I tested the new Zenbook 14 and it impressed me with its light yet solid
build but I dont think its Asus best ultraportable

Date:
Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
The new Asus Zenbook 14 features the same super portable body but is the performance any better?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Asus Zenbook 14 (2026): Two-minute review The new Asus Zenbook 14 is designed to
be an ultra portable device with a mid-range price that doesnt compromise on performance.

True to other models in the line, the finish of the Zenbook 14 is different
to the usual fare at this kind of price point, with its soft texture and uncommon colorways that are far more vibrant than many. More impressive, though, is the Zenbook 14s build, which blends strength and lightness in a
way very few can match. Compared to other 14-inch laptops, this has to be one of the best laptop constructions around in terms of portability. Latest
Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

However, its not quite as thin as you might expect, and the thick feet underneath only add to the bulk. Whats more, although most of the unit is remarkably sturdy, the keyboard has a tendency to flex while typing on it, which is a little disconcerting. (Image credit: Future) Asus Zenbook 14
(2026) at ASUS for 1,299.99 As you might expect for a laptop this portable, the Zenbook 14 isnt loaded with interfaces, but those included are wisely chosen. You get one USB-A and two USB-C ports the latter of which support power delivery and display signals as well as an HDMI output and a headset jack.

The Zenbook 14 performs competently at everyday tasks. It can handle basic productivity and browsing, as well as 4K streaming. It struggles with even light gaming, but that isnt too surprising given its lack of a dedicated GPU.

Fortunately, the Zenbook 14 remains composed even when undertaking heavy workloads. The fans are audible in such circumstances, but theyre certainly more hushed than many other examples. Temperatures also remain impressively cool, with only a few hotspots appearing and mercifully these steer clear of commonly touchable surfaces. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The 1920 x 1200p resolution is sharp enough for its 14-inch real estate,
while the OLED technology provides the vividness and contrast youd expect. Reflections are visible at times, but the maximum brightness level should
keep them from disrupting your viewing experience too much.

One of the main drawbacks of the Zenbook 14, though, is its battery life. It lasted just over 12 hours when I played a movie on a loop, which is short compared to many of its competitors. In fact, the Zenbook A14, a similar machine to the 14 in many ways, more than doubled this time when I ran the same test.

Whats more, the A14 is similarly priced to the 14, so all things considered
it offers the better value. The 14 is the better the choice if you want a slightly more solid body, but in all other regards, the A14 would be the better choice. (Image credit: Future) Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) review: Price & availability Starts from 799.99 (about $1,080 / AU$1,500) Preorders open now (ships September) Some rivals offer better value The Zenbook 14 starts from 799.99 (about $1,080 / AU$1,500) and is available to preorder now, with shipments expected early to late September. Availability in the US and Australia is yet to be confirmed, but we'll update this section once it has.

The base model gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon X1 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 50Wh battery. More powerful AMD Ryzen AI 7 and Intel Core Ultra 9 models, both
with 70Wh batteries, can also be preordered for 1,399.99 and 1,499.99 respectively. These two also get backlit keyboards, but the Snapdragon model doesnt. Each model has three colorways to choose from: Zabriskie Beige,
Arctic Blue, and Komodo Coral.

This is a reasonable price considering its spec. However, the already available Asus Zenbook A14 is slightly cheaper, yet has superior battery life and a marginally lighter build. Then theres the HP OmniBook 7 , which weve seen in recent sales with a similar price, and is a fantastic all-rounder thats hard to beat at this point in the market. Asus Zenbook 14 (2026)
review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0

Base configuration

Mid configuration

Max configuration

Price

799.99 (about $1,080 / AU$1,500)

1,399.99 (about $1,900 / AU$2,600)

1,499.99 (about $2,030 / AU$2,800)

CPU

Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) (up to 2.97GHz, 8 Cores)

AMD Ryzen AI 7 345 (up to 4.6GHz, 6 Cores)

Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 386H (up to 4.9GHz, 16 cores)

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)

