision.

From entry-level models to an industry-leading 8K display, there's a ProArt monitor to suit every photographer's needs and budget, from enthusiasts to professional studios. For those looking for a budget-friendly upgrade to 4K resolution with 100% sRGB coverage, the PA279CRV offers phenomenal value at under £550.

The PA32QCV (£1,300) provides a larger display and stunning 6K resolution, making it a great value choice for video editors. And the flagship PA32UCDM (£1,600) has a vivid OLED panel ideal for HDR work and studio-level colour grading with 99% DCI-P3 coverage and precision accuracy of ΔE < 1.

Again, with ASUS's Advanced RMA and 3+2 Year Extended Warranty, ASUS ProArt monitors provide complete peace of mind.

Harness next-gen AI and imaging workflows

With AI transforming creative work, speeding up editing and unlocking new possibilities for photographers and videographers, the ASUS ProArt RTX 5080 graphics card (around £1,500) provides the GPU power you need to take full advantage of the latest tools.

Testing has shown it to accelerate AI-assisted editing, batch processing and complex masking in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop’s GPU-accelerated functions and to speed up upscaling and AI denoising in Topaz applications,

The GPU’s slim design makes it suitable for any studio environment, and optimised cooling ensures quiet operation, even during long editing sessions. It also works in perfect harmony with ProArt motherboards and Intel Core Ultra 200 CPUs for a powerful but balanced system.

Powered by ASUS: Ready-Made Intel Creator Systems

Opting for the power and precision of ASUS ProArt components doesn’t have to mean sweating though the construction of a PC yourself. For professionals who want uncompromising performance without the hassle of building a computer, Powered by ASUS creator systems from SCAN are the perfect solution.

The combination of Intel's Core Ultra 200 CPUs, ASUS ProArt components and SCAN's premium build quality ensures exceptional reliability and performance, and all systems are optimised and stability-tested specifically for photography and hybrid creative workloads.

An ASUS ProArt creator system is more than a boost in computing speed, it means upgrading to an ecosystem where every component works together to help empower your vision.

Explore ASUS Powered by ASUS PCs by 3XS Systems at SCAN UK today to learn how ASUS ProArt can transform your workflow.

Right now, you can get up to 3 months free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud suite with the purchase of select DIY ASUS ProArt components.**

Industry Leading Warranty

*ASUS Advanced RMA and 3+2 Year Extended Warranty applies to select ProArt monitors and motherboards. See website for full terms and conditions.

** Free Adobe Creative Cloud subscription offer valid on select ASUS ProArt components purchased between 2 October 2023 and 31 August 2026. Redemption instructions and full terms and conditions can be found at www.asus.com

Specifications, pricing, and availability are subject to change without notice. Please check with retailers for the most up-to-date information.

Discover the full ASUS ProArt range to learn how it can help you realise your creative vision.

There was a time when people suggested that tablets would wipe the floor with notebooks, but that unsurprisingly didn’t happen. Creatives need processing power to run photo and video editing software smoothly. The Asus ProArt P16 2025 is the latest upgrade to the product line, delivering familiar processing power alongside a new and more powerful graphics card.

The design, build and specs remain pretty much the same as previous models, but it’s still one of the best laptops for photo editing by far. This is a notebook with desktop-level performance, meaning you can have one device for every situation. But most importantly, you get a notebook that can tackle the most demanding tasks wherever you are.

The ProArt P16 is crafted to a high specification with its tough all-metal body. The screen is a wide-gamut HDR 4K OLED touchscreen, which produces crisp and vibrant images, while the Asus Dial on the touchpad delivers tactile control of some features of creative software. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but with all this and more, it’s an expensive laptop.

I’ve reviewed several ProArt P16 notebooks, and all three, including this one, use the same AMD Ryzen processor. The design and features remain the same for each, while it’s the discreet Nvidia GPU that sees the most significant upgrade. The model tested is the most powerful available.

Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX: Specifications

Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX: Price

The Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX is the most expensive ProArt model available, with an eye-watering price of $3999 / £4800. This is a huge amount of money, but it is priced as you’d expect for a high-end notebook with the level of hardware on offer and the excellent build quality. What’s more, it’s priced similarly to equally powerful notebooks.

This notebook is almost identical to previous models, but we did test the most powerful model available, so all the hardware was maxed out, including the GTX 5090 discrete graphics card. The processor used is the same as the previous two P16 models.

Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX: Design & Handling

The ProArt P16 is a 16-inch laptop, so its footprint is quite large despite its svelte thickness, which is a slight wedge shape. This version of the laptop is 100g / 3.53oz and marginally thicker than the previous model at the rear of the notebook. The total weight of the notebook is 1.95kg / 4.30lbs. The ProArt otherwise looks the same as previous models and includes much of the same hardware.

If it ain't broke, don’t fix it springs to mind here, and this version looks every bit as good as the last. This is thanks to the all-aluminium chassis in textured nano black, which includes the outer shell and the keyboard bed. Rigidity remains excellent, but as before, the black finish is a fingerprint and smudge magnet despite claims to the contrary.

Build quality is excellent overall, and the ProArt looks and feels like the premium product it is. Asus claims the P16 exceeds the MIL-STD 810H military standard for durability and says it has been tested for sand, dust and humidity resistance, up to 95% relative humidity. As always, I didn’t put this to the test because it would mean damaging the review unit, so this claim is hopefully true. It does mean that the laptop can, in theory, be used in almost any location.

As a notebook aimed at creatives, there’s the Asus Dial situated on the trackpad. This provides a level of control similar to control consoles. The Asus Dial can be configured with the desired functions, but these are limited to a list of options rather than allowing you to assign any control you wish. What’s available is useful, and it’s a useful feature overall. The Dial can also be switched on and off as required, so it doesn’t get in the way when you don’t need it.

When it comes to connectivity, there are 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x DC-in, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack and an SD card reader on the sides of the notebook. This is a great level of physical connectivity which allows you to connect the accessories you need, whether external drives, input devices or a monitor, for example.

The speakers also produce great sound quality for a laptop, but they’re unsurprisingly not as good as larger external speakers. That said, most people will use the built-in speakers when on the move, and they are undoubtedly clear enough for video editing with sound.

Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX: Performance

The 16-inch, 4K (3840x2400) OLED touchscreen has a refresh rate of 120Hz with 10-bit color and produces up to 400-nits of brightness. The glossy display is lovely and bright, making it a pleasure to use for photo and video editing, but it does pick up reflections in some situations. Being touchscreen, you can use your fingers to control the pointer or use the Asus Pen, available separately, for more control.

The screen is sharp and packed with fine detail – it’s a pleasure to use, and the large size is so much better than 13-inch notebooks. Blacks are deep while colours are realistic. Asus claims the ProArt P16 can display 100% of the P3 colour space, and when calibrated using a Spyder X Pro, it was able to display 99% P3, 95% Adobe RGB 1998 and 100% sRGB. This is excellent for a notebook and makes the ProArt ideal for color-critical workflows.

This latest ProArt model uses the same processor as the previous two models, which is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 2.0GHz, with AI-enhanced efficiency when using AI-powered software features. It’s a fantastic processor and helps to create an incredibly smooth experience when working with demanding applications. Then there’s 64GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR7.

This GPU is fantastic for all creative software, but is perfect for video editing in particular. The 50 series GPUs not only support 4:2:0 chroma sampling in H.264 and H.265 video, but they also can encode and decode 4:2:2 chroma-sampled video with 8-bit and 10-bit video output available. A powerful graphics card is also essential for software such as Adobe Premiere and Davinci Resolve.

I predominantly tested the ProArt with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Davinci Resolve, and it handled every task incredibly well. I also installed Steam and ran a few demanding games to see how well it handles these, and it didn’t miss a beat. The 120Hz refresh rate is also a great new improvement if you intend to use the ProArt for gaming.

To test performance, CineBench and Geekbench were installed, and the laptop was plugged into the mains during testing. When tested with Cinebench, the Single Core score was 116, which is 1^st place on the ranking list for performance. With Multi-Core, it scored 1130, which is 4^th place on the list. Turning to Geekbench, the Single Core score was 15343, Multi-Core was 2880 and the GPU came in at 181521.

The ProArt does come with a ton of bloatware aimed at creatives, and whether or not it’s useful to you will be a matter of personal opinion and choice. You get Storycube for managing digital assets, ProArt Creator Hub for controlling settings and performance and MuseTree for AI image generation that’s presented in a tree format. For me, ProArt Creator Hub is the most useful software bundled on the ProArt.

Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX: Verdict

The Asus ProArt P16 is, like its predecessors, an incredibly high-performance notebook with desktop-level performance. This makes it a great solution for photographers, videographers and designers. This model uses the same powerful processor as the previous two models, with the Nvidia GTX 5090 graphics card being the main upgrade. The ProArt P16 remains an excellent choice for creatives, but it’s one of the more expensive Windows notebooks available.

This notebook is an absolute powerhouse with incredible hardware specs, making it an amazing option for creatives. This all comes at considerable cost, although pricing is similar to competitor notebooks with similarly high specs. For this desktop-level performer, you’ll have to dig deep for the $3999 / £4800 price tag. But, if you can afford and justify it, you won’t be disappointed.

Alternatives

Windows laptops can be just as good for creatives as MacBook Pros, and they can also be arguably much more powerful. I’ll leave that contentious statement to sit for a moment. The Asus ProArt P16 2025 is a laptop with incredible speed and processing power, not to mention a great build quality, easily making it one of the best laptops for photo editing.

The Asus ProArt P16 2025 is an absolute powerhouse with the speed and performance you’d expect from a much larger desktop computer. For creatives on the go, this is fantastic because the laptop can handle any task you throw at it with ease. Plus, the wide-gamut 4K OLED touchscreen is a pleasure to view. It’s also compatible with the Asus Pen, although the review unit I received didn’t have one included.

I reviewed the previous Asus ProArt 16 model last year, and one thing I have to say from the outset is that in terms of hardware and specs, they’re the same. There are some subtle new design flourishes, but there’s nothing more that’s new, except for a newer GPU option, which is a surprise. One thing that has changed is that the price has reduced slightly, and the ProArt 16 2025 remains a formidable Windows laptop for creatives.

Asus ProArt P16 2025: Specifications

Asus ProArt P16 2025: Price

The Asus ProArt P16 2025 is a premium laptop with a price that you’d expect for something of this level. In terms of build quality and performance, it’s undoubtedly a laptop that could provide years of faithful service running demanding creative software.

As previously mentioned, the laptop is pretty much identical to the previous model in terms of specs and hardware. The main difference is that the 2025 model is available with the RTX 5070 GPU, which was unavailable at the time of the previous release.

Asus ProArt P16 2025: Design & Handling

The ProArt P16 is a 16-inch laptop that’s built like a tank, as well as being a premium product. Asus claims the P16 exceeds the MIL-STD 810H military standard for durability and has been tested for sand, dust and humidity resistance, up to 95% relative humidity. To test this, I’d effectively have to drag the laptop through the dirt, so we’ll just have to take Asus’s word on this. But it should mean that creatives can confidently use the laptop in pretty much any location.

The chassis is all-aluminium in textured nano black, including the outer shell and the keyboard bed. This provides pleasing rigidity with no flex of the keyboard during typing. The chassis is claimed to be fingerprint resistant, and it does a reasonable job here, but inevitably picks up the odd fingerprint. The trackpad is also solidly constructed, and between this and the keyboard, operation is extremely comfortable.

Adding to the creative credentials of the laptop is the Asus Dial. This provides control similar to a wheel on a control console such as the TourBox Elite, although it’s a much simpler design that’s built into the trackpad.

The Asus Dial can be configured with the desired functions, although these are limited to a list of available options rather than anything you might want to apply. The Dial can also be switched on and off as required, so it doesn’t get in the way when typing, for example.

The speakers produce good sound quality for a laptop, but they’re unsurprisingly not as good as larger external speakers. However, they are certainly good enough for working on the go.

In terms of ports, there's plenty on offer with 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x DC-in, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack and an SD card reader. These are all on the sides of the ProArt P16 rather than having some on the rear, which can be useful, although the design of the screen/lid would never allow for this.

Asus ProArt P16 2025: Performance

The first thing you look for on any laptop aimed at creative use is the screen, and the ProArt P16 certainly doesn’t skimp in this department. The 16-inch 4K (3840x2400) OLED touchscreen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 11, and provides 4086 pressure levels with MPP2.0 stylus support when paired with the Asus Pen.

The image produced by the screen is sharp and packed with fine detail. Blacks are deep while colours are vibrant and realistic. Asus claims the ProArt P16 can display 100% of the P3 colour space, and when calibrated using a Spyder X Pro, it was displaying 97% P3, 97% Adobe RGB 1998 and 100% sRGB. This is still pretty close and is a fantastic colour gamut for colour-critical work.

Moving onto the internal hardware to drive performance, there’s an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 2.0GHz with AI-enhanced efficiency when using AI-powered software features, which is an incredibly fast processor.

This is paired with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to a 2TB SSD, depending on the discrete GPU you opt for. The less expensive of the two is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6, while the top-end model takes advantage of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 8GB GDDR7 GPU.

With this kind of power, and a highly effective cooling system, the ProArt P16 was able to easily and briskly handle every task I threw at it in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Davinci Resolve.

This isn’t a gaming laptop, but with the specs on offer and the cooling system, it was able to handle demanding games with ease when I installed Steam. Of course, this isn’t why we’re reviewing the laptop, but it shows what it’s capable of.

To test performance in a standardised way rather than simply relying on real-life use and opinion, the ProArt P16 was installed with CineBench and Geekbench. The laptop was also plugged into the mains during the tests.

When tested with CineBench, the Single Core score came in at 116, which is 1^st place on the ranking list for performance. With Multi-Core, it scored 1146, which is 4^th place on the list. Moving onto Geekbench, the Single Core score was 2819, Multi-Core was 15528 and Graphics (OpenCL) was 122996. All in all, an impressive performance.

In terms of battery life, I was able to work for a full day using the ProArt P16 with a mixture of typing, web browsing and video editing. This was with the laptop set to Standard mode, where the ProArt P16 switches between the integrated and discrete GPUs automatically, depending on the task. Other modes may work better for you, but I found Standard mode to be the most useful.

While most, if not all, creatives will install their preferred creative software, the ProArt P16 also comes loaded with Storycube for managing digital assets, ProArt Creator Hub for controlling settings and performance and MuseTree for AI image generation that’s presented in a tree format. It works reasonably well and could be useful for idea generation and other creative thought processes.

Asus ProArt P16 2025: Verdict

The Asus ProArt P16 2025 is an amazingly fast laptop like its predecessor, making it a stunning option with fantastic performance for photographers, videographers and designers, etc. In terms of specs and hardware, the new model is the same, with the only real difference being some design tweaks on the premium laptop body and a new GPU option. It’s also slightly less expensive, which is great, but it’s still a high-end and expensive laptop.

That said, performance is still outstanding, and if you want the most powerful version, you can opt for the model that has an RTX 5070 GPU. The screen remains fantastic with excellent image quality and a wide colour gamut for colour-critical creative work. Plus, you can pair it up with the Asus Pen for pen display-style functionality.

Alternatives

Asus could be getting close to launching what's still an incredibly rare thing in the world of monitors: a new 8K display. If it does indeed make production, the ProArt Display 8K PA32KCX would be, to my knowledge, only the second true 8K (7680 x 4320) consumer monitor to ever be released. The first 8K monitor was the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K, launched back in 2017, and now showing its age.

But it's not just outright resolution that sets this screen apart: the PA32KCX is also capable of high color gamut coverage, being able to display an impressive 95% of the Adobe RGB color space and 97% of DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020. The monitor is also calibrated to a high accuracy of Delta-E <1, while a high 1200-nit peak brightness and 1000-nit sustained full-screen brightness helps earn the monitor multiple HDR format support, including Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR10. Contrast is further helped by the 4032-zone local dimming mini LED backlight. This is the first 8K display to feature mini LED backlighting, allowing it to focus the backlight more accurately, reducing visual artifacts like halos around bright objects.

To maintain optimal color accuracy, the PA32KCX contains its own built-in colorimeter which can perform automated hardware color calibration. Other extras include an Ambient Light Sensor and Backlight Sensor, plus dual Thunderbolt 4 ports capable of supplying up to 96W Power Delivery to a connected laptop. A built in KVM is also on hand if you want to use the use the monitor to display the output from two computers.

All very impressive, but this isn't the first time a super-spec 8K monitor has been announced, but never actually materialised. Back in 2021 Viewsonic wowed us with the press release for its then-new ColorPro VP3286-8K, but that 8K monitor never reached production.

