The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED laptop has positioned itself, intentionally or unintentionally, as the best alternative to a MacBook Air M2 that a Windows laptop might get. We’re accounting for the performance, portability, and price when making this direct comparison.
It’s no secret that we consider the pricey Apple MacBook to be among the best laptops you can buy in 2023. However, MacOS isn’t for everyone, meaning a true Windows alternative to the best MacBook – the aforementioned Air M2, in our opinion – is hard to come by. This is where the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED has a chance to shine.
On price, the MacBook Air is likely to have the advantage for the base models but it’s also an entirely known quantity whereas we’re yet to have a firm price on the Zenbook beyond a $1,399 (£1,499) starting price.
At their most upgraded, provided that there isn’t a huge gap in the price – the MacBook is $2,499 (£2,549) – then the edge would fall to the Zenbook.
The the Zenbook S 13 OLED and Apple MacBook Air M2 really are in close contact when it comes to comparing the specs, too. We’re not going to bring you a tale of the tape so to speak because without listing benchmarks, it can be quite complicated trying to understand how the Apple chip system works.
All in all, the Zenbook edges the CPU and GPU power while also being capable of being a low-end gaming laptop. The MacBook Air is more than likely the superior option for general day-to-day usage, maintenance and creative jobs. We’re also aware that Apple may be about to rework it’s M2 chipset for a new MacBook Pro, which could swing the balance back in their favor.
For the power aspect, it really comes down to questioning what you are going to use the laptop for and being realistic about how much the operating system is going to be a deciding factor in your decision. There is no shame in making a decision based on OS bias,as long as you don’t begrudge any compromises you make along the way.
You can hear a lot more about the Zenbook S 13 from the Thincredible launch event below.
Finally, portability. Both laptops come in at the 13-inch mark but the Zenbook S 13 OLED can boast being just 1 cm thin and 1 kg in total weight. The MacBook Air M2 comes in at 1.13 cm thick and 1.24 kg for weight. It’s close once again but the Zenbook takes it based on the plasma ceramic coating that should prevent marks, scratches, and fingerprints that would usually come from transporting it around for work or leisure.
We’re keen to go hand-on with the Zenbook S 13 OLED and see if it can live up to our expectations. It is set to release in Q2 2023.
If none of these laptops pique your interest, you can try our list of the best Chromebooks instead!