AMD Radeon (integrated)

Intel Graphics (integrated)

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

16GB LPDDR5X

16GB LPDDR5X

Storage

512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2, display / power delivery support, 10Gbps) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
5.3

2x USB-C (1x 4.0 Gen 3 40Gbps, 1x 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, display / power delivery support) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4

2x USB-C (1x 4.0 Gen 3 40Gbps, 1x 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, display / power delivery support) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

50Wh

70Wh

70Wh

Dimensions

12.3 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches / 311 x 216 x 17mm

12.3 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches / 311 x 216 x 17mm

12.3 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches / 311 x 216 x 17mm

Weight

2.43lbs / 1.10kg

2.65lbs / 1.20kg

2.65lbs / 1.20kg (Image credit: Future) Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) review: Design Light and strong body Unique finish Reasonable port selection The unique Ceraluminum body certainly sets the Zenbook 14 apart, as do the bright colorways. The beige finish of my review unit was more interesting than the usual monochromatic shades weve grown accustomed to, looking softer and more inviting as a result. This was further aided by the rounded corners and the odd texture of the material, which has a slight graininess thats comfortable in the hand.

One of the major selling points of the Zenbook 14s construction is its lightness. It weighs around 2.5 pounds (just over a kilogram), which is impressive for a 14-inch laptop. However, its not quite as thin as you might expect, with a bit more unexpected bulk at the rear. The two long bars that run underneath, acting as feet, dont help matters, either. (Image credit: Future) However, some may view this a worthy sacrifice for the units surprising solidity. Both the base and the lid have very little flex to them. It feels slightly sturdier than the A14 I reviewed previously, although that model is slightly lighter at 2.16 lbs / 0.98kg.

There is, though, one weak point to the Zenbook 14s build, and unfortunately thats the keyboard. Hammering away on the keys often depresses the whole board, which can be quite annoying and doesn't inspire much confidence.
Theres also no backlighting, which is an omission I always lament.

On the plus side, there are a reasonable number of ports on the Zenbook 14. Theres one USB-A port on the right-hand side of the unit, which is the only port on this side. On the left, youll find two USB-C ports (both of which support external display signals and power delivery), an HDMI port, and a headset jack. (Image credit: Future) Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) review: Performance Fast everyday performance Vivid but reflective display Good for typing Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) benchmarks 3DMark: Night Raid: 16,506; Fire Strike: 3,644; Steel Nomad: 224; Solar Bay: 6,135; Solar Bay Unlimited:
6,132; Solar Bay Extreme: 624; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 625 Geekbench
6.5: Multicore: 10,701; Single-core: 2,145 Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 7,403; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 58; Multi Core: 435 Crossmark: Overall: 1,118; Productivity: 1,047; Creativity: 1,188; Responsiveness: 1,132 Passmark Overall: 2,989.3; CPU: 12,886; 2D Graphics: 330.3; 3D Graphics: 1,848.8; Memory: 2,338.2; Disk: 37,339.4 BlackMagicDisk: Read: 3,832MB/s; Write: 2,810MB/s HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 37.6fps Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 12 hours and 15 minutes For everyday tasking, the Zenbook 14 is a solid performer. The Snapdragon X1 chip in my review unit was fast and smooth when conducting basic productivity workloads such as word processing. It also handled multi-tab browsing and 4K streaming with plenty of composure as well.

Sadly, but somewhat expectedly, the Zenbook 14 isn't ideal for a spot of
light gaming. It struggled to run Cyberpunk 2077 even on the lowest preset, blighted by rough visuals and debilitating slow downs during chaotic scenes. The A14 I tested previously, equipped with a Snapdragon X2 Elite chip, was able to handle low presets better, although it still wasnt a flawlessly
smooth experience.