The signs don't look great for the new Asus PA32KCX, either. It was originally unveiled in April 2024, promoted again at CES2025 in January, but has still not made it to retail. However, at an Asus event in London showcasing its new range of ProArt monitors, the PA32KCX was on display, and our sister website Creative Bloq reports a potential May release date. That's encouraging, but it also means you may not have long to save up for this world-beating monitor: rumor has it the price tag could be a jaw-dropping $8,000!

ASUS has announced a new 27-inch OLED monitor with screen specs that should impress any imaging enthusiast. The ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is marketed as a gaming display, but its premium OLED screen tech makes it equally suitable for photo or video editing. 

The new monitor is capable of 99% coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 color space, while offering color accuracy to Delta-E <2. The screen is also DisplayHDR 400, HDR10 and Dolby Vision certified, which along with a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and OLED's ability to display true black makes it ideal for HDR content. ASUS is also promising uniform screen brightness, and being a gamer-centric monitor, there's a super-fast 0.03ms response time and FreeSync/G-SYNC compatibility.

Read more:
The best monitors for photo editing
The best video editing monitors

But what makes the ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM particularly special is its 4K (3840 x 2160) screen resolution. This is nothing unusual for a 27" LCD monitor, but we reckon the PG27UCDM is only the second-ever 27" OLED display to be launched with a 4K resolution (the ASUS ProArt Display OLED PA27DCE-K being the first). As it stands, if you want a 27" OLED monitor, the vast majority are still QHD (2560 x 1440).

OLED displays have been common on high-end laptops for several years, and have since trickled down to even entry-level machines. Standalone OLED monitors are less common however, with traditional LCD monitors still being massively more commonplace, but OLED displays are slowly gaining market share. And that's a good thing for photo and video editing, as OLED is the gold standard for monitor image quality, offering unparallel contrast, a huge color gamut, stunning vibrancy, and usually excellent color accuracy.

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM will be available for pre-order in the US from January 21st. Until then, the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (non-4K) is available to buy now, priced at $749/£699

Tablets sit in a strange place these days and have lost the explosive growth they saw in their early days. But this hasn’t stopped computer manufacturers from producing ultra-portable and lightweight hybrid tablets and laptops with Microsoft leading the way with its Surface line.

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is a direct competitor aimed at creatives on the go, offering a fantastic OLED screen alongside AI-powered processing. It’s undoubtedly a powerful device considering its impressively svelte and lightweight design, but it offers nowhere near the power of the Asus ProArt PX13 and the Asus ProArt P16.

That said, it is a Copilot+ PC for creatives who need a small and lightweight device for photo and video editing on the go. The PZ13 offers the form and function of a tablet alongside the convenience of a laptop with the processing power required for general editing tasks.

The small screen and lack of compatibility with some creative software such as Adobe Lightroom Classic are frustrating, although Lightroom CC and Photoshop are compatible, do reduce its useability. But to be fair you can get most of the tasks you need completed with the PZ13.

I love small and portable devices, including cameras, for obvious reasons. In most cases, you do have to make a handful of concessions because, with a smaller size, limitations of one kind or another are inevitable. The PZ13 makes up for this with a comfortable-to-use detachable keyboard and the Asus Pen that allows you to use it as a pen display/graphics tablet.

Asus ProArt PZ13: Specifications

Asus ProArt PZ13: Price

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is available to buy now, and although the marketing says up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, this is the standard spec available at the time of writing. A lower spec in these regards would be debilitating for creatives so it would be surprising if lower-end models are released.

The PZ13 costs $1100 / £1200 and is also a whisker less expensive than the Surface Pro, Copilot+ PC (11th Edition), which is the closest Surface model available and direct competitor. This suggests the PZ13 is well priced when you consider that the Surface is the 2-in-1 market leader. Plus, the build quality and overall performance of the PZ13 that’s on offer, which we’ll cover in more detail later, can’t be faulted.

Asus ProArt PZ13: Design & Handling

I have to confess that I’ve always had a soft spot for 2-in-1 laptops/tablets, mostly down to their compact size and lightweight which make them the most capable balance between these two types of devices. I also have to admit that I don’t own one, simply because I prefer the processing power available with more traditional laptops, at the expense of portability in comparative terms.

The PX13’s footprint is similar to a sheet of A4 paper and is 0.35in / 90mm thick with a weight of just 0.85kg / 1.87 lbs. It’s undoubtedly small and portable, but the build quality like all of the ProArt range oozes quality. Asus claims it can perform in extreme environments up to 70°C and as low as -30°C, and has been tested against all sorts of situations most people wouldn’t subject a device to.

It’s also rated against water and dust ingress to IP52, so with all this in mind you should be able to use the PZ13 pretty much anywhere and in most weather conditions. The weak point would have to be the screen in the case of a drop, but the included detachable keyboard and rear stand that act as a case might provide some protection here.

The Asus Pen can be stowed in the rear part of the case, which doesn’t magnetically latch onto the PZ13 quite as well as you’d hope when in stand mode, but it works. The Asus Pen works well in place of a mouse and comes into its own for photo and illustration software where the PZ13 is transformed into a pen display. In tablet mode, you have no physical keyboard, but if the keyboard is attached you can lay the screen and the keyboard flat to use keyboard shortcuts or use the rear stand.

The keyboard itself is comfortable to use, but not so much so that you’d want to use it all day for typing, just like any keyboard of this type. The size of the keys is good, although the Shift and Control keys are small like the other ProArt laptops. There’s also backlighting, which is a great feature for typing in low-light or dark environments.

The main downside to the PZ13 is the lack of ports, which to be fair is unsurprising given the small size of the device. What you do get are two USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C that support power delivery and display, alongside an SD card reader. Yes, you read that correctly, the PZ13 has an SD rather than a microSD card slot. You even get a microSD adaptor in the box.

This means that you’ll have to use a USB hub if you need to attach any USB-A devices, or a USB-C hub if you need to attach more than two USB devices or more than one if you’re charging or running from power. This isn’t out of the ordinary for this type of 2-in-1 and is essentially what you sign up for when you purchase one.

There are front and rear-facing cameras with the front 5MP /1440p camera aimed at video streaming / video calls and Windows Hello face recognition. Image quality is fine for these purposes but not great for taking photos, as you might expect. The rear camera is 13MP and can capture video in 4K. Quality is much better as you’d expect, but JPEG processing is heavy on both, especially in low-light situations.

Asus ProArt PZ13: Performance

For general tasks such as web browsing, typing, and watching movies, the PZ13 sails through these and the ability to use it in tablet mode makes the latter a clutter-free experience. When it comes to editing photos and videos, it has the power required but with only 16GB RAM and no discreet GPU, it’s not going to blow you away. It’s capable, but certainly not commanding in this respect.

Capable is good though, don’t get me wrong, and the Snapdragon X Plus X1P 42 100 Processor with AI capabilities does a stellar job in most situations. Using Photoshop and Lightroom CC, since Lightroom Classic is incompatible, I was able to do everything I needed to in terms of photo editing but more intensive processing tasks require patience. For example, applying Super Resolution in Adobe Camera Raw, where file size is quadrupled, took a whopping three minutes and 34 seconds.

The overall size of the PZ13 means that it’s not a device I’d want to use all day every day as my main computer, but on the go, it can get the job done. Running Davinci Resolve 19 (Windows ARM 64 version), The PZ13 was able to run the software, which is optimized for this type of device, although it’s much slower than a more powerful laptop. Outputting a 10-minute 4K video at best quality settings took 43 minutes, which is a long time.

The PZ13 was also tested with Geekbench and Cinebench, although the latter was unable to perform tests because the Snapdragon X Plus CPU doesn’t have AVX2 instruction support. For Geekbench, however, it scored 2369 for single core, 11218 for multi-core, and 9598 for graphics. It’s middle of the road, but not a bad score when you consider just how small and thin the PZ13 is, and how tightly packed the components are.

The 3K (2880 x 1800) 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen is small yet sufficient for a device of this type, but the on-screen image is fantastic. Asus claims it can display 100% of the P3 color space, and when calibrated using a Spyder XPro it was displaying 97% P3, 95% Adobe RGB 1998, and 99% sRGB, which is good enough for color-critical work. And as an end note, the sound quality is absolutely fine but not as good as the ProArt P16.

Asus ProArt PZ13: Verdict

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is never going to be your everyday computer if you’re a creative, simply because it lacks the processing power that’s currently available in higher-spec machines. More intensive tasks require time and patience because processing times certainly aren’t short, but what you might call standard laptop tasks are fine.

The thing with this device is that it’s not designed to be a main computer; it’s small, lightweight, and highly portable which brings with it compromises in terms of processing capabilities. But for general photo editing tasks in Photoshop and Lightroom CC, it performs adequately and the Asus Pen allows it to be used as a pen display for more precise editing.

Alternatives

The hotly anticipated new iPhone 16 range dropping this month is rumored to include a new dedicated ‘capture button’, allegedly working like the shutter release on a traditional camera. 

Chinese camera phone manufacturer Xiaomi, however, is apparently going in the opposite direction and removing all the buttons on its new phone, tipped to arrive in the first half of next year. 

Tipster Chun Bhai (chunvn8888) posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Xiaomi is working on a flagship phone with no physical buttons, codenamed 'Zhuque'.

This is currently a unique design idea in the smartphone industry. While the 2018 HTC U12+ had pressure-sensitive buttons, it still had obvious mechanical components. Other companies including Meizu and Asus have tried similar designs in the past, but they never made it through the prototype phase. 

The design is rumored to be a fully buttonless handset with a touch sensitive screen and hidden under-display camera. There is also speculation that the model might use capacitive or maybe pressure sensitive sensors, and vibration motors that mimic classic buttons, providing tactile feedback. 

Solid details about the buttonless phone are pretty thin on the ground. Android Police has reported mentions of the as yet unreleased Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 4 processor, tipped to be released in October. This suggests that the phone will be a flagship Android model, with high-end technology and some potentially very impressive features.

The new Xiaomi model is also expected to include an in-display selfie-camera, similar to those found in the RedMagic 9S Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. 

As I said, information at this stage is limited, and it’s not obvious yet why Xiaomi plans to get rid of the buttons. However, a likely reason is to employ a full edge-to-edge screen and dominate that particular market. If this phone does make it out of the lab, it will certainly be interesting to see whether the public goes for it. 

Take a look at our guide to the best Xiaomi phones, the best camera phones, and the best iPhone for photography. 

Laptops have come a long way in recent years and can, in some cases, rival the processing power of desktops. Not to mention, thanks to advances in screen technology, wide-gamut OLED screens with HDR are becoming the norm at the upper end of the market. 

The Asus ProArt P16 is one such example, offering creative Windows users the high-end processing power they need and making it one of the best laptops for photo editing. Videographers, illustrators and graphic designers etc. will also benefit from the P16 thanks to the Asus Dial and the Asus Pen, although this is a standard laptop rather than a convertible like the Asus ProArt PX13.

Being a standard laptop means that the keyboard remains functional when using the Asus Pen rather than switching off when a convertible is flipped into tablet mode. I prefer full keyboard access when using laptops as pen displays because it's extremely useful for accessing keyboard shortcuts while also enjoying precise direct adjustments.

Asus is best-known in the gaming world, but many of the specs required for gaming are identical to those for creative use, so the ProArt series is a natural fit. Creative laptops require a wider gamut and generally higher-quality screens than gaming laptops, although these are becoming the norm in both fields as screen technology improves at a rapid pace.

Asus ProArt P16: Specifications

Asus ProArt P16: Price

The Asus ProArt P16 is a high-end laptop with a price to match, but also one that's positioned correctly considering the specs on offer. UK and US prices do, however, vary wildly with US customers getting a much better deal overall. The 1TB SSD version with 32GB RAM costs £2600 / $1900, while the 2TB version with 64GB RAM costs £2900 / $2700.

Although pricing is in line with other laptops when considering specs, this is still a lot of money and will make the P16 more attractive to professional users. But the desktop-like spec would provide longevity for anyone whose budget stretches this far. 

Whether or not you need the processing power available is something only you can decide; if you could settle for an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 32GB RAM, and a lower spec Nvidia 4060 GPU while still enjoying an OLED screen with an alternative manufacturer, you could pay a lot less for what would still be a powerful laptop.

Asus ProArt P16: Design & Handling

The P16 may be a 16-inch laptop, but it's far from being a beast in terms of size and weight. When closed, it's extremely svelte, and with a weight of just 1.85kg / 4.08lbs, it's lightweight for its size. Many competitors weigh in at just over 2kg / 4.4lbs, so although that's not much more it still makes the P16 more comfortable to carry around for long periods. Which is often, exactly why we buy these types of computers.

With an all-aluminum textured chassis in nano black, including the outer shell and the keyboard bed, the P16 is undoubtedly built to a high standard. The coating of the body is claimed to resist smudges and fingerprints and it looks great, but it does indeed pick up fingerprints and smudges more than the 13-inch ProArt PX13 that's made of the same material. Perhaps this is the result of having to grasp the larger and heavier model more firmly.

Asus claims the P16 exceeds the MIL-STD 810H military standard for durability and has been tested for sand, dust, and humidity resistance. This wasn't tested, but if true it's fantastic for creative use in well, practically any location, which will be useful for location photographers and videographers. 

The speakers provide decent sound quality for a laptop, but considering their size and being top-mounted, this has made the outer keyboard keys smaller than they could have been with narrower or even bottom-mounted speakers. But typing is still comfortable with no flex in the metal keyboard bed.

To be fair, it's only the Shift and Ctrl keys that are smaller than would be desirable. But for creative users who frequently use these two modifier keys, it's perhaps an all too obvious oversight for a creative laptop. The omission of the right Windows key in favor of a Windows Copilot key is a frustrating waste of a key if you, like me, have no intention of using this Windows feature.

When it comes to ports, you get 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x DC-in, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack and an SD card reader. The latter is always welcome on any computer because you can always use a microSD adaptor to download data from these cards, but you can’t do it the other way around and SD cards remain much more commonly used.

Asus ProArt P16: Performance

With an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 2.0GHz with AI-enhanced efficiency when using AI-powered software features, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6 discreet GPU, 64GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD, the P16 was able to crunch through all tasks thrown at it with ease. Of course, the SSD isn’t as loaded as the SSD on my laptop, so the PX16 will naturally run more smoothly, but the processing power on hand can’t be faulted.

To test this, I processed several images in Lightroom and Photoshop, alongside performing some basic video editing and exporting in Davinci Resolve. All three are extremely resource-hungry, but the P16 opened the software extremely quickly and sailed through all tests with ease.

To provide a little perspective with some resource-heavy Lightroom tasks using 24MP Raw files, a five-exposure HDR preview image was rendered in four seconds while the merge itself took 11 seconds. Super Resolution, where Raw file sizes are quadrupled took 22 seconds. These are far from controlled scientific tests but they do provide a real-world example of processing speed.

A feature that's useful for all of the software tested is the Asus Dial which provides control like an external dial controller but is built into the trackpad. It can be switched on and off as required and can be configured in terms of the functions accessed, although these are limited to a list of available options.

When it comes to battery life, I managed to get a full day out of the P16 when performing a variety of different tasks in Standard mode where the P16 switches between the integrated and discreet GPUs depending on the task in hand. Eco mode uses only the integrated GPU, while in Optimized mode the P16 behaves like Standard mode except for when on battery power where it switches off the discreet GPU and uses the integrated. The idea here is to extend battery life.

The 16-inch 4K (3840x2400) OLED touchscreen is a pure delight to use, providing beautifully sharp detail alongside deep blacks and bright yet realistic colors. Asus claims the P16 can display 100% of the P3 color space, and when calibrated using a Spyder X Pro it was displaying 97% P3, 97% Adobe RGB 1998, and 100% RGB. This is close to the claim and up there with some of the best wide-gamut standalone monitors.

Asus ProArt P16: Verdict

The Asus ProArt P16 is a stunning laptop to use with fantastic performance across the board. The build quality is excellent with the P16 having a distinctly premium look and feel. What I like about it, alongside these points, is the fact that it's thin, fairly compact and lightweight for a 16-inch laptop, so it's not uncomfortable to carry around. 

The screen is fantastic with a bold on-screen image that's packed with detail. And although the gamut of the screen isn’t quite what Asus claims, it's not far off and is perfect for colour-critical creative work. My main gripe with the P16 is the small Shift and Control keys, which are both commonly used modifier keys for creative software, but this certainly isn’t a dealbreaker. 

