Asus’ 2021 laptop includes two new dual-screen ZenBooks

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

If you are new to the ZenBook Duo series, the laptops have a primary screen (the regular) as well as a secondary screen (the ScreenPad Plus) built into the top half of the keyboard deck. It’s not really big enough to do anything, but you can upload your distractions (Twitter, disagreement, etc.) to keep it out of your main workspace. Some applications, including Adobe’s, 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 screen. There’s also a 14-inch model, a sequel to the regular ZenBook Duo that came out last year. This model is verified through Intel’s Evo program, which means Intel agrees that it has good performance, battery life and other features.

The two Duos got a specification: The Pro Duo 15 OLED now has Intel’s 10th generation processors (up to a Core i9) and Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU. The ZenBook Duo 14 now features Intel’s 11th generation processors (a Core i7 or a Core i5) with Iris Xe integrated graphics (and you can also add an Nvidia GeForce MX450 GPU).

The update I’m happiest about is that they both have a new design that tilts the ScreenPad Plus upwards – it’s no longer flat on the keyboard. This means you do not have to tap your neck across the keyboard to read the secondary screen, something that was uncomfortable for the older Duo models.

There is also a new hinge design that according to Asus is 30 percent smaller and has a smaller fan size. Asus has also upgraded the software of ScreenPad (now called Screen Xpert 2) to include new applications that facilitate multitasking. With a new Window Flick feature, for example, you can easily “flick” windows from one screen to another.

Image: Asus

Outside of ZenBook country, there is a new VivoBook S14, which is also Evo certified. Asus says it’s the lightest 14-inch VivoBook ever made at just 2.87 pounds. The S14 was also slammed against the 11th generation processors with Xe graphics. Asus says you will have 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 arrive in North America in February, with prices announced.

Image: Asus

Finally, Asus has made some updates to its ExpertBook range, including the surprisingly light ExpertBook B9. The new model’s full name is the ExpertBook B9 B9450CEA (vPro).

The 1.94-pound laptop, which according to Asus is the lightest 14-inch business laptop in the world, now features Intel’s latest 11th generation vPro processors, which offer a number of security and remote control features, including Intel’s Active Management Technology.

The ExpertBook has a number of new features designed to make conference calling easier, including two-way AI noise-canceling technology, Harman Kardon-certified speakers, and Wi-Fi 6 support.

The new ExpertBook B9 arrives in Q1 2021, with prices to be announced.

Image: Asus