ASUS ZenBook Flip S UX371E Review: Interesting design with quality 4K OLED display

A new laptop-transformer from ASUS has appeared on sale – ZenBook Flip S UX371E with a 4K OLED touch screen and a powerful Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor. The device can be transformed from a laptop to a tablet and comes with a stylus for working in this position. The novelty belongs to the premium line and it is immediately noticeable in appearance – the design of ZenBook Flip S was done well, the jade color goes well with the bright copper stripes of the edging and looks expensive.

The laptop also has a low weight of 1.2 kg and a thickness of just under 14 mm, which makes it an Ultrabook. ZenBook Flip S UX371E claims to be an almost universal and at the same time productive device, suitable for work and multimedia entertainment – let’s test the model in practice and try to figure out whether this is so.

Specifications

• Laptop Model: ASUS ZenBook Flip S (UX371E)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7
• Video card: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
• Drives: SSD M.2 NVMe 2280 WD SN730 1 TB
• Screen: 13.3 ”UHD (3840×2160) OLED, 100% sRGB with touchscreen
• Audio system: Harman / Kardon
• Interfaces: 2 x Thunderbolt USB 4 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI
• Battery: 4 cells, Li-Polymer, 67 Wh
• Webcam: HD IR with Windows Hello
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), dual band, Bluetooth 5.0
• Dimensions: 305 x 211 x 11.9-13.9 mm
• Weight: 1.2KG

Equipment

ZenBook Flip S UX371E comes in a small black case, all parts of the kit are laid out in separate volumes – the premium quality of the device is felt already at the unboxing stage.

The laptop comes with a small 65W charger with a USB-C cable, a proprietary soft carrying case, an ASUS stylus, documentation, and a pair of adapters for connecting 3.5mm audio and an RJ45 network cable.

Appearance and features

Visually, at first glance, we see an old familiar ZenBook: a textured metal case, only in a premium version – metal in Jade Black in a deep dark shade break copper-colored chamfers along the edges, and the ASUS inscription on the lid is also made under the copper. It looks interesting and expensive, the laptop is quite suitable for the role of an image accessory.

The ZenBook Flip S UX371E’s all-aluminum chassis is lightweight (1.2kg) and compact – with a 13.3 ”diagonal of just 305 x 211mm and a thickness of 11.9-13.9mm. The strength of the case is beyond doubt, the lid resists twisting and bending well.

The top cover is polished and has a classic “cutter” pattern for ZenBook, the rest of the case surface of the model is matte. On the bottom panel there are two small ventilation grilles and 4 low rubber feet. The grilles above the speakers are placed under the front end closer to the user.

In the ZenBook Flip S UX371E, we see the proven, reliable ErgoLift hinges. They can open the lid 360 degrees, moreover, in the usual position, they raise the laptop case above the table, which improves the cooling of the device and tilts the keyboard at a more comfortable angle.

The hinges work softly and at the same time securely fix the position – they will no longer give in under the laptop’s own weight, as a result, this allows you to orient the device in any convenient way.

When the cover is in a “flat” position, the beveled geometry of the case affects; the laptop does not feel monolithic in the hands, since the edges at the corners do not come close to each other.

The grilles for exhausting hot air from the cooling system are located mostly at the rear end. They remain free in any display position.

On the right side there is a narrow and thin power button (it seems to us a rather controversial solution) and one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A connector – it’s good that there is at least one full-size USB.

On the left, there is an HDMI port and two Thunderbolt USB 4 Type-C with charging support, and there is also a small indicator of the status of the internal battery.

The model has few interfaces, but the set includes adapters for USB 4 to 3.5 ”audio and RJ45.

The display of the model is touch-sensitive OLED, therefore it is completely covered with glass – this gives additional rigidity to the lid. The bezels around the screen are minimal.

The built-in webcam is HD resolution. There is an IR sensor and Windows Hello facial recognition. There is no physical curtain because of the glass.

The complete stylus is a proprietary ASUS solution in a metal case with one side button. Up to 4096 pressure levels are supported. The stylus is powered by one AAA battery.

The topcase plate is metal, matt. The keyboard is slightly recessed to increase key travel. Pressing is almost silent, the keys do not dangle. The layout is quite comfortable, except for the heavily reduced arrows.

The touchpad is located strictly in the center. It does not have separate keys, but it is extremely sensitive and accurate – a distinctive feature of expensive laptops. In addition, additional functionality is implemented here in the form of NumberPad – a touch-sensitive calculator.

The backlighting of the keyboard is bright, with several levels of adjustment. At the maximum level, it is clearly visible even in bright indoor lighting.

Display

ZenBook Flip S UX371E received a high-quality OLED display with a resolution of 4K 3840×2160 pixels (16: 9). At the same time, for a modest 13.3 ”diagonal, the pixel density turned out to be quite high – 331 ppi, which allows you to get a very clear and bright image, given the increased contrast of OLED displays.

The average brightness in practice turned out to be about 405 cd / m2. This is a fairly high level, which is enough to work in indirect sunlight, and it will not be a problem to use a laptop outdoors. It is only necessary to take into account that the cover glass of the touchscreen can reflect reflections.

Brightness control has 10 steps, special attention is paid to low levels, with a minimum value of only 4 cd / m2.

The viewing angles of the display are in practice excellent; when viewed from the side, the brightness decreases minimally.

The uniformity of the backlight, when evaluated by the average value of ΔC * 00, fits well into normal indicators, but the ISO 14861: 2015 standard swears at the “lame” lower right corner of the screen with a spread in the contrast value of up to 10.7%.

Conclusion

To summarize, let’s start with the unconditional advantages of ASUS ZenBook Flip S UX371E. First of all, it is a high-quality, bright and contrast OLED display with good viewing angles and excellent color reproduction (100% sRGB). 4K resolution, touch control and the presence of a stylus with 4096 degrees of pressure, together with the above, makes the model a doubly interesting solution for interacting with graphics applications and color (can be used as a graphics tablet). The level of performance of the integrated graphics of Iris XE is enough for comfortable FPS in some not too demanding games.

The convertible form factor and slim compact body with a diagonal of 13.3 “allow you to achieve a low weight (1.2 kg), which will allow you to conveniently carry your laptop – for this, there is also a compact charger and a case. ZenBook Flip S UX371E features a robust metal design and MIL-STD 810G certification for enhanced durability. The pluses also include the presence of modern Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6, good sound from Harman Kardon, the presence of an IR camera and an overall high level of thoughtfulness of ergonomics, along with a very attractive jade-copper design.

The system turned out to be quiet in all modes, but at the same time the TDP of the processor is clearly underestimated to avoid overheating – this is good for everyday tasks, but the performance suffers from this. The autonomy of the ZenBook Flip S UX371E is affected by the rather high power consumption of a 4K OLED display – the laptop does not set records. At the same time, the cost of the model is quite high, which is expected for a premium laptop. We didn’t really like the rather meager set of connectors (although the manufacturer is trying to neutralize this with the adapters in the kit). In any case, the above-mentioned advantages of the ZenBook Flip S UX371E make it, despite some controversial points, at least interesting to consider.