Laptop computer launches occur in waves at CES, and most of what will get introduced is noise. Processor bumps that look spectacular on spec sheets however vanish in actual use. Show brightness claims that sound dramatic till you understand the distinction between 800 and 900 nits doesn’t register to human eyes in typical lighting. Battery estimates that assume you’re doing nothing however watching a static doc with the display dimmed.
Worth: Varies
The place to Purchase: Asus
ASUS introduced a pile of machines at CES 2026, and buried in that pile are eight laptops that repair precise issues as a substitute of simply refreshing mannequin numbers. These aren’t the flashiest bulletins or those that’ll generate probably the most press protection. They’re the machines that handle longstanding compromises customers have been accepting as a result of no one bothered to unravel them. Weight penalties that felt everlasting, design gaps that appeared inevitable, materials selections that prioritized manufacturing unit prices over three-year sturdiness.
What issues isn’t what ASUS introduced. It’s what they fastened.
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ZenBook A16: The 16-Inch Weight Downside Simply Vanished
A 16-inch laptop computer weighs 1.2 kilograms. That’s lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Air, which sounds inconceivable till you maintain one. All these explanations laptop computer makers have been giving for years about why large screens require heavy chassis simply stopped making use of. Structural wants, battery measurement, cooling necessities, none of it issues anymore as a result of ASUS constructed a 16-inch OLED ultrabook that weighs lower than Apple’s smallest moveable.
This isn’t an idea piece or a restricted manufacturing run. It ships this quarter as a daily product. Inside sits a Snapdragon X2 Elite Excessive processor that delivers comparable efficiency to final yr’s flagship chips at 43% much less energy draw, which is what makes the burden discount doable. Decrease energy means smaller battery, much less cooling, thinner structural helps.
Show high quality doesn’t endure to hit that weight goal. You get 2880×1800 decision at 120Hz with 1100 nits peak HDR brightness, which places it forward of most premium shows on any laptop computer no matter measurement. Battery life exceeds 21 hours of typical use, higher than most 13-inch Home windows laptops handle.
The catch is actual and value understanding before you purchase. Snapdragon laptops nonetheless require compatibility conversations. Most productiveness software program runs natively or by means of emulation that’s invisible to customers, however gaming stays a transparent limitation. In case your workflow matches the platform, although, the ZenBook A16 removes the burden justification that’s outlined 16-inch laptops for the reason that class existed.
What modified isn’t simply the processor. It’s the belief that greater screens value you in portability. If a 16-inch laptop computer can weigh 1.2kg, each weight declare within the class wants recalibration.
Worth: €999 | $1,179
The place to Purchase: Asus
ZenBook Duo: Twin Screens With out the Hole That Ruins Every little thing
Twin-screen laptops have all the time compelled compromises. A visual hole between shows that broke focus each time your eyes crossed it. Hinges that felt engineered by individuals who’d by no means used hinges. Thermal throttling that undermined no matter productiveness good points two screens promised. Weight that made the entire idea really feel like a desktop alternative pretending to be moveable.
ASUS redesigned the hinge mechanism to tug the 2 14-inch OLED shows shut sufficient that the seam turns into negligible. You continue to see it when you’re on the lookout for it, nevertheless it stops breaking immersion the best way earlier dual-screen designs did. Each panels use shiny anti-reflective coating as a substitute of matte, which wasn’t arbitrary. Twin screens sit at totally different angles relative to ambient gentle, and matte coatings look inconsistent when two screens tilt in a different way. Shiny maintains coloration consistency throughout each shows, which you discover instantly if you’re working throughout each panels.
The laptop computer folds fully flat, which permits collaborative work the place you need somebody throughout a desk to see what you’re exhibiting them. Battery splits into two packs positioned on both aspect of the touchpad mechanism, which let ASUS match the haptic engine with out including thickness. Mixed capability hits 99Wh, and Intel Core Extremely Collection 3 delivers sufficient processing energy to drive each shows concurrently with out the thermal issues that plagued earlier makes an attempt. For workflows that profit from persistent reference materials, code on one display and documentation on the opposite, design work with instruments separated from canvas, the ZenBook Duo removes the hole drawback that made earlier dual-screen laptops really feel like prototypes as a substitute of completed merchandise.
