Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Computer Review: Unconventional And Inspiring

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If you are in the market for a new laptop or a smartphone, there is a high possibility that almost all options look similar from a distance. Most laptops will have a display at the top and a keyboard at the bottom, which has been not changed for at least the last 25 years.

 

Rating:
4.5/5

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Computer Review: Unconventional And Inspiring

Most of these laptops offer a good user experience because we are used to that specific form factor. Even if there is a product that could improve the user experience or productivity, people think twice before buying it, and the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is one such device.

I have been testing the latest dual-screen Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 laptop over the last few weeks, which comes with a starting price of Rs. 99,990, and the model that I reviewed costs Rs. 1,29,990. Here's what I think of the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Specifications

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Specifications

  • CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7
  • Display: 14-inch IPS FHD 1920x1080, 60Hz And 12.65-inch ScreenPad Plus (1920 x 515p resolution) with touch
  • GPU: Intel Iris Xe
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR4x
  • Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen3 SSD
  • Battery: 70 WHr
  • OS: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit
Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Design: A Step In A Different Direction
 

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Design: A Step In A Different Direction

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is not the first dual-screen laptop from the company. However, it is the latest and most affordable dual-screen laptop from the brand. This laptop defies the laptop norms. Hence, I would like to call it a computer more than a laptop, as it is not a machine that one can use by keeping it on a lap.

In a perfect world, there is no place for a laptop like the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482. Remember what people said about electric cars in 2010, and about internal combustion engines in 1780? The same applies to the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 too. This machine might seem like a device that has a lot of unnecessary features for those who are using a regular laptop. And, I bet the impression will change once they start using it.

It is a laptop for those, who like to try out cutting-edge technology, who likes to experience, what's possibly the next mainstream form factor for laptops. Yes, just like many things, this trend of dual-screen laptops might not go mainstream, but I wish it does.

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 has two touch screens, and the secondary display can be disabled to improve battery life, and also make it into a typical laptop with just one screen. Even if you don't like the dual-screen, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is a good laptop, and the dual-screen becomes an added advantage that might be useful someday.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Primary Display: Touch Screen Is An Added Advantage

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Primary Display: Touch Screen Is An Added Advantage

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 has a 14-inch 1080p screen with support for the touch input with support for stylus (included with the device). This is an 8-bit IPS LCD panel with a peak brightness of 400nits and offers 100 percent sRGB coverage and the panel is also Pantone validated.

The primary screen has a screen-to-body ratio of 93 percent with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display gets bright enough for indoor usage, and also has a great color reproduction. As this is an 8bit panel, it does not support HDR standards, which is a bummer.

If you are looking for a higher resolution panel, then you can consider the ZenBook Pro Duo UX582 that comes with a 4K OLED display. Do note that, the ZenBook Pro Duo UX582 costs a lot more than the ZenBook Duo UX482. And I feel, for a 14-inch laptop, a 1080p panel will be sharp enough even for professional use cases.

Given it supports touch input, it is easy to interact with this device, and I feel every Windows laptop that costs around Rs. 100,000 should come with a touch screen. I was also able to use the stylus that comes with the product to select various options and to make some sketches (you don't want to see those).

Despite having thin bezels, the company has managed to include a 720p web camera and an IR sensor to assist Windows Hello face-unlock. In my experience, the face unlock feature on the ZenBook Duo UX482 was pretty quick, and the computer was able to recognize my face even in low-light situations.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Secondary Display: Like An Accessory

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Secondary Display: Like An Accessory

During my initial testing, I felt that the secondary display, which is also known as the ScreenPad Plus, is like an accessory that I haven't used before. As I started using the laptop, I was able to explore the Screenpad Plus, and here are some of my use cases for the ScreenPad Plus.

I mostly used ScreenPad Plus to play a video while I was working on an assignment on the main screen. It also served as a multimedia controlling device to control music playback and more. Whenever I felt the battery was low, I would just turn off the ScreenPad Plus, which definitely helped to deliver better battery life.

