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You can finally buy ASUS' Surface Pro 11 competitor, and it's shockingly affordable with the keyboard included
By Zachary Boddy,
5 days ago
What you need to know
In June, ASUS announced on Windows on ARM Copilot+ PC and released another, and now both are getting some news.
After months of waiting, the ASUS ProArt PZ13, ASUS' Surface Pro 11 competitor, is available to purchase.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15, one of the first new Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series, also now has a new entry level configuration.
Both PCs are powered by the new 8-core Snapdragon X Plus, which lets ASUS achieve much lower prices without (hopefully) sacrificing much power.
Back during Computex 2024, ASUS announced a line of new creative-focused ProArt PCs. Most were running the new AMD Ryzen AI 300 mobile CPUs , but perhaps the most exciting of the bunch was a Windows on ARM tablet, not expected for another couple of months. Now, the wait is finally over! The ASUS ProArt PZ13, a beautiful convertible PC with an OLED display, is available for $1,099.99 at Best Buy , and that includes the detachable keyboard and kickstand (take that, Surface Pro).
Also available starting today is a new entry-level configuration of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 (2024), which you can obtain for only $899.99 at Best Buy versus the previous starting price of $1,300. Both PCs have the same thing in common: they use the new 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, the latest addition to the Snapdragon X series that aims to bring awesome performance and efficiency to a lower price point.
If you need to know more about the new Windows on ARM devices ASUS released during IFA 2024, I've got you covered below.
A beautiful, more affordable Surface Pro alternative
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Yes, I too aspire to use Photoshop by the lake. (Image credit: ASUS) Image 2 of 3
This seems more up my alley. (Image credit: ASUS) Image 3 of 3
Don't forget this is a tablet first, and you can get ASUS' stylus for it, too. (Image credit: ASUS) ASUS ProArt PZ13
• Price: $1,099.99 at Best Buy • Display: 13.3-inch OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, 3K (2,880 x 1,880) resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, 0.2ms response time, 500nits max brightness, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 support, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, PANTONE Validated, multi-touch & stylus support • CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 (8 cores, up to 3.4GHz) • GPU: Qualcomm Adreno • NPU: Qualcomm Hexagon (Up to 45 TOPS) • RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X @ 8,400MHz • Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD • Dimensions: 297.2 x 200.7 x 8.9mm (11.7 x 7.9 x 0.35in) • Weight: 848.2g (1.87lbs)
During Computex 2024, ASUS excited attendees by unveiling the ProArt PZ13 , but then immediately disappointed those same people by refusing to share many details or give us any more than the second half of the year as the release window. Now, we know why. That's because the ASUS ProArt PZ13 is among the first devices to use the new, most affordable Snapdragon X series variant, the Snapdragon X Plus with 8 cores instead of 10. Of course, that means it's a Copilot+ PC , complete with all the AI features that entails.
This is a creator-focused device, but it's especially catered toward those who are constantly on the go or outdoors. That's because, while this may appear on the surface like another Surface Pro alternative, it actually rocks IP52 dust and water resistance (don't submerge it, but it should survive splashes just fine) and US MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability. The CNC-machined, anodized unibody also features an AFM coating, which basically means a nano texture that should be more durable and better maintain the device's matte black color.
Design-wise, this is a straightforward tablet with a gorgeous 13.3-inch ASUS Lumina OLED panel. It may only boast a 60Hz refresh rate, but it's bright and color accurate for outdoor creative work. There's no built-in kickstand here, but ASUS does bundle both a magnetically attached kickstand cover and the magnetically attached, backlit keyboard with a large glass touchpad in the box, so you don't have to pay extra for either feature. For ports, you'll get two USB Type-C 4.0 ports , which should mean compatibility with many Thunderbolt 4 accessories and a microSD card slot. ASUS doesn't mention any cellular connectivity option, sadly.
