Asus Vivobook 13 Slate OLED review

For those who’re looking out for a brand new Home windows 2-in-1, there’s extra selection than ever in 2022. 

Microsoft’s Floor Professional is the plain choice, however the firm additionally makes a extra reasonably priced model – the Floor Go. Huawei’s MateBook E sits someplace within the center, however the likes of HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Asus all have variations of their very own. 

The latter takes a two-pronged strategy to Home windows 2-in-1s, with the business-focused ExpertBook B3 Removable joined by a tool aimed squarely at shoppers. 

It’s generally known as the Vivobook 13 Slate OLED, and undercuts the Floor Professional on value regardless of together with a keyboard and stylus. However does that imply you should purchase one as a substitute? Sadly not, as I’ll clarify on this full overview. 

Design & Construct

• Plain, fundamental design
• Strong webcam and fingerprint sensor
• Not sufficient ports

If I have been to make use of one phrase to explain the Vivobook Slate’s design, it could be understated – and never in a great way. The mix of plastic, glass and aluminium is one thing we’ve seen on tablets many many instances earlier than, however Asus is clearly prioritising operate over kind. 

It actually nonetheless feels premium and sturdy, regardless of the pill itself weighing solely 780g. That turns into considerably heavier whenever you join the quilt and keyboard, in fact.

These equipment are the one manner so as to add even a touch of color. The Vivobook Slate is barely out there in black, though there are two particular version sleeves if that’s essential to you. 

Nonetheless, there may be one design ingredient you’ll instantly discover – a silver steel strip which extends throughout the highest when utilized in panorama mode. It provides some helpful grip when holding the pill, however Asus has used it as a possibility for some pointless branding. You’ll be able to ‘wow the world’ as a ‘cultural originator’, apparently.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

This does not less than sit flush with the again of the gadget, and means the 13Mp rear digital camera doesn’t stick out in the identical manner as some tablets. However low picture high quality means it’s solely helpful for doc scanning or the occasional reference photograph. 

After all, that 5Mp front-facing digital camera is way extra essential. Its crisp 1080p footage is healthier than your common webcam, however nonetheless very depending on good lighting situations. Alongside a good microphone, it’s a strong choice for video calling. 

They’re housed inside some thick bezels, which make the Vivobook Slate really feel extra dated than it really is. Asus hasn’t used this to incorporate front-facing audio system, though it’s nonetheless snug to carry with out obscuring the display screen.  

There’s additionally help for Home windows Howdy face unlock – you’ll be counting on the fingerprint sensor constructed into the facility button as a substitute. It’s simple to arrange and usually dependable, however actually not the quickest round. 

The Vivobook Slate is barely 7.9mm thick, so there’s restricted room for ports. Together with 2x USB-C, a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack is greater than might be stated for a lot of tablets, however I hoped for higher. If you wish to use this to get work achieved, you’ll most likely want an adapter or hub. 

Equipment

• Fundamental again cowl doubles as kickstand
• Spectacular keyboard
• Not the very best stylus expertise

After all, it’s the equipment which may remodel from a content material consumption gadget to 1 which can be utilized for productiveness. Asus has recognised that, together with a again cowl, keyboard and stylus within the field with the Vivobook Slate. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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The duvet provides an additional layer of safety to the again of the gadget, however it actually doesn’t really feel fragile with out it. As a substitute, you’ll need to use it for the kickstand, which lets you use the gadget hands-free. 

It really works as marketed, however weak magnets imply it may simply slip off whenever you’re adjusting the angle. A stand that’s really constructed into the again of the gadget (as you’ll discover on Floor tablets) is a a lot better choice.  

Thankfully, the keyboard accent is way more profitable. It connects seamlessly by way of pins on the underside of the pill, avoiding the necessity to all the time have Bluetooth turned on. 

A 13.3in show means there’s loads of room for a full-size keyboard, with 1.4mm of journey delivering a convincing typing expertise. It will possibly’t rival a full laptop computer expertise, however I may comfortably use it for lengthy typing periods with no points. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

My solely grievance right here is that the keys aren’t backlit, so that you’ll battle to make them out in darker environments. However that’s actually not a dealbreaker for a bundled accent. 

A soft-touch rubber coats nearly all of the keyboard, making it a snug place to relaxation your fingers. The one exception is the big glass trackpad, which gives a helpful various to tapping on the display screen.  