Some fan noise is evident when the Zenbook 14 is under stress, but this isnt too distracting. For such a compact laptop, the Zenbook 14 also does well to keep temperatures from soaring. I only noticed portions above the keyboard
and underneath getting hot, while the commonly touchable surfaces, such as
the keyboard, only became lukewarm at most. (Image credit: Future) The 1200p OLED display is crisp and sharp, with plenty of contrast and vividness. It
can show reflections a little too readily, especially when deep blacks are displayed. Mostly, though, the high brightness levels do well to keep reflections at bay.

Despite that aforementioned flexing of the keyboard, the Zenbook 14 is still good for typing. It may feel a little harsh due to the lack of dampening, but the keycaps are comfortable and well spaced, while their low profile and
short travel make them feel snappy and easy to glide over.

Complementing the keyboard is the super smooth touchpad that allows for easy swipes and gesturing. Its not very large, but it maximizes its real estate commendably by extending from almost the bottom edge of the unit to the
bottom of the space bar, which makes navigation less of a chore than it otherwise would be. (Image credit: Future) Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) review: Battery life Middling longevity compared to rivals Zenbook A14 massively outlasts it Quick to charge The battery life of the Zenbook 14 isnt particularly impressive. When I played a movie on a continuous loop
unplugged, its 50Wh battery lasted 12 hours and 15 minutes. While this is quite long, it falls short of quite a few of its rivals.

For context, the A14 has a 70Wh battery, and the difference shows, as that laptop lasted over 28 hours in the same test, one of the best results weve seen. And if youre looking for another enduring 14-inch laptop, the HP OmniBook 7 posted a time of 26 hours. Fortunately, the Zenbook 14 is at least quick to charge, just around two hours to fully top up. Should I buy the Asus Zenbook 14 (2026)? Scorecard Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Similarly priced rivals are better all-round propositions.

3 / 5

Design

The construction is unique, super light, and high in quality, but the flexing keyboard is a small shame.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Great for everyday tasking, but don't expect more beyond that. It remains remarkably cool and quiet at all times, though.

4 / 5

Battery Life

The Zenbook 14 can last a while, but its disappointingly short lived compared to rivals. Its quick to charge, though.

3.5 / 5

Final Score

The Zenbook 14 is a capable and highly portable laptop, but when rivals occupying same price point are better all-rounders, they might make more sense.

3.5 / 5 Buy it if

You want something portable You wont find many 14-inch laptops more portable than the Zenbook 14, thanks to its compact dimensions and light footprint.

You want a unique design You wont find many constructions like this, either: its solid with a soft-touch finish and has some interesting colorways to
boot. Don't buy it if

You want a stable keyboard While the 14 is great to type with, the keyboard flexing as you do so might irk some users.

You want the best battery life The Zenbook 14s battery life isnt anything special, while the A14s is. Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) review: Also consider

Asus Zenbook A14 The A14 is very closely matched to the 14, but it has a
much better battery life the best in class, in fact and despite having a very similar Ceraluminum construction, its ever so slightly lighter (0.98KG
as opposed to 1.10KG). Its similarly priced, too, so might be the better pick of the two. Read our full Asus Zenbook A14 review .

HP OmniBook 7 The OmniBook 7 is a terrific laptop across the board. Its battery life is much longer than Zenbook 14s, although it cant quite match
the endurance of the aforementioned A14. Its list price is quite steep, but weve seen it with significant discounts, bringing it more in line with the Zenbook 14. Read our full HP OmniBook 7 review . (Image credit: Future) How I tested the Asus Zenbook 14 (2026) Tested for a few days Used for a variety of tasks and benchmarks Extensive laptop reviewing experience I tested the Zenbook 14 for a few days, during which time I used it for all manner of tasks, from basic productivity and general browsing to 4K streaming and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests for laptops, designed to assess
every aspect of performance. I ran a movie on a loop to test the battery
life, too.

Ive been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large number of them, ranging from small budget offerings to large gaming monsters. First reviewed: September 2026 Read more about how we test Asus Zenbook 14 (2026): Price Comparison voucher gift 1,299.99 View voucher gift 1,399.99 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows-laptops/asus-zenbook-14-2026-revie w


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)