Alternatives

There was a time, not so long ago when many people were saying that the popularity of tablets signaled the demise of the personal computer. I never agreed with this idea, and not to be smug, I was right. 

The Asus ProArt PX13 puts a foot firmly in each camp being a convertible laptop with laptop, tablet tent, and stand modes, and is one of the best laptops for photo editing. What's most useful about this laptop, alongside the versatility it provides, is the sheer amount of processing power available and the fantastic 13.3-inch 3K OLED touchscreen. This is a small and lightweight laptop.

Asus is well-known for producing high-end Windows PCs, particularly gaming PCs, but also in the creative world with its ProArt series of laptops. These are aimed at all types of creatives including photographers, designers, digital artists, and videographers where the processing power and features, including the Asus Dial and the ASUS Pen, provide an enticing package. 

It's these two features that make the ProArt PX13 stand out and they're incredibly useful. For photographers and videographers, the Asus Dial, which is integrated into the trackpad, works like an external dial controller for making adjustments. The Asus Pen is perfect for digital artists and photographers because it transforms the laptop into a pen display/graphics tablet.

Asus ProArt PX13: Specifications

Asus ProArt PX13: Price

The Asus ProArt PX13 is available in two slightly different flavors, quite simply that the most expensive model comes loaded with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 discreet graphics card and a 2TB SSD, while the slightly more affordable model is packed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and a 1TB SDD. 

Both are fantastic GPUs, but the 4070 is undoubtedly the better model. Probably not $/£500 better though, even with the extra TB of storage, so this is something to consider. These are powerful laptops aimed at creatives with the power required to run hardware-hungry photography and video editing software. 

So, although there are highly capable laptops available for creatives at a lower price, with a slightly lower spec, the ProArt PX13 models are high-end 2-in-1 laptops. As the adage goes, you get what you pay for, and these laptops are stunning if your budget allows.

Asus ProArt PX13: Design & Handling

The ProArt PX13 is a high-quality laptop with an all-aluminum textured chassis in nano black. I'm not talking about just the outer shell, even the keyboard bed, which exhibits no flex and contributes to the overall positive typing experience. The coating of the body is claimed to resist smudges and fingerprints, maybe it does help, but the ProArt PX13 does succumb to these like any black laptop.

It still looks fantastic, and although it sounds a bit weird, it is a good-looking laptop. It's also compact and lightweight at just 1.38kg / 3.04lbs making it perfect for creatives on the go. This size, however, does mean it's on the small side as a main computer and an external keyboard and monitor would be beneficial if using it for this purpose.

Asus says that the ProArt PX13 exceeds the MIL-STD 810H military standard for durability and reliability and has been successfully tested for sand, dust, and humidity resistance. While this hasn’t been tested, it's an attractive selling point for a 13-inch laptop that's designed for use on the go – for use on location and as this suggests, almost any location.

Moving on to the backlit keyboard, this is small being a 13-inch laptop. But the QWERTY keys are full-size and comfortable to use, although the surrounding keys are cramped and it's easy to accidentally hit some of these when typing. There's also a dedicated Windows Copilot key which fits in with the AI element of the processor, but it's a waste of a key in my opinion, especially if you're not interested in using this operating system feature.

Keyboard backlighting can be set to three levels as well as off; a nice-to-have feature is that when watching full-screen videos in laptop mode, the backlighting fades off during viewing to eliminate the distraction. Moving onto ports, you get pretty much everything you need here including 1x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI (full size), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, and a MicroSD card reader. An SD card reader would be much more useful since these are more widely used in cameras.

Asus ProArt PX13: Performance

With an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 2.0GHz, which is claimed to deliver AI-enhanced efficiency when using AI-powered software features, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6 discreet GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB SSD, the ProArt PX13 provides processing power that belies its compact size. Gone are the days when compact laptops were only good for web browsing and word processing; the ProArt PX13 can handle demanding creative software without skipping a beat.

This specification is perfect for running software including the Adobe Creative Suite and Davinci Resolve etc. When running a few tests in Lightroom, it cut through demanding tasks with ease, taking 18 secs to apply Super Resolution to a 42MP Raw file and 19 secs to merge a five-exposure HDR image made up of five 61MP Raw files. Other editing tests across Photoshop and Davinci Resolve were equally fast and smooth.

On paper, the ProArt PX13 could handle gaming with ease, although the 60 Hz refresh rate while perfectly adequate for creative use, is on the slow side for gaming, although certainly not unusable. In use, the screen 13.3-inch is small but comfortable to use and presents no issues. Asus recommends that UI magnification be set to 250%, but I found 200% is much better for creative software.

At 3K (2880 x 1800), the OLED touchscreen is crisp and clear, producing a punchy on-screen image with deep blacks, great contrast, and pleasing colors. Asus claims the ProArt PX13 can display 100% of the P3 color space, and when calibrated using a Spyder XPro it was displaying 97% P3, 96% Adobe RGB 1998, and 100% RGB, which is perfect for color-sensitive work. 

When using a laptop, the trackpad is always an important element of the device as a whole, and the size here is comfortable and you get a positive click with no sponginess. It accepts multi-gesture and is home to the Asus Dial. This works like an external dial controller but is beveled on the trackpad for finger control and is used for making adjustments. It can and can be configured to your liking with a list of adjustment options for the creative software you have installed, but you can only select the controls/adjustments in this list.

It takes a little getting used to the Asus Dial and Control Panel, and it won’t appeal to everyone, but it does work as well as intended without the need for an external device. It's switched off by default and can be easily switched on with a specific trackpad gesture. The Asus Pen works similarly well, but when in tablet and tent modes you lose the use of the keyboard, so one way around this is to lay the screen flat to use both together.

Asus ProArt PX13: Verdict

The Asus ProArt PX 13 is easily the best 13-inch laptop I've used, offering excellent overall performance in a highly portable and versatile convertible laptop. The laptop handled everything I threw at it with ease and the fact that it's so small and lightweight makes it a great option for creatives on the go. The screen is fantastic with a bold on-screen image exhibiting reliable colours. It can display 97% P3, 96% Adobe RGB 1998, and 100% RGB, which is up there with the best laptops for creative use.

The ProArt PX 13 is aimed at creatives, and Asus has hit the nail on the head for those who need a powerful machine they can rely on at home, in the office, or on location. The only real negative is the slightly cramped keyboard when typing where some of the keys surrounding the QWERTY keys can be accidentally pressed. It's not a dealbreaker, but something to consider if you type a lot.

Alternatives

ASUS has revealed a new range of ProArt laptops at Computex 2024. The ProArt range is targeted at photographers, videographers and digital artists and features high-end components designed to make light work of even the most demanding workloads.

The newly-launched ProArt models feature Copilot - Microsoft's AI conversational assistant that helps you search, perform tasks, generate text and create images based on written or spoken ideas. ASUS also includes creator-focussed AI apps like StoryCube: a smart asset-management app loaded with AI assistance to help with scene organisation and clip generation. The included MuseTree app lets you generate more creativity through simple graphical interactions, while intelligently storing and managing ideas at all times. The new laptops feature a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to the everyday AI companion.

Read more:
The best laptops for video editing
The 'era of the AI PC' is here
Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED review

ASUS ProArt P16

The largest new ProArt laptop is the 16-inch ProArt P16. It's powered by AMD's latest Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor which includes an NPU (neural processing unit) capable of 50 TOPS (TOPS, an acronym for 'trillion operations per second', is a measurement of integer maths performance; the background processing behind AI algorithms like Copilot. A nVidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU takes care of the ProArt P16's graphical processing, itself capable of a TOPS score of 321. This makes the ProArt P16 the first AI PC of its kind built for advanced AI workflows across creativity, gaming and productivity, while also offering faster performance with apps like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro.

ASUS ProArt PX13

For those that prefer a slightly more portable laptop, there's the 1.38 kg 13-inch ProArt PX13. This is a convertible/2-in-1 laptop with a 360° hinge that allows seamless flipping between laptop, tent, stand or tablet modes. The PX13 boasts a top-end Lumina OLED display capable of 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, HDR with up to 600 nits of peak brightness, and an impressive Delta E <1 colour accuracy. Processing power again comes from the same AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor / GeForce RTX 4070 GPU combo as in the larger ProArt P16, giving the ProArt PX13 comparable AI processing performance to its larger sibling. ASUS has also included cutting-edge connectivity like Wi-Fi 7, twin USB4 ports and a handy UHS-II micro SD card reader.

ASUS ProArt PZ13

Lastly is the ultra-compact and ultra-portable ProArt PZ13 detachable laptop. Weighing only 0.85kg, it gets the same 3K Lumina display as the ProArt PX13, but here it can be magnetically detached from the keyboard to become a standalone tablet. It also packs a microSD slot and Copilot+ AI capability courtesy of its AI-enabled Snapdragon processor, while featuring a large 70WH battery and IP52-rated dust and water resistance.

All ProArt laptops come with a free three-month Adobe Creative Suite subscription, as well as a free six-month CapCut membership - a video editing program from the company behind TikTok. The membership gives access to premium features and thousands of assets, magical AI tools, and a stock library.

The ProArt P16, PX13 and PZ13 are available to pre-order now, priced from $1,899.99/£2,599, $1,699.99/£1,999, and £1,199, respectively.

We've seen a steady stream of 8K-capable cameras released over the last couple of years, but if you wanted an 8K monitor on which to edit your footage, you had a choice of.... one: the Dell UP3218K UltraSharp 32 8K, launched back in 2018. But after six years of Dell having the 8K monitor market to itself, Asus has now joined this super-exclusive club with its first 8K monitor, the ProArt Display PA32KCX.

This 32-inch, 7680 x 4320 display is also the first 8K monitor to include Mini LED backlighting, which offers higher brightness, improved contrast and better HDR performance than conventional LED backlighting. Consequently, the PA32KCX is capable of a retina-searing 1200 nits peak brightness, and 1000 nits of sustained brightness, allowing the screen to support multiple HDR standards, including HLG and HDR10. The display should also be exceptionally color-accurate, covering 97% of the DCI-P3 gamut, while being calibrated to an ultra-precise Delta-E of less than 1.

Read more: The best 8K monitors

To ensure that accuracy is maintained, a built-in motorized colorimeter provides automatic self calibration, eliminating the need to do it yourself with an aftermarket monitor calibrator. Anti-glare, anti-reflection and eye-strain reduction features add additional viewing benefits, as does the supplied shading hood. Video connectivity is via HDMI or DisplayPort 2.1, while dual Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports offer class-leading speed, along with 96W of Power Delivery to charge an attached laptop. 

Pricing and availability for the PA32KCX has yet to be revealed, but given the 8K monitor market isn't exactly plentiful, and Dell's 8K UP3218K still commands around $4000, you can bet the Asus ProArt Display PA32KCX will cost a small fortune.

Asus has also announced a new 4K 32-inch display: the ProArt Display OLED PA32UCDM. Despite its more conventional resolution, this being an OLED panel makes it rather special. OLED display technology offers superior brightness and contrast to even the best LCD-based monitors, as its individual pixels can be completely shut down. This enables any black areas of an image to be displayed as true black, giving an unrivaled depth and richness to an OLED display's image quality. With such high dynamic range possible, the PA32UCDM supports HDR formats like HDR10 and HLG, while offering 1000 nits of peak brightness. Color accuracy is also first class, being factory-calibrated to an accuracy of less than Delta-E 1. 99% DCI-P3 color space coverage is equally impressive, and the PA32UCDM works seamlessly with Calman and Light Illusion ColourSpace CMS professional hardware calibration software. Like its new 8K sibling, the PA32UCDM benefits from Thunderbolt 4 connectivity with 96W USB Power Delivery. 

We await details of price and availability, but it is rumored to cost in the region of $8,000.

Asus has announced the Zenfone 11 Ultra, a much bigger phone than anyone who's been following the Zenfone line might have been expecting. While the Zenfone 9 and Zenfone 10 were compact powerhouses, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is a ROG Phone 8 – Asus's 2024 gaming phone flagship – with more mainstream styling.

This growth spurt could spell a win for the Zenfone 11 Ultra camera mix. Past iterations sported two cameras, but the 11 Ultra manages to fi three, adding optical zoom to the mix. 

We've appreciated Asus's gimbal stabilization in the past, especially when capturing video, and it's back with the 50MP main camera, which features a Sony IMX890 sensor. The 32MP telephoto camera captures 3x zoom photos with a native 65.3mm equivalent focal length, and the 13MP ultra-wide pulls out for an expansive view. On first impression and at the phone's $900 / £870 starting price, its camera specs are modest, however, the proof is in the shooting so watch this space.

Asus is also incorporating AI into the phone's camera, specifically when zooming in beyond 10x. As we've seen in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Honor Magic 6 Pro, this can be an effective way of eking out a usable shot even when maxing out at digital zoom ranges.

Asus's new Zenfone is more than just a triple camera photo taker, it's also an 8K mini-gimbal-stabilized video machine at up to 24fps, and if you drop the resolution down to 1080p, it can capture more stable handheld footage than any Zenfone before it in HyperSteady mode.

While Zenfones of old undercut top-tier flagship competition, the Zenfone 11 Ultra packs some of the punchiest pricing we've seen from Asus, and that's, in part, justified by the phone's specs. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and with up to 16GB RAM, you can expect fantastic performance from it, while the 512GB max storage option will give you plenty of space for all that 8K video.

Asus has also injected its latest Zenfone with a 2024-grade dose of AI, so the phone can transcribe meetings, generate summaries of them, create a wallpaper based on some pre-defined cues, and more.

Two of the most notable advantages of the new oversized chassis are a much bigger screen and battery. The display is a 144Hz 6.78-inch panel that promises smooth scrolling and bright viewing at up to 2500 nits when playing back HDR content. It's also Amazon HDR and YouTube HDR certified out of the gate.

As for the battery, its huge 5,500mAh capacity out-specs almost all other flagships, and the fact it powers up at 65W using PD 3.0 standard charging is excellent as it means no proprietary charging bricks and potentially less waste.

So has Asus lost that small phone magic with its latest Zenfone, or is the 11 Ultra a welcome shake-up for the line? Check out our Zenfone 11 Ultra review to find out.

If there’s one word that’s almost as overused as AI when it comes to phones, it’s Ultra, and the latest in a long line of Ultra phones comes from Asus, with its tradition-breaking Zenfone 11 Ultra.

Why is the Zenfone 11 Ultra a break from tradition? While the Zenfone 9 and Zenfone 10 were compact powerhouses, the Zenfone 11’s size is much more Ultra. On top of being much, much bigger, it also has Ultra features like wireless charging, a telephoto camera, and a big, very good-looking screen. 

In true Asus style, the phone goes a little further, adding a unicorn port by today’s standards – a headphone jack – and Asus’s UI has been souped up with a healthy dose of AI features. It also brings back the gimbal stabilization system for the main camera which was an awesome point of differentiation when introduced on the Zenfone 9 in 2022.

But before we give the Zenfone 11 Ultra a glowing review, it’s worth talking about some of the other Ultra phones on the scene. There’s the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with its quad-camera setup and pop-out S Pen, the new Xiaomi 14 Ultra with a variable aperture from f/1.4-4.0 and a 1-inch sensor, and the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, also sporting that 1-inch sensor, featuring a record-breaking two periscope cameras, and it’s just placed number one on DXOMARK to boot.

So in that world of Ultras, does the Zenfone 11 Ultra have what it takes to stand tall amongst such camera phone giants?

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Design and Screen

As far as the design goes, if you’ve used a ROG Phone 8, you’ve used a Zenfone 11 Ultra – the bodies are almost identical – and that’s no bad thing. After all, the ROG Phone 8 saw a departure from the in-your-face gamer style of old, so both it and the  11 Ultra are accessible, with flat glass backs that curve into a metal frame, topped off with a flat screen.

Unlike the light-up ROG Phone, the Zenfone 11 Ultra’s back is decorated with lines to give it a more minimalist vibe, and it’s available in four matte colors: Desert Sand, Eternal Black, Misty Grey, and Skyline Blue. 

Around the back of the 11 Ultra is a promising camera bump – big bumps often mean big camera sensors after all – and the phone is big in general, likely in part down to its large battery. With stereo speakers and a headphone jack, it could be a solid option for audiophiles, and there’s also a dual-SIM slot, though no eSIM support.

Well protected, the Zenfone 11 Ultra is IP68 dust and water-resistant and ships with a bumper case in the box, and the front is Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Fans of big phones with flat screens should get on with this design.