It helps the complete vary of Home windows 11 gestures and shortcuts, however there have been sufficient unintentional clicks throughout my testing time to make it irritating. For something greater than informal use, I’d extremely advocate connecting a mouse. 

There’s one different enter methodology out there, in fact – stylus. The second-gen Asus Pen is included within the field, providing a helpful various for note-taking or digital artwork.

Asus says it gives the identical 4096 ranges of strain sensitivity like most digital pens, however the principle drawback I discovered was latency. There’s a noticeable delay between transferring the pen and it displaying on the display screen – sufficient to make you surprise if it’s registered in any respect.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

This feels a great distance from the pen-on-paper like expertise many corporations attempt for, however it’s nonetheless a helpful accent to have round. Charging by way of USB-C is fast and pairing is straightforward, and I’ve no cause to doubt Asus’ declare of over 140 hours of battery life. 

Display screen & Audio system

• Glorious 13.3in OLED touchscreen
• Doesn’t get very vivid
• Above-average audio system

The show is undoubtedly the spotlight of the Vivobook Slate. It’s a 13.3in, Full HD touchscreen panel, however the important thing function is in its title. 

Most tablets and laptops at this value level go for LCD screens, however Asus has gone for OLED as a substitute. The viewing expertise advantages because of this, with wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks. That’s notably obvious when watching movies or scrolling social media, however it’s good to have on a regular basis. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Inside testing backs that up, suggesting it covers 98% of the sRGB color gamut, 74% of AdobeRGB and 73% of DCI-P3. Not unhealthy in any respect. 

However brightness is extra of a problem, hitting a most of 343 nits in response to the SpyderX calibration instrument. It’s superb for many indoor environments, however you might battle utilizing it on a sunny day exterior. A reflective display screen that’s vulnerable to glare actually doesn’t assist. 

You is perhaps wishing for a better decision, however I don’t really feel that’s mandatory. The 1920×1080 decision delivers loads of element and readability, plus the normal 16:9 facet ratio that’s starting to be phased out. 

Whereas Asus determined towards front-facing audio system on the Vivobook Slate, the quad stereo setup right here nonetheless packs a punch. Their place on both facet means sound is firing both facet of you, however I used to be impressed with their high quality.  

Audio is obvious and crisp, with minimal distortion even at excessive volumes. That makes it notably suited to voice-based content material or easy music tracks, with an absence of bass very obvious on some songs. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Fundamental Intel Pentium Silver processor
• Underwhelming efficiency
• Value paying extra for 256GB SSD

For those who’re aware of laptop computer CPUs, a take a look at the Vivobook Slate’s spec sheet could have began alarm bells ringing. It makes use of the Pentium Silver N6000 chip, a 2021 processor which sits a way beneath even the Core i3 in Intel’s lineup. 

You’d normally anticipate it to energy price range units, so it’s a shock to see it in a tool that’s considerably dearer. Asus has paired it with the traditional UHD built-in graphics and 8GB of RAM (non-obligatory 4GB within the US) in an try to make sure efficiency continues to be sturdy, however sadly that’s not the case. 

The Vivobook Slate is actually unsuitable for demanding duties similar to video modifying or gaming, however I additionally seen some slowdown throughout fundamental duties. All the pieces from navigating settings to opening apps takes longer than mandatory, with freezing frequent whenever you attempt to do a couple of factor at a time.  

In consequence, the gadget isn’t a good selection for multitasking. Utilizing two or extra apps side-by-side isn’t an gratifying expertise, notably if you must rapidly transfer between the 2. 

It’s not completely unusable, however you’ll need to concentrate on one process at a time and be extra affected person than you is perhaps used to. Sadly, this can be a dealbreaker for many individuals, and it’s mirrored within the benchmarks beneath:

This doesn’t embrace the likes of the 2022 iPad Air or Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8, which vastly outperform the Vivobook Slate on Geekbench 5. 

The most cost effective mannequin of the Vivobook Slate will get you simply 64GB of eMMC storage within the US. That’s doubled to 128GB within the UK, however most individuals ought to step as much as the 256GB mannequin, which additionally makes use of the quicker SSD customary. 

The prevalence of exterior exhausting drives and cloud storage means this must be sufficient for most individuals. However many rivals are extra beneficiant on this regard. 