Do note that, when the main screen is opened, the ScreenPad Plus sits at an angle, which increases the visibility of the secondary display. On top of that, one can also attach the bundled ASUS ErgoLift Stand, which improves the ergonomics of the laptop. Except for those use cases, I didn't find many uses of the ScreenPad Plus. However, if you are into photo and video editing, the ScreenPad Plus can open a whole new world.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Keyboard And Trackpad

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Keyboard And Trackpad

As I said earlier, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 doesn't look like a typical laptop, and another reason is its keyboard and the trackpad. Due to the positioning of the ScreenPad Plus, the keyboard and the trackpad sits at the edge, which makes it impossible to use this device without placing it on a table.

The keyboard and trackpad themselves do not have any issues. In fact, the laptop has a highly tactile keyboard, which can even outshine keyboards on some of the budget and mid-range gaming laptops. Even the position of the trackpad, which is on the right-hand side a little hard to access, given, most laptops will have a trackpad in the middle.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 CPU Performance: 11th Gen Intel Inside

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 CPU Performance: 11th Gen Intel Inside

If you are looking for modern laptops with good performance, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 does not disappoint, as the device is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, and is available in the Core i5 variant too. This variant also offers 16GB LPDDR4x RAM and 1TB PCIe Gen3 SSD that helps with the boot speed, software, and game loading speed.

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is also an Intel Evo certified laptop, which means, the device offers an all-day battery life and connectivity options like WiFi 6, offering everything that one wants from a modern thin-and-light laptop.

If you are looking for benchmark numbers, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 has scored 525.7 points and 2726 points on CPU-Z single-core and multi-core CPU performance. Similarly, the device has scored 1510 and 5345 points on the single-core and multi-core Geekbench 5 CPU benchmark test.

The computer has also done well on Cinebench R23, which resembles real-world rendering tasks, where, the laptop has scored 1351 points on single-core and 3753 points on multi-core performance. The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 has actually outperformed the MSI Prestige 14 Evo, powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7, which has a higher clock speed when compared to the Intel Core i7-1165G7.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 GPU Performance: Best-In-Class

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 GPU Performance: Best-In-Class

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 comes with the Intel Iris Xe with the NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU with 2GB GDDR6 video memory. Iris Xe is the best-in-class integrated graphics card from Intel, and the MX450 also offers similar graphics performance.

You can play games at either 720p resolution at medium graphics settings or 1080p resolution at low graphics settings. If you are a serious gamer, then, this is not the laptop to consider. However, the graphics performance of this laptop should satisfy an office goer, who casually plays games once in a while.

We did try out GTA: V on the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482, and we could only play that game at 1080p with the low graphics settings, where, the frame rate averaged around 30.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Battery Life: All-Day Battery Life

Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 Battery Life: All-Day Battery Life

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 can easily last for six to seven hours on a single charge even for regular users. The laptop comes with a 65W USB-PD USB Type-C charger, which can quickly charge the laptop and other devices that accept USB Type-C charging.

Though I was initially worried about the battery life, given, a 70WHr battery has to power two displays, I consistently got an average battery life of around six and a half to seven hours without any issue. So, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is definitely an all-day battery life computer.

Verdict

Verdict

One of the major factors when recommending a device with a new form factor or a design is the cost. Most of the unique devices cost a lot more than a regular device, which means, one needs to spend a lot more to get it and the enthusiasm won't be enough.

The Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is defying this law, as it is priced similar to other laptops with a similar processor, RAM, and storage. Even the high-end model costs Rs. 129,990, while the base model just costs Rs. 99,990. So, you can get a novelty device without spending a fortune.

I liked the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 just as a regular laptop, as it has a great keyboard, good primary display, good battery life, an extensive range of I/O, and a thin-and-light form-factor. Features like the Smart Pad are additional perks that you get with the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482. Overall, the Asus ZenBook Duo UX482 is a value-for-money dual-screen laptop.

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