The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is a 17.3-inch device with the portability of a laptop, the experience of a desktop, the flexibility of a tablet, and the convenience of using a huge screen.
I was thrilled to learn that ASUS is bringing the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED to the Philippines. I asked my team to search for more information about it, and based on the initial reviews that we have found, we already have an idea that it would be a disruptive device in the laptop market.
(This story is about my experience with the Asus Zenbook 17 OLED Fold. If you need tech specs, you can check https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/zenbook/zenbook-17-fold-oled-ux9702/)
When I finally got my hands on it last week, my initial impression was a little bit of shock, as it was much better than I expected and a lot more than what I saw in online reviews. The unfolding and folding of a giant screen is a unique experience you can't get from watching videos. The 17-inch OLED display is stunning. Like any other Asus OLED display, it has a real-life accuracy for professional-grade viewing that reduces harmful blue light by up to 70% compared to LCDs.
An Intel i7-1250U processor powers it. This is Intel's 12th-gen hybrid architecture with two performance cores and eight efficiency cores, and Intel's Iris Xe handles graphics for more efficient battery consumption.
With the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, I have different modes to choose from, depending on my needs:
- I can use it as an ordinary laptop with a 12.5-inch screen and a Bluetooth keyboard with a magnetic lock on top of the lower half of the screen.
- Removing the physical keyboard and leaving the screen partially folded gives me what Asus calls an extended mode. Here, I can use the lower half of the device as a virtual keyboard.
- Entirely unfolding the display and using the physical keyboard will give me the power and the convenience of a desktop with a large screen. The Bluetooth keyboard with touchpad Asus, called the ErgoSense, is the lightest and thinnest full-layout keyboard I have seen.
- The unfolded screen can serve as a 17.3-inch touch-screen tablet where you can share and collaborate with friends and colleagues.
Moving from one mode to the next is easy, and the movement from unfolding to folding and unfolding will come naturally as you continue using the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED. Check the different modes of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED here, https://www.facebook.com/653365397/videos/868800737894227/
What mode is best for you?
I manage a team here at the Manila Bulletin, and because of that, I have numerous meetings and brainstorming sessions regularly. What I have seen useful for me is the tablet mode, and it's great for collaborating with my team and bouncing off ideas for upcoming stories and projects while ensuring we are on the same page.
When I'm out to meet clients, brands, and even friends, I use the laptop mode for ease of use. So, from 17 inches, I now would have a 12.5-inch compact laptop conveniently tucked inside the included black faux-leather sleeve.
But what I'm fascinated about is its desktop mode. I do a lot of multitasking in my line of work. The large-screen real estate makes it easier to work with two projects simultaneously. I can edit a review article on the left side and watch the news on the right half of the screen. Or, if it's a lighter day at the office, I can respond to emails on the left and watch Netflix or Disney+ series on the right.
While using a foldable laptop as a daily driver is only for some because of the cost, still, I am recommending the Zenbook 17 OLED Fold to a select group of users.
I have friends, for example, who have discriminating tastes when it comes to a device they use as long as it has the functionality they want. Plus factor for this group of users is the uniqueness of the device and the exclusive features not found in ordinary gadgets. The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is also a perfect addition to the arsenal of tech devices for C-Level or marketing executives who need to flip their laptops and tablets for quick presentations.
I have been in the media industry for more than 22 years now, and I have seen how technology, specifically on laptops, has evolved from then to the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, the laptop's present and future form factor. I'm pleased that Asus finally introduced an extraordinarily usable and innovative form factor in a laptop with great design and aesthetics that provides equal importance in power, performance, and style.