Software program & Apps

• Home windows 11 Dwelling out of field
• S mode on least expensive mannequin
• Few Asus-specific tweaks
• Higher suited to tablets than earlier than

That entry-level Vivobook Slate runs Home windows 11 Dwelling in S mode, however you may simply swap it out for Home windows 11 Dwelling after it arrives. It’s what you’ll discover on the dearer configuration I examined, and means you’re not restricted to app downloads from the Microsoft Retailer. 

As soon as that’s taken care of, the software program expertise is sort of an identical to what you’ll discover on Microsoft Floor merchandise – there aren’t any huge visible adjustments from producers like on Android. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In actual fact, the one additions I seen have been MyAsus and ScreenXpert companion apps, McAfee antivirus software program and a customized wallpaper. All 4 can simply be ignored with no opposed impact on the person expertise.  

Home windows 11 continues to be very a lot designed for cursor and keyboard, the place it feels way more completed and intuitive than when it first launched. However Microsoft can also be taking steps to enhance the expertise on tablets, and it’s now a practical choice for touchscreen units just like the Vivobook Slate. 

I nonetheless wouldn’t advocate one over an iPad for pure content material consumption, however Home windows 11 is undoubtedly the higher OS for getting work achieved. There’s a slight studying curve if you happen to’re coming from Home windows 10, however it gained’t take lengthy for many peple to get used to. 

The Vivobook Slate appears set to obtain updates all through Home windows 11’s lifespan, which can last as long as a decade. Newer units can be prioritised, however you gained’t be ready lengthy after a brand new model is launched. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 50Wh battery
• Delivers strong battery life
• 65W quick charging

The Vivobook Slate is supplied with a 50Wh battery. Asus claims that’ll get you round 9.5 hours of battery life, suggesting a full working day is inside attain for most individuals. 

That determine primarily based on 83% brightness, near the 81% I set it to for our 720p video loop battery check at 200 nits. It lasted a good 11 hours and 6 minutes with none battery saver mode – letting Home windows 11 flip this on at 20% (the default setting) will lengthen it even additional. Curiously, the gadget solely lasted 9 hours and 58 minutes throughout the identical check at 120 nits.

Nonetheless, I’m assured most individuals can be in a position get a full day’s work achieved and have cost to spare. But it surely’ll be shut for some, so I don’t advocate being removed from an influence provide. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Whenever you do run low, the 65W USB-C quick charger included within the field will quickly get you again up and working. I recorded 15% in quarter-hour and 44% in half an hour from off, with a full cost taking lower than two hours. 

The gadget additionally helps a variety of transportable energy banks, though it gained’t be as quick. Simply be sure you get one which is suitable with Asus’ USB-C Simple Cost tech.  

Value & Availability

The Vivobook Slate has been out there for just a few months, however reductions are nonetheless few and much between.  

You’ll nonetheless pay $599/£549 for the entry-level mannequin with 4GB of RAM and 64- (US) or 128GB of eMMC storage. However for it to be a practical productiveness gadget, you’ll must step as much as 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD – that’ll normally set you again $749.99/£899.99, though it’s all the way down to £699.99 within the UK on the time of writing. 

Even so, most individuals will discover higher worth for cash my selecting one thing from our greatest 2-in-1 chart as a substitute. Specifically, the Huawei MateBook E and Floor Go 3 supply extra for the same value, though the latter doesn’t embrace the keyboard within the field.

Verdict

The Vivobook 13 Slate OLED is a compelling various to extra established Home windows 2-in-1s, together with numerous equipment in its comparatively reasonably priced value. 

Undoubtedly, the spotlight is that vivid OLED show, one thing you don’t usually get at this value level. The gadget additionally delivers first rate battery life and quicker than anticipated charging, all inside a premium construct.  

Nonetheless, most individuals gained’t be capable of look past the poor efficiency which has a big impression on day-to-day use. An absence of ports and nondescript design shouldn’t be dealbreakers, however noticeable slowdown throughout many fundamental duties most likely is.

Specs

• 13.3in 1920×1080 OLED show, 60Hz
• Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor
• Intel UHD graphics
• 4/8GB RAM
• 64/256GB storage (US), 128/256GB storage (UK)
• Home windows 11 Dwelling in S mode/Home windows 11 Dwelling
• 13Mp rear digital camera
• 5Mp front-facing digital camera
• Quad stereo audio system
• Array microphone
• Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5
• 9.5hr battery life (quoted)
• 780g (pill solely)
• Included in field: cowl with kickstand, keyboard & trackpad, Asus Pen 2.0