Laptops can already be thought of as folding devices, but generally not in the same way as, say, Samsung's Galaxy Fold is a folding device. There are exceptions of course, but Asus has unveiled something a little different at CES 2022 in the shape of the versatile Zenbook 17 Fold OLED.
Billed as the world's first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop, the device is built to MIL-STD 810H durability standards and offers two distinct display modes.
The clamshell format can be opened like a hardback book to form a single 2,560 x 1,920-resolution 17.3-inch screen at 4:3 aspect ratio. Users can type onscreen like a tablet, or can pair the Zenbook with the company's ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard for full-display visuals.
The second option is to have it adopt a familiar open laptop-like pose for two 12.5-inch 1,920 x 1,280-resolution displays – each at a 3:2 aspect ratio – that flow seamlessly across the hinge. An on-screen keyboard could be loaded onto the lower display with visuals above, or the device can again pair with the Bluetooth keyboard to leave both screens available for content.
Either way, the glossy display has a 0.2-ms response time, puts out 500 nits of peak brightness, offers 1,000,000:1 contrast, and there's 100 percent support for the DCI-P3 color gamut and Dolby Vision HDR.
There's a 5-MP webcam onboard with noise reduction technology helping with video call audio clarity, and an IR function allows for easy logons via Windows Hello while also feeding into cooked-in AI smarts for things like user detection, automatic screen brightness adjustment and color temperature control.
The laptop comes with a 12th Generation Intel Core i7 U-series processor and Intel Iris X graphics, supported by 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage. Connectivity shapes up as Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 3.5-mm combo audio jack for headphones or an external mic, though the device does benefit from a Harman-Kardon-certified quad speaker array with immersive Dolby Atmos.
Other key specs include fast charging of its 75-Wh Li-ion battery, the option of Windows 10 Home edition or Windows 10 Pro, and support for Cortana and Alexa voice interaction.
The Zenbook 17 Fold OLED will go on sale from the middle of this year, pricing has not been revealed at this time.
Source: Asus