Whether or not that’s price the fee and weight in comparison with a single giant show is dependent upon how you’re employed, however not less than the hole isn’t the dealbreaker anymore, and that adjustments the dialog fully.
Worth: From $2,099 | £2,499.99
The place to Purchase: Asus
Zephyrus G14: Intel Arrives and the Identification Will get Messy
The Zephyrus G14 meant one factor for 4 years. AMD-only gaming in a skinny chassis. A transparent positioning constructed on Ryzen exclusivity that made the G14 immediately recognizable in a class stuffed with generic gaming bins. ASUS simply broke that rule by providing Intel Core Extremely Collection 3 chips in the identical chassis, and the {hardware} enhancements are actual however the id query is legit.
Efficiency ceiling jumps with 130W TGP, which is a significant improve. Show strikes to 1000-nit peak HDR brightness on OLED, double the earlier 500-nit ceiling.
Animatrix LED array expands from 24 zones to 35, and a full-size SD card reader matches into the chassis although the cardboard stands proud a couple of third when inserted, which seems like a compromise that didn’t have to occur. These {hardware} upgrades ship tangible enhancements in gaming efficiency and visible high quality.
What will get difficult is the regional spec cut up. Within the US, each Intel and AMD G14 variants get the upgraded 2026 show. All over the place else, the AMD mannequin makes use of the previous-generation panel. Identical mannequin title, totally different specs relying on the place you purchase, which creates confusion that undermines the entire level of mannequin consistency. AMD consumers exterior the US become old cooling, previous-gen show, and previous-gen chassis sporting a 2026 badge.
For Intel consumers who needed the G14 type issue however wouldn’t contact AMD, that is permission to lastly purchase one. For AMD loyalists, it’s price asking what the G14 stands for anymore. By providing each platforms, ASUS turned the G14 from a positioning assertion right into a checkbox checklist. As a substitute of “that is the skinny AMD gaming laptop computer,” it’s now “right here’s a skinny gaming laptop computer, decide your processor.”
{Hardware} performs properly both manner. The query hitting boards isn’t about efficiency, it’s whether or not ASUS simply saved the G14 or killed what made it particular. That reply is dependent upon whether or not you cared extra about platform exclusivity or type issue, and that cut up is strictly the issue ASUS created by attempting to please everybody. By including Intel, ASUS made the G14 accessible to consumers who prevented AMD whereas erasing the positioning readability that made the G14 memorable.
Worth: From $2,800
The place to Purchase: Asus
ProArt PZ14: A Stylus That Fakes Paper Really feel
Strain sensitivity improved years in the past. Tilt detection grew to become customary. Palm rejection lastly stopped ruining sketches mid-stroke. Digital styluses checked each technical field for skilled illustration and note-taking, but they by no means solved the elemental drawback. Dragging plastic throughout glass feels nothing like ink on paper, and your hand is aware of it instantly.
ASUS constructed a stylus with an built-in haptic engine that generates micro-vibrations calibrated to simulate paper resistance. As you write or draw, the motor pulses in response to stroke velocity and strain, trying to recreate the refined drag you’re feeling when a felt-tip catches paper fibers. Relatively than including texture to the glass, ASUS added the feeling of texture to the pen itself. Apple’s Pencil Professional launched haptic suggestions in 2024 for squeeze gestures and power switching, not for writing really feel. Samsung’s S Pen gives no haptic simulation in any respect. ASUS is first to make use of haptic motors particularly to deal with the glass-feels-like-glass drawback, and customers preferring easy, frictionless gliding can disable the characteristic fully. The stylus runs MPP 2.6 protocol with improved latency over earlier variations.
{Hardware} upgrades past the stylus matter too. Show expands from 13 inches to 14 inches whereas maintaining chassis at 9mm thick. Processor choices soar from Snapdragon X at 8 cores to Snapdragon X2 Elite Excessive with 18 cores, pushing NPU efficiency to 80 TOPS for on-device AI duties.
Whether or not haptic simulation proves simpler than a decade of iterative floor enhancements stays to be seen. It’s a distinct answer to an issue that hasn’t moved a lot in years, and for digital artists who’ve been ready for styluses that really feel much less like glass, that is the primary significant try at fixing texture by means of the pen as a substitute of the floor.
