Asus recently unveiled the latest model of the Zenbook Duo, an ultraportable laptop with screens and a detachable keyboard, at CES 2024. The most noticeable upgrade this time around? Both of the 14-inch touchscreen displays use deliciously vivid OLED panels for the ultimate in clarity and contrast. Weighing just under three pounds (without the keyboard) and featuring AI-enabled applications, this unique machine is designed for on the-go productivity.
Will it be convenient to use or a cumbersome thing you dread lugging around? Only time will tell. When we reviewed the Pro version in 2022, we liked how balanced the detachable keyboard felt and the primary display produced saturated color images. It seems this iteration follows a similar blueprint as far as design goes, which is a good thing.
The Asus Zenbook Duo looks pretty strange at first glance. Is it a traditional clamshell laptop? Is it a wacky 2-in-1? This machine seems to be wrestling with its own identity. Whatever your opinion may be of this machine, it definitely snags your attention. The Duo’s two 14-inch OLED touchscreens feature a 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. With the second screen pulled out, they create a massive workspace that measures 19.8-inches. That’s a lot of space for office work, videoconferencing, and more. These screens can be used in either vertical or horizontal orientations.
The Duo doesn’t appear to be a slouch in the performance department, either. It comes with the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 or 9 H-Series processors, Intel Arc graphics, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The 75Wh battery is pretty beefy, too. There’s also a 1080p webcam and pogo-pin connectors, which should make connecting the detachable keyboard a real breeze. If you’re looking to lighten the load by ditching the physical keyboard, you can always pull up the virtual one instead. The coolest thing about the keyboard is that it fits between the two screens when not in use, which is super convenient.
Finally, for the eco-conscious buyers among us, the Duo is made of recycled materials, including 90 percent of post-industrial magnesium-aluminum alloy. All of the paper packaging comes from 100 percent recyclable FSC MIx-certified paper, too.
The Zenbook Duo (2024) will launch sometime in Q1. No word on pricing just yet, but we’ll update this article as soon as we hear back from one of Asus’ representatives.
