Asus 2021 laptop lineup includes two new dual-screen ZenBooks

Asus has announced two new dual-screen ZenBook Duo laptops as part of its CES 2021 announcement list. The 15-inch model will be available in North America in April of this year, but you can pre-order the 14-inch for the price. from $ 999.99 from January 14 for shipping on January 22. There’s also a new VivoBook and a new ExpertBook for people looking for lightweight, portable purchases.

If you’re new to the ZenBook Duo line, laptops have a primary display (the standard) as well as a secondary display (the ScreenPad Plus) that is integrated into the top half of the keyboard. It’s not really big enough to do anything, but you can load your distractions (Twitter, Discord, etc.) into it to keep them out of your main workspace. Some programs, including Adobe, also offer ScreenPad-specific interfaces.

The 15.6-inch ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is an update to the dual-screen ZenBook Pro Duo 15, a 15.6-inch dual-screen laptop with a primary OLED display. There’s also a 14-inch model, a sequel to the classic ZenBook Duo released last year. This model is verified through the Intel Evo program, which means that Intel guarantees that it has good performance, good battery life, and other features.

Both Duos have a spec bump: the Pro Duo 15 OLED now features 10th gen Intel processors (up to a Core i9) and Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU. The ZenBook Duo 14 now includes 11th generation Intel processors (a Core i7 or a Core i5) with an integrated Iris Xe graphics card (and you can add an Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU as well).

The update I like the most is that they both have a new design that tilts the ScreenPad Plus upward – it’s no longer flat on the keyboard. This means you don’t have to run your neck over the keyboard to read the secondary display, which was impractical with older Duo models.

There is also a new hinge design which Asus says is 30% smaller and a smaller fan size. Asus has also upgraded the ScreenPad’s software (it’s now called Screen Xpert 2) to include new apps that make multitasking easier. With a new Window Flick feature, for example, you can easily “flip” windows from one display to another.

Image: Asus

Apart from ZenBook land, there is a new VivoBook S14, which is also Evo certified. Asus says it’s the lightest 14in VivoBook ever at just 2.87 pounds. The S14 has also been replaced by 11th generation processors with Xe graphics. Asus says you’ll get up to 17 hours of battery life.

There’s also a regular VivoBook 14, powered by AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 U-Series mobile processors. Both models will arrive in North America in February and pricing will be announced.

Image: Asus

Finally, Asus has made a few updates to its ExpertBook lineup, including its surprisingly light ExpertBook B9. The full name of the new model is the ExpertBook B9 B9450CEA (vPro).

The 1.94 pound laptop, which Asus claims is the world’s lightest 14-inch business laptop, now includes Intel’s latest 11th generation vPro processors, which offer a number of features. security and remote management, including active management technology from Intel.

The ExpertBook has a number of new features designed to facilitate conference calls, including two-way AI noise cancellation technology, Harman Kardon certified speakers, and support for Wi-Fi 6.

The new ExpertBook B9 arrives in the first quarter of 2021, with pricing to be announced.

Image: Asus