Personally, I think this is one of the most exciting new Windows PCs I've seen in a while, especially since it's a direct competitor for the new Surface Pro 11 . ASUS is differentiating the ProArt PZ13 with its durability and considerably lower cost, as you can get the PC, the keyboard, and the kickstand for just $1,099.99 at Best Buy . The only optional accessory you might consider is the ASUS Pen 2.0 Stylus. With a massive 70Whr battery under the hood, too, I expect this device to have phenomenal endurance.
A new, affordable Snapdragon X Plus variant opens the door for the ProArt PZ13, a durable creator-focused convertible PC aimed straight at the Surface Pro 11. With this tablet, though, you don't have to pay extra for the keyboard accessory.
One of the best clamshell WoA PCs, now cheaper
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 isn't the most interesting Copilot+ PC, but it's an incredibly solid choice. (Image credit: Windows Central) ASUS Vivobook S 15 (2024)
• Price: $899.99 at Best Buy • Display: 15.6-inch OLED, 16:9 aspect ratio, 3K (2,880 x 1,620) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 0.2ms response time, 600nits max brightness, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 support, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut • CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 (8 cores, up to 3.4GHz) • GPU: Qualcomm Adreno • NPU: Qualcomm Hexagon (Up to 45 TOPS) • RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X @ 8,448MHz • Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD • Dimensions: 353.1 x 226.1 x 14.7-16mm (13.9 x 8.9 x 0.58-.0.63in) • Weight: 1.42kg (3.13lbs)
The new entry-level configuration for the Vivobook S 15 is in almost every way entirely identical to what you could buy before, except it costs a whopping $400 less . That's not a typo — ASUS really shaved that much off the retail price, making this one of the first Copilot+ PCs you can get for less than $900. All ASUS changed to achieve that price point, too, was swap out the beefy 12-core Snapdragon X Elite with the new, low-cost 8-core Snapdragon X Plus and halve the SSD storage to 512GB. You still get the gorgeous, 120Hz OLED panel, the same excellent port selection, the same future-proofed wireless connectivity, and the same long-lasting 70Whr battery.
Except, now it may last even longer with the Snapdragon X Plus drawing more juice. Of course, you'll be losing performance (especially with more intensive tasks), but it's not clear just how much of a gap there will be between the new Snapdragon X tiers. All I can say is that the current 10-core Snapdragon X Plus is absolutely no slouch, as I discovered when reviewing the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) . The only cons I'm really worried about are the ones shared by all versions of the Vivobook S 15.
This is a larger, more traditional laptop. It's a modern design but not one of ASUS' most premium, and you lose out on some luxuries like a touch display, haptic touchpad, or a taller 16:10 display aspect ratio. For some, though, that's all perfect, especially when it can all be had for just $899.99 at Best Buy . Other companies like Lenovo are going to need to step up their value games to keep up.
ASUS Vivobook S 15 (2024) | Snapdragon X Plus | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD — $899.99 at Best Buy
The Vivobook S 15 is back with a darker color and a lower price tag, and you don't have to sacrifice much to save hundreds of dollars. The new Snapdragon X Plus looks to be an impressive performer despite its lower core count, making the new Vivobook S 15 one of the best potential values around.
I still have questions about how the new Snapdragon X Plus will perform (and I'm a little confused why Qualcomm now has three very distinct Snapdragon X tiers but only two names), but for the most part I'm very excited by the prospect of Windows on ARM devices continuing to become more affordable and accessible.
The ASUS ProArt PZ13 is especially exciting as someone who adores the Surface Pro form factor, and I can't wait to check it out for myself. Including the detachable keyboard and kickstand in the box is great, but considering how much Windows 11 favors stylus input over pure touch input, it would've been nice to have the pen included, too. That's still a lot better than Microsoft charging you hundreds more for the complete Surface Pro experience, even with the Surface Pro 11 being more affordable than its predecessors.
At the very least, I have no doubt the new ASUS Vivobook S 15 will be a great laptop. You're truly not giving up much to save all of that money, an impressive accomplishment for ASUS that'll look really good to potential buyers. It'll be interesting to see how other companies respond, especially with both Intel and AMD aiming to provide some real competition for Qualcomm with their latest generations of CPUs. The world of Windows laptops is getting really exciting lately.
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