Asus has been making significant strides in the laptop market with its recent lineup of models, each designed to meet various user needs. The Asus VivoBook S15 (2024) stands out as an exceptional productivity laptop, marked by its solid build quality, premium design, and remarkable battery life. Priced at Rs 1,24,990, this laptop brings some innovative features to the table, including the integration of an ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite processor and a dedicated Copilot key, which adds a layer of convenience for users.
One of the most striking aspects of the VivoBook S15 is its design. It boasts an all-metal construction that contributes to its premium feel. The laptop’s thin and lightweight build, despite housing a substantial 70WHr battery, makes it highly portable and suitable for users who need to work efficiently while traveling. The laptop incorporates a variety of ports, including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI 2.1, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader, although it lacks an Ethernet port—a trade-off for maintaining its slim profile. For those who need wired internet access, a third-party USB Ethernet adapter can be used.
The VivoBook S15 features a 15.6-inch OLED display with a sharp 3K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering vibrant colors and sharp visuals. The screen’s peak brightness of 600 nits ensures visibility even in bright environments, though its glossy finish can be somewhat reflective. This can make reading content challenging in direct sunlight, though the glossy screen enhances color and contrast.
Under the hood, the VivoBook S15 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processor, marking a significant shift for Asus. This ARM-based processor promises impressive performance and power efficiency. The laptop excels in productivity tasks, offering outstanding battery life that can easily last for 1.5 days with average usage, including writing, photo editing, browsing with numerous tabs open, and streaming music. Even with additional activities like a 2-hour binge-watching session, the laptop's battery endures throughout the day. Its standby time is equally impressive, with the laptop maintaining charge even after being in sleep mode for a few days.
The laptop's software is optimized to balance performance and battery life effectively. Various energy optimization settings, such as enabling dark mode, setting a short sleep timer, and reducing the refresh rate, contribute to its impressive battery longevity. The default "Best Power Efficiency" mode supports extended battery life without significantly impacting performance. However, for gaming, occasional lag and frame drops were noticed in power efficiency mode. Switching to "Best Performance" mode improved the gaming experience, though it is essential to note that the VivoBook S15 is not designed for hardcore gaming.
Benchmark scores for the VivoBook S15 indicate that the Snapdragon X Elite chipset performs slightly better than Intel Core Ultra 7 155H-powered chips and Apple’s M3 chip. In tests, the laptop scored 13,538 on Geekbench and 693 on Cinebench, surpassing the scores of the MacBook Air M3 and Intel-powered HP Spectre x360. The laptop handles multiple tasks smoothly and efficiently, maintaining performance even after extended use.
Regarding software compatibility, most regular applications like VLC, Netflix, and Canva work well on this ARM Windows laptop. However, games requiring anti-cheat drivers, such as Call of Duty: Warzone, Valorant, and Fortnite, are not compatible.
The VivoBook S15 also incorporates several AI features. The Co-Creator mode in the Paint app uses AI to generate images based on user input, though it requires refinement for a better experience. The AI Noise Cancelling feature, designed to eliminate unwanted background noise during video calls, was less effective in practice, and connecting wireless earphones was necessary for clearer audio. The Live Caption feature adds real-time subtitles to videos, which can be useful.
The laptop's 1080p camera delivers decent quality for video calls, especially in well-lit conditions, with vibrant video output and a privacy shutter. Dual speakers are positioned at the back of the keyboard, providing adequate sound for general use, though external speakers are recommended for a richer audio experience during media consumption.
In conclusion, the Asus VivoBook S15 Copilot+ PC is an excellent choice for a productivity-focused laptop. It offers a robust build, attractive design, and impressive battery life. While it may not be the best option for gaming, it excels in everyday tasks and general productivity. The display is vibrant, though a touchscreen could have enhanced the overall experience. Despite a few areas needing improvement, such as the Co-Creator mode and camera quality, the VivoBook S15 represents solid value and performance for its price.
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