While the Zenfone 11 Ultra’s 6.78-inch AMOLED screen isn’t the sharpest around with a 2400 x 1080 resolution, it looks great, and you won't spot any pixels. Smooth at up to 144Hz (when playing the handful of games that support that refresh rate), it also shines at up to 2,500 nits when playing back HDR content and 1,600 nits in high brightness mode.

Excellent viewing angles, a punchy picture, and deep blacks all create an impressive screen for watching and gaming on, and it’s responsive, too. The phone also sounds great, so even if you don’t take advantage of the headphone jack or lossless audio codecs, its stereo speakers manage decent sound separation for a smartphone, though it’s game over for sound quality if your palm covers up the bottom-firing, more powerful speaker.

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Camera Specs

While we were hoping for an ultra-camera from the latest Zenfone, Asus has given us an identical camera system to the ROG Phone 8. This was good for a gaming phone but far behind what Honor, Huawei, OPPO, OnePlus, Samsung, and Xiaomi are doing. When set against the competition, therefore, the Zenfone 11 Ultra’s camera spec more closely matches a midrange phone like the Xiaomi 13T, which costs around half the price.

Onto the actual hardware, the main camera has a 50MP resolution with a 1/1.56” sensor. It’s a Sony IMX890, which we’ve seen on the Nothing Phone (2), and the OPPO Reno10 Pro – two great midrange phones – so the Zenfone’s gimbal OIS system adds a needed point of differentiation for the pricier Zenfone 11 Ultra.

The telephoto camera is a 32MP 3x zoom with OIS mix. This isn’t a periscope camera and captures relatively low-resolution 8MP photos by default. Finally, the ultra-wide camera is a 13MP sensor with a 120º field of view lens – 12.7mm equivalent – and it lacks autofocus.

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Camera Review

The Zenfone’s camera specs aren’t best-in-class; however, processing can make the world of difference, as Google has demonstrated in its excellent Pixel 7a. Unfortunately, though, Asus struggles to get the best from its sensors.

Our main issue with the Zenfone 11 Ultra’s processing is that it’s more midrange than a flagship, crisping up edges and dialling up contrast too much. Its shots look processed. While some (slightly) cheaper camera phones like the OnePlus 12 produce photos that look more like they were taken on a camera than a phone on occasion, the Zenfone 11 Ultra takes distinctly smartphone-grade photos.

The experience across cameras is also relatively disparate – each camera has its own quality – and the zoom camera actually feels like two cameras. When you punch in beyond 10x, AI zoom kicks in, smoothing out lines and eradicating noise, but it also makes the shots that feature it look like they were taken on a different phone to the shots taken at 9.5x. As you can see below, the difference is stark:

We applaud Asus for trying to deliver AI smarts with its zoom camera, but it comes at the cost of a consistent user experience and a predictable camera for photographers.

As for the ultra-wide camera, with no autofocus and mediocre photo quality in all but the best light, even Asus’s auto night mode, which is a big help for static subjects, can’t eke enough out to make it competitive.

For anyone willing to tinker, shooting in Pro mode bypasses the crispification of detail and creates a less overly processed look – handy in great lighting – but it means you miss out on the HDR benefits. 

The phone takes 100MB+ RAW files, which gives you a huge amount of information to tinker with – particularly helpful when shooting in manual with a tripod or the phone steadied – but the modest sensor can only do so much without computational photography. On the plus, the main camera’s able to get a shallow depth of field for a pleasingly soft-focus background when capturing subjects closer than a meter away.

Footage shot on the Zenfone 11 Ultra is held together well, and the new HyperSteady mode that caps out at 1080p does indeed make everything very still. The phone doesn't cope with pans as well as some competition, so its forte really is static handheld video, and there's no LOG style, natural looking capture, meaning videos, like photos, are limited in quality by their processing.

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Additional Features

One of the key talking points when Asus briefed us on the Zenfone 11 Ultra was AI, and credit to Asus, the firm has done more to meaningfully integrate AI into the Zenfone experience than other phone makers launching AI flagships. Unlike Samsung's AI, though, much of what Asus does isn't seamless and doesn't even feel useful.

Take the AI wallpaper function. After a 3GB download, it was able to create mix-and-match AI-generated wallpapers based on set parameters like Abstract, Textures, Cityscape, Nature, etc., run against background, tone, and inspiration selection. If you're scratching your head, you aren't the only one.

The AI Transcription feature was the most useful of the bunch, able to relatively accurately transcribe multiple speakers (in multiple languages), and distil the information into meeting notes. This isn't anything we haven't seen before from Samsung, but it's still impressive outside the Pixel and Galaxy camps.

There's also a call translator feature which we found to be clunkier than Samsung's alternative, which can be had on the cheaper Galaxy S24, so Asus hasn't even got value on its side.

What Asus does have, however, is raw power, and with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside plus up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, this phone performs like a champion. Unlike skinnier phones, it isn't throttled too early, so you'll experience some heat, but gaming performance is exceptional.

Thanks to a large 5,500mAh battery, the Zenfone 11 Ultra comfortably lasts a full day of heavy use and two days of light use. The wireless charging is a bit fiddly; because the Qi point is a bit higher than most phones, it worked on our horizontal charging pad but not our charging stand, until we tipped the phone sideways. 

While the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra doesn't ship with a charger in the box, it does charge using the PD 3.0 standard at up to 65W for a full charge in around an hour. This is great to see, eliminating the need for proprietary chargers to hit max speeds.

It's also worth noting that the Zenfone 11 Ultra runs a clean, customizable version of Android 14 with a promise of two software updates (through to Android 16) and four years of security updates, so future-proofing is relatively weak.

Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra Verdict

The Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra is a lot of fun to use. It's a gaming, streaming, listening dream, and with up to 512GB storage and some handy AI features, it's easy to lose yourself in all the good things this phone does.

Fire up the camera, though, scratch the surface of the AI tools, and look at what else is available for the price, and it fast becomes clear that on launch at its recommended price, this phone is a swing and a miss.

So while it was never going to be the best camera phone of 2024, what holds the Zenfone 11 Ultra back is much more than mediocre photos, it suffers from a complete lack of identity.

If you want better snaps, go with a OnePlus 12. If you're after 512GB of fast storage in a low-cost package, the Poco X6 Pro delivers. For AI features, the Galaxy S24 outperforms the Zenfone 11 Ultra hands-down, and if you want a headphone jack, Sony pairs one with a superior camera system.

We commend Asus for going toe-to-toe with the Goliaths of the smartphone world without a niche like gaming or a compact size, but the Zenfone 11 doesn't quite do enough to compete, and unlikely will until its price drops.

Chromebooks are cheap and cheerful laptops for buyers on tight budgets, right? For the most part, they have been. But Google wants to push the whole Chromebook concept upmarket and take on traditional Windows laptops more directly. The idea is to create portable PCs that compete with some of the more affordable entrants in our roll call of the best photo-editing laptops. Enter the new Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402CB.

Asus is one of several big brands partnering with Google on the Chromebook Plus project. The most immediate difference is that this Chromebook is running an Intel x86 chip just like a standard Windows laptop and therefore not the Arm CPU you'd normally expect to see.

It's an Intel Core i3 processor, so still relatively low-end. But there's 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Add in a 14-inch 1080p screen and on paper this looks a lot like a full-feature, if entry-level, Windows laptop.

The software side is where things obviously differ, with Chrome OS rather than Windows installed and various Google apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides built right into the operating system. So, you don't need an internet connection to do basic work.

Beyond that, there are additional Google-specific niceties, including webcam enhancements, the ability to run Android apps, Google Drive features being fully integrated into the system, and some claims around AI, the latter arguably being more about marketing than substance.

The catch, of course, is that you're not going to be able to run all your legacy Windows apps. How much that matters depends on your existing workflows. If you have Windows licenses or subscriptions you want to carry over, many of them may be non-starters. There are alternatives, including most importantly image editing and video encoding solutions. But the more demanding your workflows, the less likely a Chromebook of any kind is going to be a good fit.

Asus Chromebook Plus: Specifications

Asus Chromebook Plus: Design & Handling

If the idea is a more premium spin on the classic Chromebook concept, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402CB slightly stumbles at the first hurdle. It's reasonably well put together. But the all-plastic chassis hardly feels up market.

You do get a pair of USB-C ports, which is very welcome, plus two USB-A sockets, HDMI and 3.5mm audio. Then there's an integrated 1080p webcam, which is a cut above the usual low-fidelity webcam potato found on many cheap laptops and has a physical shutter for guaranteed privacy. Note, however, it doesn't support facial recognition, nor is there a fingerprint reader. So security is old school. You'll be using a password.

Making matters worse, this is a conspicuously dated portable with thick, unsightly bezels. It's brand new but it looks at least five years old out of the box. Yuck. What's more, there's a little flex and bounce to the keyboard bed, which doesn't exactly help with the quality vibes, and those screen bezels aren't just unsightly, they make for a larger-than-average 14-inch laptop. That said, at 1.44 kg (3.17 lbs) this is a reasonably light 14-inch lappie.

Another arguable downside is the lack of touchscreen functionality. Taken in the round, this is a worthy enough and workmanlike machine, but premium? That's a hard sell, especially with the dowdy styling.

Asus Chromebook Plus: Performance

Up front and center is the Intel Core i3-1215U CPU. It's a proper x86 with two Performance cores and four Efficient cores. Really high-end Intel portables go all the way up to eight Performance and 16 Efficiency cores, so you have to keep your expectations in check.

But those two Performance cores will clock up to 4.4GHz, and combined with the four Efficiency cores, the chip can run eight software threads in parallel (the Performance cores support HyperThreading). So, there's decent performance on offer and enough to comfortably beat any existing Arm-powered Chromebook, though that may change later this year when Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite arrives.

Anyway, for basic image editing tasks, there's sufficient CPU performance. Possibly more of a limitation is the 8GB of system memory. If you like to run with a zillion tabs open in your web browser, for instance, you're going to run out of memory. Likewise, 8GB will be a bit marginal if you're editing really large images.

Another problematic spec item is the 256GB of storage. As reviewed here, it's a UFS flash drive and not a proper M.2 SSD. So, it's far slower than most Windows laptops. You can opt for a 512GB M.2 drive and also a 16GB memory upgrade. We'd recommend pulling the trigger on both. The only problem is that it pushes the price into territory where you might as well just buy a Windows laptop.

You'd still be left with the software limitations, too. Photoshop Express is available in the Google Play store. But it's not as powerful as Photoshop CC and Lightroom is only available as an Android app.

As for the 'AI' pitch Google is making for these Chromebook Plus devices, it's frankly a bit of a stretch. There's no specific AI hardware in this device, so any AI functionality is run up in the cloud and therefore available to any Chromebook.

Still, the 14-inch display has reasonable working elbow room courtesy of its 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) native resolution. It's not exactly the brightest at 250 nits, but the colors are vibrant enough. The 1080p webcam is a highlight, too. It has far superior video quality than most laptops, even far more expensive models, and boasts operating-system level image processing including background blur and noise cancellation.

You can apply that to any video calling or conferencing application, you don't need app-specific support. Less impressive are the feeble built-in speakers. They're loud enough, but the sound quality is hideously thin and tinny. Yuck.

Finally, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402CB offers better battery life than you might expect given the combination of a modestly-sized 50Whr battery and an Intel CPU. Over 10 hours of video playback is possible. With slightly heavier workloads, that figure will fall, but in most circumstances, it should just about get you through a working day away from the mains.

Asus Chromebook Plus: Verdict

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402CB certainly has the CPU horsepower to take on lower-cost Windows laptops thanks to an Intel Core i3 CPU, with quite a lot of similarly priced laptops configured here with an Intel chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 14-inch 1080p screen. But for any serious workflows, the combination of 8GB of RAM, the slow UFS storage, and the limitations of Chrome OS will begin to tell.

The dated styling doesn't help much either, nor does the fact that for lighter tasks Chrome OS will run just as well on a cheaper and more efficient Arm chip. All told, then, the concept of a premium Chromebook might make sense, but as executed here it's hard to see why you wouldn't just go for a similarly priced Windows laptop.

Alternatives

It's a bold move, but Asus has gambled on all-AMD hardware for its new Asus TUF A16 (FA617XS) gaming laptop. The reasoning, very likely, is that "TUF" is Asus's more accessible gaming brand, and AMD chips, in particular AMD GPUs are typically that bit cheaper than the Nvidia alternatives.

Not that the TUF's AMD chips are poverty spec. The eight-core Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU is a monster. It's the Radeon 7600S GPU where the money has really been saved. However, outside of gaming, that's a pretty powerful graphics chip. For sure, it has the measure and then some of any integrated graphics and will do a very nice job of accelerating filters and effects in many image and video workflows.

Screen-wise, you get a generous 16-inch IPS panel with 2,560 by 1,600 pixels for plenty of elbow room, albeit you won't be able to view 4K content at full resolution. It also hums along at 240Hz, which is nice but arguably overkill, even for gaming. You're not going to be playing the latest titles at 240Hz with that Radeon GPU.

Despite the gaming remit, the styling isn't overly adolescent and the build is pretty sturdy, which is promising for an overall workhorse. Add in 16GB of RAM and all for around £1,250 and it makes for an intriguing and relatively low-cost alternative to several of the best photo-editing laptops already available. In many respects, performance should be comparable to much more expensive systems including the MacBook Pro with the latest Apple M3 silicon.

Asus TUF A16: Specifications

Asus TUF A16: Design & Handling

The Asus TUF A16's base chassis is all plastic but seriously sturdy. Admittedly, there's just a little flex if you push hard above the keyboard bed. But the screen lid is alloy and lush to the touch.

Speaking of the keyboard, the key actuation is smooth and satisfying, the keyboard bed is very stable and solid and the keys are backlit, albeit white only. There's no full RGB, which isn't a huge surprise at this price point. You also get a nice, big trackpad with a slick tactile surface.

The overall design looks reasonably contemporary thanks to slim bezels around the 16-inch, 2,560 by 1,600 resolution display and a 90% screen-to-body ratio. That helps to keep the TUF reasonably compact for a 16-inch system. As this class of laptop goes, this isn't a particularly monstrous or overly heavy portable. The design language is also fairly low key for a gaming-centric laptop, which is welcome if you want to take it to work or into meetings.

Arguably less successful, design-wise, is the port placement. There's a decent provision of connectivity, including USB4, USB-C and USB sockets, plus HDMI and LAN. But they're all located along the sides of the chassis. So is the old-school barrel connector for the power supply. In fact, that's rammed precisely in the middle of the left chassis side and really isn't terribly ergonomic, especially for anyone who is a lefty mouse user.

Ideally, it would be far preferable to have at least some of the ports, including power and video interfaces, for instance, on the rear of the chassis. However, the way Asus has designed the hinge, that's basically impossible. Pity.

Asus TUF A16: Performance

AMD's Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU is a known quantity and basically an eight-core beast of a CPU. As laptops go, it's got all the performance you could reasonably ask for whatever the workflow, be that editing huge RAW images or encoding 4K video timelines. Given the low cost of this laptop, the sheer CPU power on offer is spectacular, especially when you consider you'd need to speed over two times as much to get a MacBook Pro with similar grunt.

More of a mystery for most buyers will be the AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU. In simple terms, it's a cut down version of the desktop RX 7600. In a more relevant mobile context, it performs just a touch below an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU in most games. Well, until you enable ray tracing at which point the frame rates dive and much more so than an RTX 4060.

If you want a pure gaming system, something with an RTX 4060 would be preferable, therefore. However, in the context of a broader remit including content creation and with gaming as a sideshow, the AMD RX 7600S is a pretty decent GPU. It's unlikely you'd notice any shortfall versus the Nvidia GPU when it comes to accelerating effects and filters, for instance.

The 16-inch IPS display, meanwhile, is definitely a winner. For really high-end workflows, you might miss native support for full 4K content. For everything else, this is a super sharp screen, with extremely zippy response and plenty of speed courtesy of 240Hz refresh. OK, it can't compete with a MacBook for HDR sizzle. But at this price point, it's a definite positive.

For the record, you also get a nippy 1TB SSD, which is fair enough for the money, and 16GB of fast DDR5 RAM. Again, you might want to upgrade those elements for the most demanding applications. But it's a strong spec list for the price point.

The same goes for battery life. This is one metric where cheaper laptops tend to fall behind. Big batteries are expensive, so that's where system makers try to save some pennies.

Battery life obviously isn't normally a strong point for most gaming laptops. But this is where the Asus TUF A16 FA617XS's all-AMD technology really pays off. Not here, however.