Worth: TBD
The place to Purchase: Asus
ProArt PX13 GoPro Version: A Collaboration That Goes Previous Stickers
Laptop computer producers accomplice with digital camera manufacturers consistently, and the outcomes sometimes disappoint. Co-branded stickers, bundled software program trials, perhaps a coloration variant that references the accomplice’s visible id. The workflows that outline every model’s customers hardly ever affect precise {hardware} design. The ProArt PX13 GoPro Version makes an attempt one thing totally different by constructing GoPro design vocabulary into the laptop computer type issue and making retail packaging double as practical gear storage.
Visible collaboration attracts from GoPro Hero digital camera aesthetics fairly than generic motion sports activities imagery. Vertical strains on the chassis reference texture patterns on GoPro digital camera our bodies. Matte and shiny black contrasts mirror the fabric end choices GoPro makes. Keyboard backlight makes use of no-chrome blue, a selected shade between blue and teal. General impact reads as GoPro design language utilized to laptop computer type fairly than GoPro logos slapped onto present laptop computer design. Retail packaging accommodates foam cubes that may be rearranged or eliminated, letting customers customise the inside to create fitted storage for cameras, lenses, batteries, and equipment.
Retail field turns into a protecting case for discipline tools fairly than one thing destined for recycling. A separate hardshell carry case makes use of the identical belt-attachment system as GoPro equipment, which implies it integrates with present GoPro mounting gear. Base platform runs Strix-Scale AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processors with as much as 128GB reminiscence assist, and at 1.4kg the convertible capabilities as both clamshell laptop computer or pill. For GoPro customers who edit on location, the mixture addresses the workflow of creators who shoot footage and have to edit earlier than returning to a studio, and for creators who don’t use GoPro cameras, the usual ProArt PX13 delivers an identical efficiency with out the aesthetic additions.
Worth: TBD
The place to Purchase: Asus
ExpertBook Extremely: Skinny Enterprise Laptops That Don’t Scratch to Hell
Enterprise laptops have chased MacBook thinness whereas ignoring what really makes a laptop computer survive three years of each day abuse. Aluminum scratches, magnesium dents, and the coatings that defend shopper laptops prioritize look over sturdiness. Most skinny enterprise laptops present put on inside months of bag time as a result of producers optimize for manufacturing unit value as a substitute of longevity.
ExpertBook Extremely measures 10.9mm at its thinnest level and weighs roughly one kilogram. Nanoceramic coating overlaying the chassis achieves 9H hardness on the pencil hardness scale, tougher than most supplies you’d encounter in each day use. It resists scratches from keys, cash, and the random objects that share bag area with laptops. Coating course of makes use of plasma electrolytic oxidation with a sealing layer that produces a floor really feel ASUS describes as just like a nonstick frying pan.
Engineering a haptic touchpad right into a chassis this skinny required artistic drawback fixing. Battery splits into two packs positioned on both aspect of the touchpad mechanism, which let ASUS match the haptic engine with out including thickness. Mixed capability hits 75Wh, and the cut up design allowed them to suit haptic suggestions with out compromising battery life or chassis dimensions.
Cooling system permits sustained operation at as much as 50W. For a laptop computer this skinny and light-weight, that energy envelope is aggressive thermal engineering. Keyboard temperature stays managed beneath load, and noise stays beneath 35 decibels at full utilization. Show runs at 1400 nits HDR brightness with OLED know-how and contact assist, exceeding what most laptop computer shows ship.
ASUS suggests pricing will likely be extra reasonably priced than anticipated for the characteristic set, which positions this beneath premium ultrabooks whereas delivering sturdiness that almost all premium machines can’t match. For enterprise consumers uninterested in changing scratched laptops each two years, the nanoceramic coating alone justifies consideration.
Worth: From $2,400
The place to Purchase: Asus
TUF Gaming A14: Strix-Scale at Price range Pricing
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 provides an AMD Ryzen AI MX processor possibility for 2026, positioning this as the perfect price-performance Strix-Scale laptop computer available on the market. Strix-Scale is AMD’s reply to the built-in graphics ceiling, delivering considerably extra GPU efficiency than earlier built-in options whereas addressing a longstanding limitation in reminiscence entry. AMD labored with Microsoft to enhance reminiscence administration on Strix-Scale, permitting the built-in GPU to totally handle system reminiscence with out the CPU copying bottleneck that beforehand restricted native AI workloads, and ASUS claims it “fully takes every thing without warning” in comparison with competing architectures like Intel’s Lunar Lake, although particular benchmarks supporting that declare weren’t offered at announcement.
