For a long time, Apple has dominated the market for lightweight, powerful laptops. TheMacBook Airhas set a high bar for any other technology behemoths to step in and try to reach.Asushas officially debuted its new Zenbook A14, an ultra-lightweightlaptoppowered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series of chips. The company announces that the $899 Zenbook A14 is the “world’s lightest Copilot+ PC.”
I got a chance to quickly go hands-on with the Zenbook A14 ahead ofCES 2025. As a fan of the MacBook Air, I wanted to find myself delighted by Asus' latest innovation – especially since the MacBook Air, and especially any of the M-series-powered models, has always been the best model to lug around on my work trips. In the time spent looking at the Zenbook A14, I quickly began to wrap my head around its potential. Aside from the internal specs, leading me to believe it’s a decent workhorse for productivity, its sheer size and weight invited the idea that Asus could be my next travel companion.
Zenbook A14
Asus' new Zenbook A14 is the answer to Apple’s MacBook Air. It’s deemed the lightest Copilot Plus PC laptop, weighing only 31.7oz (899g). The Zenbook A14 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series with up to 45 TOPS NPU.
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A MacBook Air in all but its name
Asus didn’t shy away from its inspirations when developing the Zenbook A14
As soon as Asus revealed the Zenbook A14 during a behind-closed-doors session, it was clear that they had aspirations of developing their own MacBook Air. There are no subtleties when looking at what Asus wanted to carry over from Apple’s long-running lightweight device and the original spin the company wished to incorporate. The Zenbook A14 arrived as a 14-inch device with an FHD Lumina OLED screen, and for those keeping track at home, it placed the device’s size right in the sweet spot between the 13- and 15-inch M3 MacBook Air.
Maintaining a minimalist design, Asus uses an all-Ceraluminum chassis. The company states that using this tactile material, the Zenbook A14 can be 30 percent lighter and three times stronger than if using anodized aluminum. On top of making it more durable and lightweight, its Ceraluminum chassis ensures the Zenbook A14 can withstand minor scrapes and scratches. The chassis has been tested for harm against keys, coins, and other potentially harmful hazards you’d have in a backpack or piece of luggage. At launch, the Zenbook A14 will be available in nature-inspired colorways including Iceland Gray and Zabriskie Beige.
Holding the Zenbook A14, it easily feels light enough to only carry with one hand. Being 31.07 x 21.39 x 1.34cm (12.22 x 8.42 x 0.53-inches) in size, the Zenbook A14 is only a small fraction larger than the 13-inch MacBook Air. However, Asus' latest device is 31.7oz (899g), lighter than the 43.7oz (1,240g) of the MacBook Air. The weight felt excellent in my hands – I could see myself using this when I don’t want to bring a more intensive laptop with me on a trip or walk to a coffee shop.
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The potential to wow in performance
The jury is still out if Zenbook A14 can snuff out the competition
The Zenbook A14 isn’t just pretty on the eyes – there’s also quite a lot of power and efficiency under the hood. Asus leverages the Snapdragon X processor daily to deliver robust performance and stellar battery life. Depending on the model, Asus includes the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus chips with CPU TDP of up to 45W. Asus also pairs the Zenbook A14 with Qualcomm’s Adreno graphics, up to 32GB LPDDR5x 8533 MHz RAM and up to 1TB SSD storage. The company also claims that the Zenbook A14 will offer a “multi-working-day battery life.” Unfortunately, what that’ll mean for standard productivity workflows still has yet to be determined.
Asus confirms that Smart Gesture controls work across all media players, which could be a neat perk if you’re watching videos on YouTube or controlling volume on Netflix.
I was only able to spend a short amount of time using the Zenbook A14 in any tactile sense, but navigation through the UI felt snappy and responsive. I’m a sucker for any OLED display, and I must say that the 14-inch FHD Lumina OLED screen used on this device looks stunning – it’s bright and vibrant with a nice color contrast. I’m still eager to see how streamed content looks on it in an open office setting or coffee shop with more direct sunlight, though.
The device’s keyboard feels nice to the touch with responsive keystrokes, and also offers a 1.3mm key travel. The Zenbook A14 includes an enlarged touchpad featuring Smart Gesture controls. Using the trackpad, I could swipe left or right to control media skip options and the traditional up and down to control volume. Asus confirms that Smart Gesture controls work across all media players, which could be a neat perk if you’re watching videos on YouTube or controlling volume on Netflix.
Without extensive hands-on time, I’m unsure if Asus has the means to dethrone Apple and its MacBook Air from its position. I’m especially eager to see if the Snapdragon X Plus chipset, when optimized for the Zenbook A14, can outpace the M3-series MacBook Air. Apple’s laptop can provide around 18 hours of use on a charge with exceptional productivity usage, so if Asus can replicate that or come close to benchmarking the M3 MacBook Air, I’d be impressed.
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Zenbook A14 is primed for AI features
Asus' laptop supports Copilot+ PC feature and security perks
With its promise of being a Copilot+ PC device, Asus is supporting a catalog of AI-driven features. If you’re familiar with Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC platform, you’ll likely know what you’re getting in this case. The Zenbook A14 includes support for Cocreator’s text-to-image AI generation, and there’s also Live Captions, which uses AI to translate live or recorded audio, displaying subtitles in real-time. Windows Studio Effects is a feature that uses AI effects from the onboard FHD AI IR camera and microphone to improve lighting and audio, and, of course, this also includes support for Microsoft’s largely controversial Recall feature.
The Zenbook A14 does include a suite of privacy features and other perks. Asus explains that this includes Adaptive Lock and Adaptive Dimming options to secure your information if you need to step away from the device. The laptop also supports Windows Phone Link, so you can connect your iOS or Android device to Windows for cross-device compatibility. That way, you can take phone calls, screen mirror, and file share easily and effectively.
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These features are mere perks on top of what seems like a robust and sleek new device from Asus. AI features and privacy support are great to pad out the Zenbook A14’s offerings. However, based on my hands-on time, I’ve been much more eager to see how the hardware itself handles from a productivity standpoint and day-to-day usage. The Zenbook A14 has the potential to climb the ranks towards outmatching Apple’s MacBook Air or, at the very least, be a compelling alternative on the market. However, I’ll refrain from final judgment until it launches in February.