Perhaps it's a benefit of having dual AMD chips nicely integrated. But whatever the reason, you can expect over 10 hours of video playback or other light use away from the mains. You'll get a lot less if you do anything really intensive. Certainly, Apple MacBooks of all stripes are more efficient under load. But we're back to that value proposition. For the money, the Asus TUF A16's balance of performance and battery life is excellent.

Asus TUF A16: Verdict

Not many laptops add up to more than the sum of their parts. But the Asus TUF A16 review definitely does. On paper, it offers good value, with a particularly strong AMD CPU and a decent graphics chip for a relatively low price.

It's fairly well engineered, too, and won't turn heads in a professional context for the wrong reasons. But the big surprise is battery life that can extend beyond 10 hours. When you add that to a mix that includes huge CPU grunt for relatively little money, the result is a very compelling all round proposition for anyone who wants a genuine high-performance laptop but doesn't want to spend far more. Indeed, you could spend two or three times as much and not get much by way of a meaningful advantage for content creation performance. Impressive, isn't it?

Alternatives

Asus has updated its everything, everywhere, all-in-one laptop with the latest chips from AMD and Nvidia. The Asus ROG Flow X13 2-in-1 now runs both AMD's awesome Phoenix APU and Nvidia's new RTX 40 Series graphics.

Specifically, you get the eight-core AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS APU plus an RTX 4060 GPU. You can opt for an even more powerful RTX 4070 graphics chip, but there are reasons why you might not bother, more on which in a moment. 

You also have the option of an even more powerful GPU via the Asus XG Mobile external graphics box that hooks up courtesy of a dedicated I/O port. Again, that's not something we'd recommend for most users, it's just so horribly expensive.

Whatever graphics you go for, it outputs to a 13.4-inch display with 2,560 by 1,600 pixels and 165Hz refresh. It's touch-enabled and sports a 360-degree hinge that supports numerous configurations from conventional laptop use through tablet modes and everything in between but does so without obviously looking like a 2-in-1 convertible. That's a good thing. It's just a very slick little laptop.

Indeed, this is a beautifully built machine that feels extremely high quality. Factor in decent connectivity including dual USB-C ports, including USB4 support and you have an overall proposition that's ready to do just about anything including take on any of the more portable members of our round up of the the very best photo-editing laptops.

If there is an immediately obvious downside to the refreshed Asus ROG Flow X13 it's that those skinny chassis proportions do limit performance. It's not that this is a slow laptop, more that there is a price to be paid compared to larger, heavier and less versatile laptops in pure performance terms.

Asus ROG Flow X13: Specifications

Asus ROG Flow X13: Design & Handling

Any Asus ROG laptop comes with fairly high expectations in terms of build quality and styling and the Asus ROG Flow X13 absolutely does not disappoint. The chassis is super rigid thanks to an all-metal design and features a tactile finish that feels great to the touch.

The keyboard bed is also super stable with pretty much zero bounce or flex, which just adds to the impression of a high quality machine. The same goes for the 360-degree hinge. Asus has got its stiction levels just so when you manipulate the screen and the overall size and weight of the Flow X13, helped by nice slim screen bezels, make it moderately useful as a tablet, even if a dedicated tablet is always going to be more ergonomic.

Still, it's great to have the flexibility, plus touchscreen capability. It's all pretty impressive given the slim proportions, especially considering you can configure this laptop with up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU.

Of course, there are limitations with this kind of form factor. If you want to maximise connectivity, a larger chassis will always make that easier. Still, you get arguably just enough ports with the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023). There's a main USB4-spec USB-C port which doubles as the charging socket, a full-sized HDMI socket, a single USB-A interface, microSD, and a headphone connector.

Where things get a little complicated is the Asus XG Mobile IO connector on the left side of the chassis. Through it, you can hook up a box containing a powerful external GPU. That box also adds HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB-A ports and a Type-C socket.

What's more, if you pull the cover off the connector, you can access an USB-C port on the laptop itself. That's handy if you are using the main USB-C to charge the laptop, but it is a tiny bit fiddly to access compared to a conventional exposed port.

Asus ROG Flow X13: Performance

A quick glance at the Flow X13's slim side profile would have you assume the performance on offer was as slim as the chassis. Nope! The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile GPU combo delivers proper performance.

OK, this isn't an out-and-out desktop replacement machine. But for all-round content creation and even gaming, it's remarkably effective. The eight-core Ryzen 9 7940HS chip is seriously powerful and will tear through most image editing workflows. It's also well up to the job of video encoding on the move. You really could have this as your portable production device.

In extremis, the 16GB of memory configured here arguably isn't quite enough for the most demanding jobs, perhaps if you're working with a large batch of RAW images or several very high bitrate video clips. In those scenarios, the upgrade to 32GB is worth considering. And you might want to upgrade the 1TB SSD if demanding video workflows are your norm. But the CPU itself delivers all the grunt you could ask for, even in a much larger and heavier device.

Of course, you also have that Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics. It's a fair way down the pecking order by Nvidia's standards. But it's still miles, miles more powerful than an integrated GPU, and can come in very handy when processing certain filters and effects. If you fancy some gaming on the side, well, it'll do a decent job of that, too.

All that said, there is that aforementioned price to be paid for the portability. The RTX 4060 GPU is capped at 60W. That translates into a clock frequency of 1,470MHz, well below the maximum 2,370MHz the 4060 hits in some larger laptops. Indeed, even if you opt for the RTX 4070 GPU, it too is capped at 60W power consumption. It's therefore debatable if paying extra for the 4070 is worth it. The bottom line is that a bigger, heavier machine will offer superior graphics performance.

Whatever, the Flow X13's 13.4-inch, 2,560 by 1,600 pixel display is a beaut'. OK, it can't compete with an OLED panel for contrast and HDR performance. But it's a lush, vibrant and extremely sharp IPS item running at a buttery smooth 165Hz. It's pretty super.

If that all sounds good, there is one fairly substantial disappointment, namely battery life. The Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) can't quite manage seven hours, even doing something as undemanding as video playback with the screen at half brightness.

Actually, lean on the CPU or GPU, or crank up the brightness, and you'll see hours fall off that figure. When you consider how long a MacBook Air will last, much less the latest MacBook Pros with Apple silicon, it's clear that choosing this Asus machine will mean a major compromise on battery life.

Asus ROG Flow X13: Verdict

There's a huge amount to love about the Asus ROG Flow X13. It's beautifully engineered, it's quick and has a fab little touchscreen. More than anything, it's just so darned versatile. It really is remarkable to find something so slim and slick is also so powerful and useful.

With all that in mind, the limited battery life is a major bummer. With another two or three hours of mains-free operation, this really would be the everything, everywhere, all-in-one laptop that did everything from replacing your desktop and tablet to double as an in-the-field editing device. As it is, it remains hugely desirable and yet significantly compromised.

Alternatives

Portable projectors are no longer just a tool for making presentations; they can be a tool for creatives to experience their developing video in cinematic form, or for families to gather anywhere and enjoy a movie. With this device, the built-in battery means there need not even be power.

With a spate of competition, the Asus needs to bring something special to the table to be worthy of our attention, and I'd say it does. It addresses the need for quality entertainment – perhaps the main driver of the category now – by including a small internal bay into which the latest Android TV Box can be tucked. They do, of course, include the box too. 

That means no awkward faffing around with the manufacturer's own operating system, yet the possibility of flexibility later should it be necessary (it also makes sense for Asus, who can presumably re-purpose the design in less Google-friendly markets). Of course, this could be unwieldy, but... well, we'll get to that...

The other thing I think makes this device out is the inclusion of a batter which will at least last the length of a typical Hollywood movie, if not an extended edition (3.5 hours is quoted). Asus has also thrown in some other treats – graphics a little like screensavers to set the mood of a room, for example.

Given all that, there is at least the potential to entertain or present on the move. The question remains, is the quality of the standard filmmakers, or movie fans, will want?

Asus ZenBeam L2: Build and handling

The Asus is a very well-built product, made of quality materials and styled so you won't be embarrassed to carry it around with you. Ports are sensibly positioned, and there are two USB-C ports so you can take power through one and a DP video signal from another device. That's up-to-date thinking and we like it (seriously, USB-C is so universal amongst phone and laptop owners – or 'people' as we otherwise call them – why isn't it more common in projectors?)

There is one thing though. It doesn't actually come fully built. One piece is left out; the AndroidTV Box. This is both a brilliant idea and, perhaps, the device's flaw. The assembly stage is nearly effortless – the lid of the projector opens weirdly easily (it's magnetic) to reveal a bay where you can plug the square puck-like device in. The instructions are provided on the lid and you can peel it off after you've done.

For lovers of the AndroidTV experience, this is a plus compared to many competitors which opt for their own operating systems. There is definitely a good range of apps available. However, you will need to accept that the projector itself has its own, somewhat separate, operating system. (Android TV isn't quite the same as a Chromecast; it is a stand-alone device with its own remote and Wi-Fi receiver – or, in this case, use of the supplied remote – while Chromecasts typically need a phone).

The housing is of good quality materials and has controls on the top. It has motion sensors to activate automatic keystoning, and a tripod thread on the base. The handle is a nice touch (assuming you don't mind leather), while for anything other than a journey to the next room the padded fabric case (which has a separate bay for the remote & power brick) is probably more sensible.

The remote is pretty generic – Bluetooth, of course, so you don't have to point it at the projector. Connectivity is all you need and no more, but because the external power supply connects via USB-C there are two USB-C sockets; only one takes video though. There is also a USB-A port, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm jack for sound (it is also possible to use a Bluetooth speaker).

Asus ZenBeam L2: Performance

The essentials are definitely up to scratch. The tiny HAKO Android TV box has 4x ARM Cortex Z4 running at 1.8GHz with 2GB RAM and 4GB storage, which seems enough to handle the latest software update. It's this that handles the Bluetooth, Google Cast, Wi-Fi, and all the connected experiences through Android TV 12 (after running an 800MB firmware update).

That update was very necessary as it turned out; before it, I had no luck whatsoever with the voice commands on the remote (which really do help when searching for a show or film) or connecting to my Bluetooth surround sound system.

Picture quality is good – the 1080P native quality beats the product's own successors and a lot of the cheaper portable projectors out there. Gaming is an option too, since it'll handle 60fps (in fact it'll accept a 4K 60fps signal and downsample – oddly by default the HAKO sets itself to 4K which would seem to tax it unnecessarily).

Lights are bright enough (once you've found the brightness settings and turned them up), whilst the contrast is definitely movie-like (if not, perhaps, enough to satisfy someone used to an OLED monitor!) Dark areas have more to do with the quality of your projection surface (and your environment), while color saturation impressed across the image area.

The imaging modes are well worth getting to know. LED lumens are 2.4x ANSI Lumens, so the 960 figure in the sales material might seem an exaggeration compared to traditional projectors, however getting into the image settings menu will at least let you turn the brightness up (on my test model, at least, it didn't default to the max). The image modes include Bright, Standard, Theatre, Eco, Scenery, and Game and are HDR10+ friendly; I'd say turn the contrast down a touch from the default as well as check the brightness is up (it's about 100 ANSI lumens dimmer than 'Bright' in 'Theatre' mode, and dimmer still in 'Battery mode – Low').

The auto-focusing and keystoning could be better; sometimes it isn't quite as sharp as you'd like, and you end up trying the manual buttons. On the plus side, you can just nudge the device to get it to try again (by default it automatically refocuses after movement, which makes setting up a backyard or garage movie night very easy. Also, the keystone often seemed to go far too far the other way, especially on painted walls. The manual controls are a solution, of course.

The DLP imager is one of the best I've viewed, with excellent contrast. It was good enough to show up on our 'gray wall test' (yes, exactly as it sounds) as well as on white and traditional projector screens. Obviously, I can't test whether it'll last the suggested 30,000 hours but I can't see why not (that'd be three and a half years of use!).

Asus ZenBeam L2: Overall Verdict

This is a good-looking, sturdy-feeling LED projector that isn't too hard to move around despite having enough battery power on board to make the movies portable. (and, at a claimed 3.5 hours, comfortably more than the Nebula Capsule 3's 2.5 hours). Also, though I had little use for them, the Asus Light Wall effects were quite fun, too, and a nice touch that earns the 'Zen'.

The aesthetics are slightly let down by the user experience oddities exacerbated by the separate Android TV Box – perhaps there is some kind of useful future-proofing, but I suspect it is more about being able to offer different versions in other markets. My other main complaint is that, while the fan isn't overly intrusive, the Harmon/Kardon 10W speaker never seems loud enough to impress.

Grumbles aside, however, this is still a very slick projector, especially for media enjoyment, since there is little worry that a platform as big as AndroidTV will be abandoned by the major platforms. There is even an Apple TV app! The USB-C / DisplayPort also means you won't need more than one cable to connect to a phone or laptop on the move, so this is great for sharing your movie projects, photos, or work on the move (and again very future-proof).

Definitely one of the better, if not the best, projectors of its type, and one of the brightest for the money this is an easy recommendation.

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The TUF Gaming F15 is made by ASUS and is squarely pitched towards gamers, hence the name. You would be forgiven for wondering why it is therefore being reviewed with creative professionals in mind rather than gamers. If it was called TUF Photo-editing F15 then you could understand the connection. 

The reality is that gaming laptops are often loaded with great processors, a decent amount of RAM, and fantastic graphics cards - all elements that contribute to a great experience for creatives. 

This model (FX507ZU) has an Intel i7 processor and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU with 6GB GDDR6. It meets Photoshop’s recommended hardware requirements in every area which means you’ll have no problem running the likes of Photoshop and Lightroom. 

The TUF Gaming F15 definitely comes in at the top end of what would be considered a budget laptop. The spec matches the price and the inclusion of a number of different IO ports is a big plus. As a photographer, I love the SD card reader on my MacBook Pro, a luxury that is sadly missing on the TUF Gaming F15. 

The GeForce RTX 4050 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and is therefore perfectly positioned to provide the power for the latest tranche of AI-driven tools in the Adobe suite of products. 

Asus Tuf Gaming F15: Specifications

Model: FX507ZU
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H Processor 2.3 GHz (24M Cache, up to 4.7 GHz, 14 cores)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, 6GB GDDR6
Display: 15.6-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, Value IPS-level, Anti-glare display
Memory: 8GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM x 2, Max Capacity: 32GB
Storage: 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
I/O Ports: 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort / power delivery / G-SYNC, 1x RJ45 LAN port, 1x Thunderbolt 4 support DisplayPort
Touchpad: Yes
Camera: 720P HD camera
Battery: 90WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
Weight: 2.20 Kg (4.85 lbs)
Dimensions: (W x D x H) 35.4 x 25.1 x 2.24cm

Asus Tuf Gaming F15: Key Features

Answering the question of whether the key features of the laptop will meet your needs is something only you can answer, I’m afraid. But maybe I can help a little. 

The display is 15.6-inch which is perfect for working on photos and videos. It’s enough screen real estate to run editing tasks when out and about but will definitely benefit from a second screen for more demanding creative projects. The FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution will be fine for photo editing but falls well short of the increasing demand for 4K video. If you find yourself only working with FHD footage then this laptop might be fine for now but certainly won’t be a long-term investment.

The touchpad is another key feature and it's a really good size. It makes navigating around photos and documents a breeze. The pad is pretty responsive although I did find the middle mouse click a little hard to use and at times unpredictable.

The 90Wh battery provides plenty of power for hours of editing, video playback, and web browsing and its super fast recharging enables it to go from 0-50% in as little as 30 minutes.

I would love to have seen an SD Card reader built into the device but that’s understandable given this is primarily a gaming laptop. Transferring photos and videos from cameras is a constant job for creatives but this will have to be achieved through a docking station or hub.

Asus Tuf Gaming F15: Design & Handling

The chassis has been redesigned for 2023, now 4.5% smaller than the previous design. It weighs in at 2.20Kg which is comparable with most laptops of its size but nowhere near as light and portable as the latest MacBook Pro’s for example.

The top of the laptop is metal with the sides and bottom being made of plastic. The materials make it feel mid-range but the addition of bevels and a sleek custom design give this laptop a visual wow factor. I didn’t find the keyboard to be particularly ergonomic and comfortable to use. I also thought the main keys were weighted too far to the left making it uncomfortable when typing. The RGB backlit colored keys were annoying but can thankfully be turned off. 

One of the selling points is its military-grade toughness, not something I tested for the review! They claim to have conducted rigorous MIL-STD-810H tests with the device exposed to drops, vibration, humidity, and extreme temperatures to ensure reliability. With this badge of honor, the laptop will survive the risks of using it at home, in the office, or out and about.

