Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401) Review: Great performance, good versatility!

What are your basic requirements when it comes to deciding which laptop to buy? A good battery life, great performance, display, portability, and the list goes on. But when you get an option of convertible laptops, finding one with a good display, and decent battery life becomes a bit trickier. In a try to balance elegance and versatility along with your basic requirements, Asus has come up with Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401). With a starting price of Rs. 99,990, is this convertible laptop able to convince with its overall performance? Find it here in our full review.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401): Design

A premium laptop needs to have a classy, elegant design and the Zenbook 14 Flip fits these requirements perfectly here. Made up of aluminum alloy, the laptop gets good build quality. Weighing only 1.4kg, the laptop is light, thin (15.9mm), and easy to carry, even when you use it as a tablet! The hinge quality is also great letting you flip the display to any position according to your convenience. However, while using it as a tablet for a longer duration, you will need support to hold it as it becomes a bit heavy and uncomfortable in comparison to a conventional tablet device, like an iPad for example.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401): Display and Keyboard

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip gets an impressive 14-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz and touchscreen support, which is quick and responsive. The display also offers narrow bezels (2.9mm) and comes with 550 nits of peak brightness. However, because of glass, you will face reflection issues under brightly lit surroundings as well as smudges on the screen. The display offers impressive colour accuracy and a decent viewing experience.

Also, the laptop supports stylus Input and comes with a smart stylus in the box. The pen comes with decent battery life and makes using the touch screen fun. The response time too is quick.

Coming to Zenbook 14 Flip's keyboard, the keys are well-spaced and even allow great travel while typing. The keyboard is backlit to let you type conveniently in the dark. Asus is also providing NumberPad 2.0 which can be summoned by a single long-press of the button on the top-right of the trackpad. Also, the trackpad is of decent size and gives a good touch response. The power button of the keyboard also has an embedded fingerprint scanner which can be used to quickly unlock the laptop and also offers you a sense of security.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401): Performance

Right from switching on the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401) to using the touchscreen or typing on the keyboard, everything will give you a premium feel. Asus does not compromise on the processor as it comes with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H that is accompanied by 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB storage. During my usage which included regular official stuff (attending meetings, surfing the internet, opening multiple tabs on Google Chrome, and working on several word docs simultaneously, among others) at no point in time I felt that the laptop ran out of breath or complained. Also, the laptop is equipped with the Intel Iris Xe which keeps up with basic photo and online video editing.

I also watched movies, and listened to music; everything seemed fine too. The speaker is placed at the bottom panel of the laptop. The volume levels are loud enough and adds to the entertainment package.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401): Battery Life

Fitting a 63WHr battery on a convertible laptop seems quite compatible with the workload it has to deal with. However, I felt it could have been better as the laptop lasted for around 4-4.5 hours on a single charge during my usage. It is worth mentioning that this was with a constant connection to Wi-Fi and subjecting it to regular workloads. A 100W fast charger also comes along with the laptop in the box to let you charge the laptop quickly. It took around 3 hours to charge the laptop from 20 percent to 100.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401): Verdict

The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP5401) impressed us with its versatility and overall performance. From elegant design to great display and fast charging, there is a lot on the plate to offer. However, I feel the battery life could have been better, especially for the price range at which it is being offered. It also comes with a stylus inside the box to enhance the touchscreen experience.

The Zenbook gets tough competition from Apple MacBook Air with M1 chip, which thrashes it with a stellar battery life and greater performance. However, if you prefer using a windows laptop with a great display and simple user experience, this Asus Zenbook is a considerable choice. Meanwhile, other Windows convertible laptops competing with the Zenbook 14 Flip include Dell Inspiron 14 5410 2-in-1 at a comparatively lower price, among others.