Imagine effortlessly splitting a single 17-inch touchscreen into two separate 12-inch tablets. Or extending it fully out to serve as a portable desktop monitor. Well, the brains at Asus somehow engineered this shape-shifting display into the gorgeously glossy ZenBook 17 Fold…
But visual magic aside – should YOU actually shell out $3,500 for one? Let‘s investigate!
We‘ll scrutinize if those eye-catching bending screens distract from flaws lurking underneath…like poor battery life or lacking ports. Or determine if this futuristic hatchling Year One device still too unpolished for the price.
Grab some popcorn, settle in, and let‘s get unpacking this sci-fi gadget together!
Overview Table
Before weighing the pros and cons, let‘s get on the same page with what we‘re dealing with here:
| Spec | Zenbook 17 Fold |
|---|---|
| Screen | 17.3" Foldable OLED 2.5K (2560 x 1920) |
| CPU | Intel i7 12th Gen |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 1 TB SSD |
| Ports | 2 x Thunderbolt 4 |
| Size/Weight (Folded) | 11" x 14.9" x 0.55" / 3.31 lbs |
| Battery Life | 75Wh, rated 11 hrs |
| Release Date | August 2022 |
| Starting Price | $3,499 |
Yup…you read that price right. And with all proprietary bleeding-edge tech, prepare to pay a premium for first dibs!.
But for perspective – let‘s explore whether that huge foldable Ocean lux justifies the cost before rejecting it over sticker shock alone.
Onward to breaking down the…
Zenbook 17 Fold Review & Analysis
After intense weeks testing in real-life situations, I definitely can confirm a few pros worth highlighting:
⭐ Gorgeous Vibrant Display – That 17” OLED touchscreen looks positively striking boasting 125% sRGB, 500 nits brightness and 0.2ms response for fluid visuals.
⭐ Surprisingly Lightweight Build – Starting at just 3.31lbs yet cramming way more screen than traditional 15” laptops. Easy to toss in your bag for a device so huge!
⭐ Awesome Speakers – Quad speaker setup pumps out impressive volume with Dolby Atmos enabled.
Buuuut also noticed some glaring opportunities:
🔋 Mediocre Battery Life – That power-hungry display drains faster than ideal, lasting around 6 hours for my usage before requiring a charger.
🖥️ Occasional Bluetooth Hiccups – The wireless keyboard can randomly disconnect, disrupting your flow. Annoying but easily recoverable glitch.
💸 Lofty Price Point – No doubt $3,500 burns a steep hole in your wallet, pricing many budget-conscious folks out.
So in my professional opinion as a tech analyst…
For who makes sense:
- Engineers and product designers needing portable 17” sketchpads
- Presenters wanting epic screen real estate while traveling
- Bleeding-edge gadget lovers with cash to spare
But likely overkill for:
- College students on a budget
- Employees requiring all-day battery life
- Anyone seeking lots of ports without a dongle
In conclusion – I applaud Asus’ engineering chops but view this initial release as an ambitious Gen 1 play. Worth buying now only if you highly value the foldable display innovation trumping all else.
For everyone else, best waiting it out as the forthcoming generations will almost certainly fix the battery drain and stabilize Bluetooth at a lower MSRP.
Let me know what other questions you have in the comments! Want help deciding on an alternative or just nerd out over the tech? Hit reply and let’s chat 🙂
Josh
Your Friendly Neighborhood Tech Guy