Asus Tuf Gaming F15: Performance

This laptop performs day-to-day browsing more than effectively with no hold-ups or lag. The 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor paired with 2x 8GB DDR4 RAM enables this machine to handle photo-editing tasks with ease. The 16GB of RAM is perfect for opening and utilising multiple applications which is necessary for creatives needing access to multiple Adobe applications. 

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 is a mid-range GPU built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It offers 2560 shaders and uses 6 GB GDDR6 dedicated graphics memory with a clock speed of 16 Gbps. This GPU has DirectX 12 support, and 6GB of GPU memory, both of which are either in line or above Photoshop’s recommendations.

The Cinebench scores came in at 6250 points for the GPU, 791 points for the multi-core CPU, and 96 points for the single-core CPU. The Geekbench score for multi-core came in at 10679 and single-core at 2419. Its GPU OpenCL score was 79031. During our Handbrake test, the TUF Gaming F15 transcoded a 10-minute 34-second 4K video to 1080p in 4 minutes 30 seconds.

Asus Tuf Gaming F15: Final Verdict

The TUF Gaming F15 is an excellent option for creatives who want a laptop at the top end of the budget category. An impressive processor and graphics card will work well for all types of editors but the lack of anything more than a FHD display will be problematic for video editors working with 4kK footage. A docking station or hub will be required to suit most workflows as this laptop doesn’t include an SD card reader. This mid-range laptop is a perfect all-rounder for creatives, gamers, and those working from home.

There are plenty of options in the budget to mid-range category with the Acer Nitro 5 providing similar specs. The HP Victus gaming laptop would be a more direct competitor but lacks the same level of processor or graphics card. 

Read more: check out our guide for the best budget laptops for more, or if you want to see the best of the best, take a look at our top picks for the best photo editing laptops and the best laptops for video editing.

It seems there's no limit to the number of different phone brands out there, and I've just discovered yet another: Red Magic. No, not Redmi, the Xiaomi sub-brand, and neither is this connected to Honor and its line of Magic phones. Nor is this some sort of offshoot from Red cinema cameras. In fact, Red Magic is a sub brand of Chinese phone manufacturer Nubia, itself an offshoot of Shenzhen tech giant ZTE. Red Magic - stylized as REDMAGIC - was devised in 2018 as a gaming phone sub brand, competing with the likes of Asus ROG phones.

Anyway, enough with the obscure phone history. Red Magic is about to reveal its latest gamer-centric phone, the Red Magic 9 Pro, set to launch on November 23rd. As yet little is known about the device specs, but a teaser image does reveal something moderately interesting: the phone has no camera bump. This 'feature' is rare amongst current high-end camera phones, as the drive towards ever-larger camera sensors necessitates physically bigger lenses to cover the increased sensor size. This then has the knock-on effect of bulging the camera out beyond the back of the phone. In most cases such a bulge/bump is fairly minimal, and rarely impacts the ergonomics or handling of the phone.

As for how Nubia has eliminated the camera bump from the 9 Pro; one answer could come from serial leak site Digital Chat Station. The phone is using a Samsung GN5 sensor, which is 1/1.57” in size - though far from 'small', this is also not a particularly large sensor, so is potentially easier to conceal completely within the thickness of the phone body. That said, the preceding Red Magic 8 Pro uses the same sized sensor, yet its trio of rear-facing cameras do protrude slightly from the phone's back panel. Either Nubia has managed to better conceal the cameras in the Magic 9 Pro, or it has simply increased the thickness of the whole phone so the bumps no longer stick out. Elsewhere, the Red Magic 9 Pro is rumored to incorporate the Samsung JN1 sensor in its ultrawide module - a 50 MP sensor with a 0.64um pixel size - and the phone could be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.

Story credit: GSMArena

Ugreen’s 12-in-1 docking station boasts quite the spec; 12 incredibly powerful ports that let you connect just about anything including up to 3 monitors. Ugreen has a substantial range of hubs and docking stations but this one stands above them all in both capacity and capability. One of the most notable inclusions is the triple display option all the way up to 8K.

Ugreen 12-in-1 Docking Station: Specifications

Ugreen 12-in-1 Docking Station: Key Features

Probably the most notable feature is its ability to extend your display to three further displays. This is achieved through two HDMI ports and one Display port. 8K functionality is supported at 30hz which is good but I would like to have seen this extended to 60hz. Users can easily work on multiple shots, edits, or projects thanks to this dock. 

Files can be transferred without any hassle at all. Video files, in particular, are getting larger all the time so to have a device that can get those onto your machine quickly is paramount. Cutting down the time between capture and editing is easily achieved with this docking station.

Alongside display extension and data transfer, there is a lightning-quick charging port which is perfect for getting your laptop, phone, or other compatible device charged up in a hurry.

Ugreen 12-in-1 Docking Station: Build & Handling

This dock is solid and well-built with nice beveled edges. The metal construction and matt finish means it looks great in any setup. The input cables and cards slot in well demonstrating the quality of the build. The bottom includes four rubber pads giving a soft contact between the dock and the desk. Due to the number of inputs it supports, this is a heavy item, weighing in at 748 grams. At this weight, and with the bulky power adapter, you’ll be fine using it in one location but it doesn’t lend itself to portability.

Ugreen 12-in-1 Docking Station: Performance

This device performs well on all fronts. Data speeds of 10Gbps can be achieved through USB 3.0 and USB-C with a LAN port supporting 1000Mbps. The dock is great but in reality, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for efficient and streamlined working. 

Ugreen 12-in-1 Docking Station: Verdict

If you want a dock that will do it all and you’re not concerned about how much money you’ll need to part with then this is the dock for you. Benefitting from triple display capability, lightning-quick data transfer, and a range of other connections, this dock has it all. The only downside is the significant cost but if you can stomach that then you won’t be disappointed with the results.

The likes of Satechi, Corsair, and Anker offer alternative solutions but Ugreen’s docking stations devoted to display extension are really pushing the market forward. Video editors or those working on demanding design projects will find this dock to be pretty unmatched.

Read more: find out more of our top picks for best laptop docking stations.

Details have emerged that Google could be devising a new form of under-screen front-facing camera for future Pixel phones. If the recent patent application translates into a successful implementation of the technology, it'd mean a clean, notch-free display.

The best camera phones always have a front-facing camera, which is handy not just for taking selfies, but also for features like face unlock. However, as useful as the selfie camera is, it invariably has a negative impact on screen real estate, and the overall phone aesthetic. Smartphone design is all about maximising the 'screen to body' ratio, with the slimmest possible bezels. Historically that's not quite been possible, as the display has had to make way for the selfie camera, whether that be in the form of a notch, or a punch-hole. Some manufacturers have devised more creative solutions, like the OnePlus 7 Pro which featured a pop-up selfie camera, or the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip that was able to flip its entire rear-facing camera module forward when you wanted to take a selfie.

But mechanical moving parts in a phone are always potential weak points, while also adding extra bulk. The ultimate solution to eliminating the screen notch is an under-display selfie camera, which we've seen recently in phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's technically challenging, however, as the display mustn't show any image imperfections as it passes over the camera lens, yet it simultaneously can't obstruct light entering the camera beneath. Something of a 'Catch-22'.

Google's patent shows an innovative take on the under-screen camera. Rather than using a single camera, which can compromise display quality in the area that passes over the lens, Google's design would use a pair of cameras, with each positioned behind two specific regions of the display. Each display region would feature a special material to block light in specific patterns; patterns which correspond to what the camera sensor behind has been tuned to capture. One sensor could then record specific information like sharpness, and the other color or monochrome data, with machine learning then combining these components into a single complete image. By splitting the image into separate elements like this, the display passing over each under-screen camera is presumably less compromised than if it was covering a single camera, thereby potentially reducing the impact on display quality.

It all sounds pretty ambitious, but as this is currently just a patent application, there's no guarantee if, let alone when, the theory may translate into actual hardware. If Google can turn a completely invisible under-screen camera into reality, it'd be quite a feat of engineering.

Story credit: Forbes

Read more:

The best Google Pixel phones
The best camera phones
The best burner phones
Which is the best iPhone for photography?
The best budget camera phones

Asus has announced its Zenfone 10, a compact flagship smartphone with a 50MP Sony IMX766-powered camera stabilized by a mini gimbal system.

The Zenfone 10 and last year’s Zenfone 9 have a lot in common – they use much of the same camera hardware, and their designs are almost identical – so what’s new for 2023?

Asus has upgraded the internals with current-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 power versus an 8+ Gen 1 on the Zenfone 9. The Zenfone 10 also enjoys a bumped-up screen refresh rate, up from 120Hz to a buttery smooth 144Hz, and there’s also wireless charging this time around.

Asus Zenfone 10 in a nutshell

The Zenfone 10 is a small phone with top-tier features. Getting into specifics, a 5.9-inch screen ensures it’s both palm and pocket friendly. Asus’s flagship still sports a headphone jack and dual speakers despite its size, and with Durac tuning, the phone should also cater to audiophiles.

You can buy the Zenfone 10 with two storage capacities, and whichever you go for, it has a dual-SIM slot but no expandable storage.

Despite a modest 4300mAh battery, the Zenfone 10 should still last a comfortable day based on our time with the similarly-specced Zenfone 9, and while last year’s model was a wired-only charger, powering up at 30W, this year, the Zenfon 10 gets 15W wireless charging too. 

Running Android 10 with a host of customizations from Asus, our favorite on first impression is definitely the phone’s power button. Not only does it double up as a fingerprint scanner, it also supports swipe input, so a swipe up or down can navigate through web pages, bring down your notifications, and more.

Asus Zenfone 10 camera explained

With a 50MP IMX766 main camera sensor, the Zenfone 10’s gimbal stabilized setup is identical to that of the Zenfone 9 on paper. Where Asus upgrades the experience is with its photo and video software, from processing to stabilization.

Going into a bit more detail on electronic stabilization (EIS), the new adaptive feature means the Zenfone 10 can increase and decrease crop to give you an ideal balance between a wide field of view and steady footage.

Broaden the field of view even more by switching to the fixed-focus 13MP ultra-wide camera – an on-paper downgrade from last year's ultra-wide, which supported autofocus and sported a larger sensor, and enjoy selfies on a new 32MP front camera.

How much does the Zenfone 10 cost?

Starting at $950 (around £750) for the 256GB storage, 12GB RAM Zenfone 10, Asus's pocket rocket is one of the most affordable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 options around. 

If you want to double the storage to 512GB, and grab 16GB RAM for even more powerful multitasking, that'll set you back $1,035 (around £820). That's a fair ask considering most phones with that amount of storage, and RAM are much pricier. 

With so much storage and performance on offer, Asus is clearly intent on compensating for the Zenfone's pint-sized size with a solid spec roster, making it something of a unique, compact powerhouse (not counting its predecessor).

What do we think about the Zenfone 10?

It’s always interesting when brands bring back identical camera hardware for round two. Will updated processing make a big enough difference, or does the Zenfone 10’s camera feel tired out of the gate? 

Read our full Zenfone 10 review to find out more, and if you like the price and power on offer but want a little extra screen size, some obvious alternatives to the Zenfone 10 are the similarly priced OnePlus 11 5G, and the lower-cost, less powerful Google Pixel 7a.

Looking for your next phone, check out our guides for the best budget camera phones, and the best Android phone. Or if you are set on Apple's ecosystem, check out the best iPhone for photography.

The Asus Zenfone 10 is one of a handful of small, powerful phones with unique features that make it an excellent option for anyone looking for a pocket-friendly alternative to the big-screened iPhone Pro Maxes and Galaxy Ultras of this world.

The Zenfone 10 has a flagship spec sheet thanks to top-tier internals, a super-smooth screen, a tried and tested design, stereo speakers, and some smart usability highlights that ensure it's perfect for one-handed use. 

As for the main camera setup, Zenfone 10's hardware is identical to that of the Zenfone 9 – a 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor matched with gimbal stabilization. But Asus has actually downgraded the ultra-wide camera on paper, switching from a Sony IMX363 to a smaller OmniVision sensor and ditching autofocus.

Asus has also switched out the front camera, doubling the resolution and losing autofocus while promising superior results in challenging environments.

Starting at £750 (around $950) for the 256GB storage, 12GB RAM Zenfone 10, Asus's pocket rocket is one of the most affordable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 options around and packs plenty of space. If you want to double the storage to 512GB and grab 16GB RAM for even more powerful multitasking, that'll set you back £820 (around $1,035). 

With stiff competition from the similarly-specced, bigger-screened OnePlus 11 5G and the cheaper Pixel 7a, though, is the Zenfone's gimbal system and compact size enough to make it stand out for the right reasons?

Asus Zenfone 10: design and screen

The Zenfone 10's small footprint is made possible by its compact 5.9-inch screen, which makes for comfortable use one-handed. 

While its footprint is small, though, Asus has made its mini phone thicker than most, with its 9.4mm profile. This doesn't make it unwieldy by any means, though, and matched with the flat sides, there's a good amount of phone to grip.

The Zenfone 10's frame is a matte metal that feels smooth to the touch. A power and volume rocker are on the right side, there's a USB-C port at the base alongside the SIM tray, and at the top is a headphone jack. 

The back of the phone is a strange material that feels like a synthetic, almost felt-like fabric. But it's actually a bio-based plastic and helps make sure the phone is very light at just 172g. For context, the iPhone 14 Pro Max weighs 240g.

While anything that resembles material might give you the heeby jeebies when it comes to durability, the Zenfone 10 is IP68 water resistant, so it should handle dunks and dust with gusto.

At 5.9 inches, the Asus Zenfone 10 screen is small, making the phone a fair bit shorter than an iPhone 14 – perfect for one-handed use. This might be a bit too small and, specifically, narrow for fans of larger phones, but will suit mini-phone fans perfectly.

With its AMOLED screen tech and Full HD resolution, the  Zenfone 10's display quality is excellent. It has a silky smooth 144Hz refresh rate when gaming, which drops to 120Hz the rest of the type, matching it at a saturated, lively color with a sharp 450 pixels in every inch of screen.

Thanks to a 20:9 aspect ratio, the Zenfone 10's tall, so there's plenty of room to watch widescreen movies or game on. We had no issues with outdoor viewing, thanks to the display shining brightly and viewing angles being mighty.

Asus Zenfone 10: camera

The Zenfone 10 marks the return of the 50MP IMX766 Sony Sensor, and Asus's gimbal camera stabilized setup. We first saw this on the Zenfone 9, though the IMX 766 sensor has been impressing us since it debuted on the Oppo Find X3 Pro in 2021.

When matched with Asus's gimbal system, the camera delivers six-axis stabilization, which should keep the 50MP 1/56-inch sensor steady.

While last year's ultra-wide camera on the Zenfone 9 was a 12MP, 1/2.55-inch Sony IMX 363 sensor with a 113-degree field of view, and it doubled up as a macro camera thanks to autofocus, the Zenfone 10's ultra-wide feels like a step back. With a fixed-focus, 1/3-inch OmniVision OV13b sensor.

Finally, the front camera sees another switch from Sony to OmniVision, moving from a 1/2.93-inch Sony IMX663 sensor with dual PDAF to a 32MP, smaller 1/3.2-inch alternative.

Specs aren't everything, of course, so the Zenfone 10's performance will come down to what its software can do with those sensors, and EIS is a key area Asus has improved things for 2023.

Asus's updated video recording can tighten and widen the crop based on the amount of shake it detects and is able to shoot at up to 4K/60fps or 8K/24fps in video mode. For 4K/120fps, you can fire up Slo-mo mode.

Photos are captured at 12.5MP by default, while RAW stills are shot at 50MP. As for shooting modes, the Zenfone 10 offers up Auto, Pro, Video, Pro Video, Night, Portrait, Slo-mo, Time-lapse, Pano, and Light trail modes.

Asus Zenfone 10: camera review

Generally speaking, the Zenfone 10's main camera is a big improvement over the Zenfone 9 we tested at launch, mainly because its photo processing is more natural in most environments. 

Day-to-day, using the camera is great; it's quick to focus, has a simple but effective interface and lowlight performance is generally strong, with auto night mode kicking in.

You can see a couple of examples below illustrating the field of views on offer across the primary and ultra-wide cameras. Asus has done a good job of delivering consistent styles across both cameras for the most part, and the detail from the new 13MP OmniVision sensor is better than expected – even though it misses out on autofocus.

You can see an example of a RAW image captured on the Zenfone 10 below. It shows a before and after with shadows from a 100MP RAW photo boosted in Lightroom to excess to illustrate all the information captured. This demonstrates the sensor's strong dynamic range even before you apply HDR modes to the mix, which Asus isn't afraid to fire up automatically when scenes get backlit. 