TUF branding has all the time focused value-focused consumers, and the A14’s “finest price-performance” positioning means this gained’t compete with ASUS’s premium Strix-Scale choices just like the ProArt PX13. As a substitute it brings Strix-Scale’s built-in graphics enhancements to a value level the place consumers beforehand had to decide on between portability and any significant GPU functionality. For customers whose wants sit beneath discrete GPU territory, informal gaming, gentle artistic work, AI experimentation, Strix-Scale on TUF pricing might get rid of the necessity for devoted graphics fully.
Worth: From $1,749
The place to Purchase: Asus
Three Extra ZenBooks, Three Totally different Priorities
ASUS refreshed its ultrabook lineup for 2026 with iterative updates fairly than architectural adjustments. ZenBook A14, ZenBook S14/S16, and Vivobook S14/S16 all acquired processor upgrades and refinements. Collectively they display how ASUS segments its moveable lineup by precedence. Weight, show, or value. Decide your precedence, and there’s a ZenBook for it.
ZenBook A14 that made Oprah’s Favourite Issues checklist returns with Snapdragon X2 Elite processors. Sub-1kg chassis, 28+ hour battery life, and full steel development all proceed. CPU speeds as much as 50% quicker than final era, GPU efficiency greater than doubles, and NPU good points 78% extra functionality. That is the weight-first possibility, and every thing else bends to maintain chassis beneath one kilogram.
ZenBook S14 and S16 improve to HDR 120Hz 1100-nit OLED panels with contact assist. Brightness improve doubles the HDR peak luminance out there in earlier era. ASUS eliminated the CNCA monogram from the lid and enlarged the vapor chamber for improved cooling. That is the display-first possibility, prioritizing visible high quality and brightness over weight financial savings.
Worth: From $1,100
The place to Purchase: Asus
The ASUS Vivobook S14/S16 brings the 18-core Snapdragon X2 Elite to a value tier beneath ZenBook A and S sequence choices. Show offers 16-inch QHD OLED decision between HD and 4K. Weight lands at 1.74kg, and chassis makes use of steel development, positioning this above all-plastic price range choices whereas beneath premium supplies in higher-tier ZenBooks. That is the price-first possibility, delivering Snapdragon X2 efficiency at a decrease entry level.
These processors allow AI options that run domestically with out cloud dependencies, which issues for privacy-conscious customers or workflows that deal with delicate information. Microsoft’s Copilot+ certification requires particular NPU efficiency thresholds, and all three ZenBooks exceed these necessities. On-device picture era, real-time translation, and background blur processing all occur with out sending information off your machine.
All three are iterative enhancements over 2025 fashions. None justify upgrading from current purchases until particular enhancements handle particular ache factors. In the event you purchased a 2025 ZenBook, there’s no compelling purpose to interchange it. In the event you’re looking for a brand new ultrabook and weight issues most, purchase the A14. If show high quality issues most, purchase the S14 or S16. If value issues most, purchase the Vivobook S16.
Worth: From $999
The place to Purchase: Asus
Who This Is For
These laptops resolve particular issues which have persevered of their classes for years. A 16-inch laptop computer that weighs lower than a 13-inch MacBook removes the burden penalty from large screens. A dual-screen design that minimizes the hole removes the visible break from twin shows. A stylus that simulates paper really feel addresses the sensory mismatch of glass. A enterprise laptop computer coated to outlive abuse removes fragility from skinny portables.
None of those are category-defining moments, however collectively they’re one thing extra helpful. Incremental enhancements that handle actual frustrations customers have been accepting as a result of options didn’t exist. Whether or not these enhancements justify upgrades from current purchases is dependent upon which frustrations you’ve been carrying, and for a way lengthy.
Worth: Varies
The place to Purchase: Asus
ASUS’ CES 2026 laptop computer lineup wasn’t about disruption. It was about fixing issues producers have been ignoring whereas chasing benchmark numbers and advertising claims that don’t translate to raised each day use.
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