The only criticism we can levy against Asus's HDR processing is that it can create a halo around subjects shot in extreme lighting conditions.

As you can see from the photos below, the Zenfone 10's main camera is a powerful tool that takes photos packed with detail, depth, and vibrancy across lighting conditions.

Colors look natural in the day, though accuracy can stumble at night. Nevertheless, at the Zenfone's price, especially when factoring in its video performance, the camera is competitive even if it isn't perfect.

The Zenfone 10 also handles subjects well for the most part, capturing natural-looking skin tones in soft, brightly-lit environments. When subjects are backlit or mixed lighting kicks in, the phone can struggle – demonstrated in the second picture below – but will still capture a usable shot.

Where the Zenfone 10 shines is video, though, with the new adaptive stabilization doing a fantastic job of balancing crop with steady capture. Unlike many 8K phones, stabilization doesn't stumble when capturing at full resolution, with Asus's pocket rocket shooting some of the best 4K and 8K footage we've seen from a phone.

We also found the selfie camera to be competent, despite missing out on autofocus. It captures a good amount of detail and performs respectably across lighting conditions, even grabbing backlit detail, which many phones struggle with – though its HDR halo effect is very pronounced.

Asus Zenfone 10: additional specs

With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Asus Zenfone 10 isn't the biggest step up over the Zenfone 9, which had a mighty Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. For anyone thinking of upgrading from a 9, therefore, the two phones are just too similar to warrant it.

The similarities with the Zenfone 9 don't take away from the fact the Zenfone 10 is an absolute powerhouse. We experienced no slowdown in our time with the phone; Asus's UI is clean and brilliantly customized to deliver a souped-up stock experience.

Running Android 13 with access to all the Google Services, app support is excellent, and Asus has loaded up a convenient one-handed mode, also leveling up the power button to support swipe input. You can slide your thumb up or down to navigate web pages, bring down notifications, and more, adding handy utility to the one-handed experience.

Fans of wired headphones will also love the Zenfone 10. Plugged-in audio sounds fantastic, with Asus's partnership with Dirac resulting in customizable EQ settings and sound profiles. The phone's dual speakers are also loud, rounded, and clear – impressively given the Zenfone's size, making it a superb option for audiophiles who don't want to carry around a DAC or endure pitchy tones.

With either 8 or 16GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage, Asus has doubled the capacity when compared to the Zenfone 9, which helps justify the price bump year-on-year. So while there's no SD card slot, you should still have plenty of space for your apps, files, and photos.

With its small 4300mAh battery, we didn't expect the excellent battery life we got from the Zenfone 10. It easily made it through a day in our time with it and nailed our battery benchmarks, outperforming most phones in the Android camp when it came to screen-on time.

The phone charges at 30W – relatively modest speeds, filling up by 30 percent in 20 minutes, 76 percent in an hour, and fully in about 90-100 minutes. On the plus, this year, Asus has added wireless charging, which is a welcome addition.

Verdict

While the Asus Zenfone 10 isn't one of the best camera phones of 2023 despite some real imaging highlights, it is the best compact option for anyone who wants flagship power and steady video.

Competition in the lower-cost flagship space is more fierce than ever. The Pixel 7a offers incredible value, stellar camera performance, and a relatively compact body. Meanwhile, the supremely elegant-looking OnePlus 11 5G offers a better camera system than that of the Zenfone 9 for a similar price, albeit with less storage.

Fans of small phones who want top-tier specs won't have many options, and the Zenfone 10 is a joy to use that we can recommend without a second thought for many, despite the fact its camera system is often good, sometimes great, but seldom best-in-class.

Read more: if you like the look of the Zenfone 10, but want an alternative with more consistent photo processing, read up on some of the best Google Pixel phones out now.

As camera raw files increase in size thanks to ever more densely packed sensors, the processing power required to edit them grows too. The kind of power you need to throw 60MP images around in Lightroom, or run neural-network-based denoising routines in something like Topaz AI, without encountering massive slowdown was once something you only found in desktop computers, but Windows laptops now contain the kind of chips we could only dream of being portable five years ago.

Take the Asus ProArt Studiobook OLED. It has, in the configuration sent to us for review, a 13th-gen Intel i9 processor, 64GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. There's 8TB of fast SSD storage too, split across two drives. Those are the kind of specs you’d expect from a top-end gaming PC or a video-editing workstation, and yet you can carry it with you wherever you go. 

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-13980HX  
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB)
RAM: 64GB
Storage: 8TB (2x4TB SSD)
Connectivity: Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2, SD Express reader, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm headset jack, Ethernet
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Dimensions: 35.6cm x 27.1cm x 2.39 cm 
Weight: 2.4KG

Key Features

Aside from the Dial, there's the usual keyboard and trackpad. The latter is the usual broad, slippery sheet your fingers can dance across in pursuit of a mouse-like experience, and it does well, with just enough of a tactile click when you press down on it. The keyboard is a different matter, as while it has a few millimeters of key travel, and packs in a numpad alongside the letter keys, making the most of the 16in chassis, it takes a few liberties that frequent typists will take a little while to get used to.

Asus plays slightly loose with the accepted sizes, shapes, and positions of the keys, making some, such as Enter, smaller and less tall than we’re used to - though this is understandable on a portable keyboard. It means you’re likely to hit the hashtag key that’s been squeezed in above Enter, and we found ourselves hitting + when we reached for backspace. The cursor keys, which here have a textured top to them to differentiate them from the surrounding buttons, have been slightly squeezed off the bottom row, extending off into the space above the trackpad. 

It’s nothing you won’t get used to with a few weeks’ use, but it can baffle the first-time user who’s wondering where all those + symbols are coming from.

There's an HD webcam built into the slim bezel surrounding the screen that’s also compatible with Windows Hello face recognition, and it also ties into one of Asus’ power-saving features. The laptop recognizes when you’ve walked off or looked away, and will dim the screen or lock the machine accordingly. 

The 16:10 OLED screen has a 3200 x 200 resolution and is touch-sensitive, able to register 4,096 levels of pressure from a stylus. Sadly it doesn’t fold over far enough to make this a 2-in-1, meaning actually using the touchscreen can be awkward as there's not enough stiffness in the hinges to prevent it from retreating away from you if you press on it. There's good color gamut support, with 100% of DCI-P3 displayed.

Just as important for photographers and videographers is the connectivity, and with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, alongside old-fashioned USB 2.3 Type-A and an SD Express 7.0 slot, plus an HDMI 2.1 and 2.5Gbps Ethernet port on the back. Wireless is taken care of by Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Build & Handling

The Asus ProArt Studiobook OLED isn’t a particularly unusual-looking laptop. It’s a black plastic rectangle in the chunky charcoal black that’s always been popular for electronics, with ports in the usual places and a screen hinge that sits just in from the back, leaving a small shelf sticking out at the rear of the machine.

It’s subtly logo’d, with a ProArt line on the back of the lid, and Studiobook on the underneath of the casing where no one will see it unless it falls on the floor. None of it erupts in RGB colors, though there is a white glow behind the keyboard, leaving the OLED screen to produce most of the light.

The big design peculiarity of the ProArt Studiobook is the Asus Dial, a rotating wheel similar to that provided by Microsoft for its Surface products, only built into the casing of the laptop. It allows you to customize its use, and while it can control things like the screen brightness and sound volume in Windows, when you flip into Photoshop it’s changing the size of brush heads, among other things, while in Premiere Pro it scrubs along the timeline, and in Lightroom it allows you to switch between Develop module tools with a press, before rotating the dial to alter their application.

Performance

The combination of the 24-core Intel i9-13980HS CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU is a potent one, and Asus has given them solid backup with 64GB of fast DDR5 RAM and 8TB of SSD storage across two drives. These are build-to-order options, and cheaper models with lesser specs are available if you just want to take advantage of the OLED screen and Asus Dial.

On the model we were sent, however, Photoshop and Lightroom fairly fly along, There's enough graphics processing power to provide significant hardware acceleration, and the 32 addressable threads mean parallel tasks in Lightroom such as exporting and generating smart previews are given an extra boost. 

The only thing that’s disappointing is the battery life, which is probably to be expected given the power-hungry nature of its components. The chassis isn’t exactly chunky, but neither is it slim, and when you start doing some heavier work such as raw file processing or gaming it drops fast. This isn’t a laptop to take far from a power socket for long periods, and it’s also picky about what it charges from, preferring its own charger or higher-wattage USB-C adapters over those you might use for a phone or tablet.

Verdict

Portable power like this is ideal for anyone shooting photos or videos in the field. It’s got everything you need in one package, including enough storage to empty your memory cards into. It comes at a price, however, though as a laptop that’s versatile, portable, powerful, and with the Dial and touchscreen, has features that a comparable MacBook Pro can’t deliver it must surely rank as one of the best laptops for photo editing right now.

Read more: find out more about the best photo-editing laptops and the best laptops for video editing in our guides.

The laptop industry enjoys putting hot things in small spaces, and the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED we’re sent for review manages to squeeze an Intel i9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU into a wedge-shaped chassis barely 1.7cm thick. The screen is excellent and it costs less than two grand. 

This is, as you can see from the key specs, a high-performance laptop, but it balances this with a battery that will probably last you all day if you put it to sleep at lunchtime and don’t push it too hard. The 14.5in screen may be a little small for heavy editing sessions, but its ability to connect to external screens through HDMI and Thunderbolt ports means you’ll not be imprisoned in its small window for long.

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H
RAM: 32GB
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB)
Storage: 1TB SSD
Screen: 14.5in OLED, 2880x1800, 16:10
Connectivity: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x headphones
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5
Dimensions: 32.18 x 22.56 x 1.69mm
Weight: 1.56kg

Compare with the best OLED laptops

Key features

Most of the Zenbook 14X’s important features are concentrated inside, but there are some notable aspects elsewhere. The keyboard is about as good as you’re going to get in a 14in chassis, a tenkeyless chiclet model with 1.4 millimeters of travel, and a particularly large, clear typeface on the keys themselves. The position of the power button - to the left of Delete on the top row - may cause a moment’s pause as you locate it for the first time, but otherwise, everything is conventional including a gentle white backlight.

Particularly splendid is the touchpad, which on first inspection might appear to be uninteresting, just a centered area below the space bar on which you can do the finger ballet required to move a pointer around the screen, but this one has an extra trick, becoming the numpad that’s missing from the keyboard thanks to an illuminated grid of numbers that can be invoked with a press of the corner, while you can add the Windows calculator app using a gesture. It’s very clever, and while it lacks the tactility and familiar position of a real numpad, it goes some way to justifying the existence of an increasingly redundant touchpad on a touchscreen laptop.

There's a decent, but not exactly generous, array of ports around the sides of the Zenbook 14X. A pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports is the big news, with these able to carry out fast data transfer, drive a screen, and charge the laptop. An HDMI 2.1 port sits next to them, along with a headset port. There's no dedicated charging socket, so one Thunderbolt needs to be free to top up the battery, meaning you might need a dock if you’re connecting the laptop to a lot of peripherals. A single USB-A sits on the opposite side to the Thunderbolt ports, and it’s the Gen 2 type that can transfer data at 10Gbps. There's no card reader or Ethernet, though these can easily be added with an adapter.

Build & handling

Despite some attempts at shaking things up with the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED, the laptop clings stubbornly to the clamshell form factor, and when it’s done right it can be a rather wonderful thing indeed. The simple charcoal-grey casing (there’s a sandstone beige available too) of the Zenbook 14X might not be about to win any innovation awards, but it’s got it where it counts thanks to a compact but stiff frame with no noticeable flex if you pick it up by the corner, and enough connectivity to cover most use cases.

The HDR OLED screen is a stand-out feature in a laptop that consistently impresses. Its 14.5in diagonal, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 2880x1800 resolution mean it’s sharp and just about large enough to work on while traveling, though you’re going to want an external monitor for anything that requires a wider perspective. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 600 nits of brightness, as well as covering the sRGB and DCI P3 color gamuts. It’s even Pantone certified. 

The touchscreen has stylus support, but the screen hinge doesn’t allow it to fold back on itself or enter tent mode, though it can lay flat. This reduces the utility of the touchscreen, which is more likely to be used for occasional prodding and markup, as it can’t be cradled like a tablet.

On the top edge of the screen lives a 1080p webcam that’s compatible with Windows Hello, but otherwise it’s relatively unadorned, with nothing visible on the rear of the casing. There is, however, some attractive linework on the back of the lid, which certainly makes a nice change from the usual glowing logo.

Performance

The processor inside this Zenbook 14 is an Intel i9 from the 13th generation ‘Raptor Lake’ series. This means it’s the latest available, at the time of writing, one step newer than the 12th-gen i9 in something like the MSI Creator Z17 and with an attendant performance boost in performance.

That CPU is a 14-core chip, with six performance cores and eight efficient cores. This means you get simultaneous processing of 20 threads, more than enough to make the laptop responsive even when you’ve got lots of applications open at the same time. Generally silent in operation, the cooling system kicks in when processing video or exporting from Lightroom. It’s noticeable, certainly, but we’ve heard much worse elsewhere, though as there are vents to the side and underneath the machine, it may make your lap warm.

Asus backs the CPU up with a mighty 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia graphics chip that, while it’s not going to give you 4K/60 in the latest games, is certainly a step up from the Iris Xe integrated graphics processor on the CPU, especially in applications such as Photoshop and Lightroom that offload so much work to the GPU. Its 4GB of dedicated graphics memory is about the bare minimum you’ll need, and if you’re working on an external 4K display Lightroom may well be looking for more.

Having 1TB of internal SSD storage is really nice to have too, as it means you can store a lot of data - many 128GB memory cards’ worth - without needing to carry an external drive. It’s fast too, using a PCIe 4.0 connection to really get those files moving.

Battery life is very good for a laptop of this size and specification, with the 70Wh cell inside pushing it to slightly more than eight hours of constant light work. This wasn’t stressing it too much, but did keep the screen and Wi-Fi on all the time, so raw image processing that opens the GPU up to full throttle will make you reach for the charging cable much sooner.

Verdict

For most people, the specifications of this laptop are overkill. No one needs an i9, 32GB of RAM and a discrete GPU if they’re browsing the web and playing Stardew Valley all day. However, ultrabooks like these are perfectly targeted at photographers and videographers, as they have the power to download, display and even edit lots of files in the field, and can be taken home and plugged in for a more intensive editing session afterwards.

Being compact and relatively restrained in its design, this would make an excellent system for a photographer, equally at home on location or back in the studio.

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The obvious place to look for an alternative to the Zenbook 14X is the MacBook Pro 13-inch, which costs a few hundred pounds more once you upgrade it to have 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Its eight-core M2 processor is a close match for the Core i9-13900H: they’re neck and neck in single-core performance. The i9 actually takes the lead for multi-core tasks due to having more of them, but the M2 trounces it for power efficiency and therefore battery life. The 14in MBP comes with the M2 Pro and Max chips, which are well out in front and cost much more.

Alternatively, a 15in Surface Laptop 5 can be specced with a 12th-gen Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, but this is much closer to £2,500 and doesn’t have the i9’s performance, leaving the Zenbook 14X looking like a bit of a bargain in comparison.

Read More: Find your next editing device with our guides to the best photo-editing laptops, and the best laptops for video editing, or if a desktop is more of your thing, check out the best desktop computers.

ASUS has launched what it says is the world's slimmest 13.3-inch OLED laptop. We've got no reason to doubt that claim, as not only is the new Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304) incredibly thin at just 1cm, but also OLED laptops are still relatively new and uncommon, with ASUS being the major player in the market. Maybe there are even thinner non-OLED 13.3-inch laptops out there, but there'd likely be fractions of a millimetre difference. For reference, a 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air may as well be a cinder block, as it's a whole 1.3mm thicker than the ASUS.

To achieve such a slim, lightweight design, the chassis has been precision CNC machined to best utilize the space inside, while individual circuit boards with fewer layers, a higher wiring density and more transistors result in better performance with less weight in a more compact space. The motherboard has also been engineered to house an additional, ultra-thin fan that increases airflow for better cooling. A magnesium alloy keyboard deck is said to be rigid enough to not require any additional support, while an extremely thin layer of glass covers the touchpad, resulting in a further 25% reduction in thickness in the keyboard deck.

Not only is the Zenbook S 13 OLED super-slim, it's also super light, tipping the scales at just 1kg. Despite the crash diet, somehow ASUS has managed to cram in respectable processing power, as the Zenbook S 13 OLED can be specced with 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD. A 63Wh battery is also incorporated, powering up to 14 hours of video streaming.

But let's face it, unless you're a neurosurgeon, the odd millimetre here or there isn't exactly going to make or break a laptop: what's really special about the Zenbook S 13 OLED is that OLED display. OLED screen tech is fundamentally different to traditional LCD panels, in that the pixels themselves emit light, rather than requiring an additional backlight to shine through them. This in part explains how OLED laptops can be made so thin, but it also results in superior image quality - great news for color-critical image and video editing. The Zenbook S 13's screen boasts a 2880 x 1800 resolution - super high for a screen this size - along with an excellent 550-nit peak brightness and an equally incredible 100% coverage of the wide-gamut DCI-P3 video color space. No surprise then that the screen gets Dolby Vision certification, Pantone Validated color rendering and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification.

ASUS also says the Zenbook S 13 OLED is the most eco-friendly Zenbook it's ever made, incorporating post-industrial recycled (PIR) magnesium-aluminum alloy in the keyboard cover, chassis and lid. The keycaps and speakers also incorporate post-consumer-recycled (PCR) plastics, while the speakers use ocean-bound plastics. The packaging is 100% recyclable, with reusable and compostable materials, and even the paper packing inserts can be transformed into useful laptop stands.

All this size-, weight- and world-saving doesn't come cheap though, as the Zenbook S 13 OLED starts at $1,400/£1,499.99, making it considerably more expensive than some of ASUS's other OLED laptops like its Vivobook OLED offerings. Expect availability in the next couple of months.

Read more:

• The best photo-editing laptops
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• The best laptops for video editing

I'm currently writing this story using a 32-inch monitor. It's already so big that I can easily lose track of where the mouse cursor is (first world problems right there), so I really don't feel the need for any more screen real estate. Clearly someone at ASUS doesn't agree though, as it's just announced at the 2023 NAB Show a 135-inch monitor. No, that's not a typo. One hundred and thirty five inches of diagonal screen space. Naturally this isn't a monitor designed for your desk, unless your desk happens to be about 20 feet deep. Rather, the new ASUS ProArt Cinema PQ07 is intended for applications like home cinema, virtual productions, broadcasting, etc.

The colossal size also means the standard 16:9 aspect ratio and 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution has plenty of room to scale to different sizes and aspect ratios. But even a high definition resolution like 4K is spread pretty thin when covering an area this large, equating to only 32.64 pixels per inch (PPI) - compare that to the 137.68 PPI you get from a 32-inch screen with a 4K res. However, given the much longer viewing distances involved here, the pixel density should be sufficient to maintain a crisp image.

Elsewhere, the ProArt Cinema PQ07 boasts a 95% DCI-P3 color space coverage, proving that the ProArt range's reputation for image quality hasn't be compromised in the pursuit of outright size here. 10-bit color fidelity, HDR-10 support and a retina-searing 2000-nit peak brightness further enhance the monitor's appeal.

Of course now you want one, or at least want to know how many limbs you'd need to sell to buy one. Sadly pricing and availability have yet to be announced (that goes for all the products in this announcement) so your legs are safe for the time being.

Another newly announced ASUS monitor that's likely to be far more affordable is the ProArt Display PA24US: a 23.6-inch display, yet still with a 4K resolution, making for an ultra-crisp pixel density. Like its 135-inch ProArt sibling, the PA24US supports HDR 10 and has 95% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, while also being capable of an impressive 99% AdobeRGB support. Factory color accuracy is exceptionally good, with a Delta E of <1, and the monitor contains a built-in motorized colorimeter for self-calibration. There's also USB-C connectivity with up to 80 watts of Power Delivery, but what really sets this monitor apart is that it's ASUS's first ProArt display with SDI connectivity, making it ideal for real-time on-set previews and playback during a shoot.

Also revealed on the ASUS stand at NAB 2023 are a pair of ProArt-branded graphics cards, namely the ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and ProArt GeForce RTX 4080. Though essentially the same as ASUS's more typical gamer-centric versions, these ProArt versions are distinguished by a sleek 2.5-slot form factor, Axial-tech fans with dual ball bearings for "higher airflow, lower noise, and increased durability", plus ASUS's Auto-Extreme manufacturing that "ensures the graphics cards are built to exacting specifications, ensuring the highest quality and reliability."

Read more:

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Whether you shoot photos or videos, having a powerful laptop is essential for content creators who need to use powerful software such as Adobe Premiere or Capture One. 

Asus has always produced some of the best laptops for video editing and the best photo editing laptops, and now it is back to launch a new stable of laptops aimed at content creators. These are all powerful new portable beasts capable of editing photos and videos on the go. Asus is known for its OLED screens, and all the newly announced OLED laptops boast the latest OLED screen technology. OLED offers a big step up for creatives, with beautiful richer colors and deeper contrast, so this is a must-have for creatives to see their work in its full splendor.

Asus has something very exciting for this year's models, Asus Spacial Vision is its latest screen technology that offers full 3D images without any glasses or other wearables. This is made possible using a lenticular lens and advanced eye-tracking camera technology, enabling the display to weave distinct images for each eye, resulting in an autostereoscopic 3D image.

3D technology is rapidly growing in popularity as tech companies increasingly push AR and VR technology, such as Meta's big metaverse push or Canon's unusual dual fish-eye VR lens. This will allow creators to make and view objects instantly that can be viewed or interacted with in 3D.

ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED

ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED is the world's first 3D OLED mobile workstation. The laptop boasts a brand new glasses-free 3D OLED display enabling creators to create and view 3D photos, videos, and other applications, fully realized in three dimensions. Using ASUS Spatial Vision technology users can automatically convert 2D content to immersive 3D in real-time.

The laptop has a certified color accurate 3.2K 120Hz OLED screen that flips down to lie flat, offering 180-degree viewing angles. There are configuration options up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU, up to 64 GB of memory, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and SSD storage, making this a very powerful creative machine.

The laptop comes in a Mineral Black finish and features Asus' combination of stylus-compatible haptic touchpad and dial rotary control system that enables price editing control. The design also allows the laptop screen to lie flat, offering any viewing angle up to 180°.

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED

Asus has brought the latest 3D screen technology to its midrange Vivobook series in the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED. Also featuring a 3D OLED 3.2K 120 Hz display including ASUS Spatial Vision technology you can view and create wearable-free 3D content. 

This powerful laptop is aimed at creators demanding the most power from their machines. With up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, 64 GB DDR5 RAM,  NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 graphics, super-fast SSDs, and an overhauled ASUS IceCool Pro cooling system, up to 150W of raw power can be utilized for editing image, video, and 3D content.

Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED is also available with a 2D OLED screen for those creatives that want a powerful machine, but don't require 3D.

ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED

ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED is Asus' latest mobile workstation, featuring the unique design of its raised keyboard, which Asus calls Active Aerodynamic System Ultra (AAS Ultra), for more comfortable typing and better laptop cooling. The keyboard also has an innovative lighting system that offers guided interactivity features. As well as this, the laptop features Asus' dial allowing precise editing features in apps such as the Adobe suite of software.

In terms of specifications, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED has a 16:10 3.2K 120Hz OLED HDR NanoEdge touchscreen, up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13905H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU, and 32 GB of fast LPDDR5X DRAM. 

Asus has partnered up with Intel to produce a unique chip for this laptop, the ASUS Supernova System-on-Module (SoM) design. This new design allows Asus to reduce the motherboard area by 38%, allowing more space for graphics cards and components including an enhanced cooling system, allowing the laptop to run at up to 155W. This allows content creators to run the Zenbook Pro 16X harder and for longer without it slowing down.

ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED

ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED is aimed at creators who want to be able to power through editing while keeping their laptop light and easy to travel with, offering WiFi 6E and a 76Wh battery.

Weighing in at 1.65 kg and measuring under 1.8 cm thick, the Zenbook Pro 14 OLED offers a light and compact chassis, but still packs in the power with up to the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU,  16 GB of speedy DDR5 RAM, and a 2 TB SSD.

The screen is the star of the show for creatives, offering a 2.8K 120 Hz OLED NanoEdge Dolby Vision display, Asus premises jaw-dropping detail, super-smooth motion, and ultra-vivid colors. The screen is also Pantone Validated for color accuracy and has a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 gamut, so you can be confident that whatever you are editing will be able to be viewed in the perfect color.

Furthermore, the Zenbook Pro 14 OLED includes the ASUS DialPad for precise editing control and support for using the optional ASUS Pen.

Check out all the latest announcements from CES 2023. You can also read our guides for the best laptops for video editing, the best photo-editing laptops, best monitors for photo editing.

UPDATE, Nov 24th: This article originally linked to an Amazon deal for the 14" version of this laptop, however it sold out in a matter of hours. BUT, Currys still has stock of the 15.6" version of the very same laptop, and it's even £0.99 cheaper - result! Don't hang around though - we've found several other retailers have already sold out of these ASUS OLED laptops in the last 24 hours. Deal link below...

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 may not look like much in pictures, but it sports an OLED display. Just like OLED TVs, these are the holy grail of image quality, outclassing their traditional LCD counterparts in almost every area, including brightness, contrast and colour accuracy. The OLED panel in this laptop runs at a super-high 2880 x 1800 resolution and boasts a huge 600-nit max brightness. Then there's the 100% DCI-P3 colour space coverage - the broadest (and therefore hardest to display) commonly used colour gamut out there.

And it's not just the Vivobook's screen that impresses. Power comes from a powerful yet efficient Intel Core i5-12500H 12-core processor, paired with a generous 16GB RAM. A super-speedy 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD takes care of storage, while bang-up-to-date dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports offer the fastest possible data transfer speeds. This laptop is even Intel EVO certified, meaning you'll get the best possible performance and battery life compromise.

A laptop with such high-end specs in every area should cost well into four-figure territory, so for £599 we cannot overstate just how much of a bargain this is!

Here's the deal:

Read more:

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The best budget laptops perform somewhat of a magic trick; offering impressive performance for photo editing and home working while remaining affordable. Gone are the days when a tight budget meant settling for sluggish processors and unusable displays. Modern budget laptops pack surprisingly capable hardware, with many featuring decent multi-core processors, adequate RAM, and crisp displays that handle color-sensitive tasks well.

We've put our expert reviewers to work, and they've compiled this comprehensive list of the best budget laptops on the market today. While they might not match premium models in build quality or cutting-edge specs, these wallet-friendly options deliver remarkable value.

In the list below, you'll find our expert selection of the best cheap laptops available today. Or you could just skip ahead to our number one pick, the Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro.

The Quick List

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Best budget laptops 

Best budget laptop overall

Sure, there are cheaper laptops out there than this, but they'll likely struggle with all but the lightest editing tasks. The GeekBook X14 Pro, on the other hand, packs plenty of power, yet its price is incredibly low for just how much it offers. It's just 2.2lbs and a mere 0.23 inches thick, but it still packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Photographers and creatives will also love the high‑resolution OLED display.

During our testing we found the screen to be sensational, being incredible color-accurate, and offering superb color space coverage - we've seen laptops costing several times the price that can't match the GeekBook's display quality. Elsewhere, performance is excellent for the money, recording respectable benchmark scores and powering through our Photoshop tests.

For anyone who prioritises extreme portability, the GeekBook X14 Pro borders on miraculous. It’s powerful, its OLED screen is gorgeous, and its battery efficiency is impressive. Achieving all of that in a chassis this slim and light feels almost unreal.

See our full Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro review

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Best budget MacBook

The MacBook Air used to be the cheapest way to get yourself a budget Apple laptop, but now the MacBook Neo has changed all that. It’s much cheaper than even the entry-level 13-inch Air, while being about the same size and weight (though the Air is still thinner).

Processing power comes from a 6-core CPU previously seen in the iPhone 16 Pro, and its teamed with a relatively modest 8GB of memory. The SSD storage isn't especially quick either, but we still found it a responsive machine to use. In Photoshop it’s perfectly happy cropping, resizing, cloning and carrying out all the basic tasks photographers demand, and it even runs Premiere Pro reasonably well.

Don't expect to be editing 8K footage on a Neo, but for lighter workloads it's surprisingly effective.

See our full Apple MacBook Neo review

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Best budget laptop with larger screen

Here's something special: an affordable laptop, but one sporting a premium OLED screen. The 15.6" display in the VivoBook 16 has a super-high 3200x2000 resolution and a commendable 550-nit max brightness, along with 100% DCI-P3 color support and a Delta-E color accuracy of less than 1 - that's simply amazing, and perfect for precise image or video editing. What's more, the 16-inch screen size gives you a little more space to work with than the 13/14 inch laptops on this list, making it more comfortable for longer editing stints.

A huge range of processor and RAM configurations are available, but we reckon an AMD Ryzen 5 version is a good sweet spot for performance at an affordable price. 8GB RAM is standard, but to keep your machine a little more future-proofed, you'd be wise to spec it up 16GB.

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Best budget 2-in-1 laptop

Fancy a laptop and tablet in one? The Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1’s 14-inch Full HD screen can flip round and pivot so that it rests on the back of the machine, creating a decent, if somewhat thick, tablet computer.

The touch-sensitive screen means you can start drawing or painting with a stylus to edit your photos. The display is IPS-based, so it looks good as well. When you’re ready, just flip the screen back up and round, and you have a working laptop with keyboard at your disposal.

Under the hood is a potent Intel Core i5-10210U quad-core CPU: it’s clocked at 1.6GHz, but the machine’s boost mode enables it to reach up to 4.2GHz. Add 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and the performance specs are not too shabby at all.

If there’s a penalty to choosing this machine, it’s the relatively compact 14-inch screen, which is fine for working on text documents but somewhat cramped if you’re editing images. But if you prioritize portability and versatility, the compromise may be worth it.

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Best Chromebook

Rather than running Windows or macOS, this budget laptop uses the ChromeOS operating system, created by Google. Its aim is to offer a super-simple framework on which you can download and run from the Google Play Store, just you can with an Android phone or tablet. Available software includes Photoshop Express and Lightroom Mobile, plus Google's own Snapseed.

Despite its low price, the screen uses an IPS panel, so you can trust that viewing angles and contrast will be dependable. Make sure you get the Full HD configuration, though: yes, you can save money by choosing a poorer-quality screen, but we don’t think the saving is enough to justify the drop in quality.

The processor options plus 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage all bring you to the conclusion that this is far more a machine for web browsing, YouTube watching and image viewing than a machine for regular image-editing; but the price and the impressive 11-hour battery life compensate, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

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Best budget laptop for style

Asus's VivoBook range offers a lot of options, including sub-brands like the VivoBook Go, which can make choosing the best model for you rather confusing. Pay close attention to the specs, however, and you can end up with a 15.6-inch model that has a good-quality IPS screen in Full HD resolution, providing wide viewing angles and reliable contrast. You can find several VivoBook S15 configurations that can give you this option, but always check thoroughly before you commit to tapping the Buy button.

There are several processor options, as you’d expect, but we reckon the quad-core Intel Core i5 gives the best balance of price and performance. You’ll usually find that the S15 is specced with a respectable 8GB of RAM and a speedy but low-capacity 256GB SSD. It’s also quite easy on the eye.

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FAQs

How to choose the best budget laptop

When you’re looking for a laptop on a budget, we understand that it can be tempting to pick out the cheapest possible machine, but you might end up tripping yourself up in the long run. Even simply browsing the web can consume a lot of RAM (computer memory). In fact, with 15 Chrome tabs open and no other apps running, 31% of the 16GB of RAM on my own laptop has already been consumed. So we would recommend going for the best budget laptop that has at least 8GB of RAM.

For storage, we would recommend going for a laptop that features a 128GB SSD or greater: this should be enough for all of your apps (unless you're a dedicated gamer as well as a photographer, in which case a 256GB SSD should be the bare minimum). If you need extra storage in the future, you can easily pick up an external hard drive or portable SSD. This is a much more affordable option than configuring your new laptop with an equivalent amount of extra internal storage at the point of purchase.

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How we test laptops

When reviewing a laptop, we assess its internal hardware features, build quality, ergonomics, performance in a variety of usage scenarios, value for money, and its overall suitability for its target buyer. Although we'll evaluate a laptop with a typical user in mind, we will also pay particular attention to the perspective of photo and video enthusiasts, with special focus given to screen quality and color space coverage. Where possible, a monitor calibrator will be used to measure a laptop's display performance to assess whether it matches a manufacturer's claims, and software benchmarks like GeekBench are used to measure a laptop's processor and graphics card capabilities.

Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World

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