Hands On With The Asus Vivobook 16X OLED F1603
Retail Price: $1,200
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Disclaimer: Asus sent us a unit of the Vivobook 16X free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our own and were not discussed with the company prior to publishing.
No stranger to the technology industry, Asus has been a key player in the consumer laptop world for quite some time now. This year, they’re back with the new Vivobook 16X OLED, a versatile laptop that’s lightweight with a vibrant display meant. Asus clearly designed this laptop for everyday people, but this model is also priced at about $1,200. Asus sent us a review unit of the device and these are our first impressions.
What’s the Vivobook?
The Vivobook name is by no means new. Asus’ Vivobook lineup is a curated series of laptops at multiple price points for the everyday student or office employee looking for quality options. Most of the laptops share a similar sleek and professional look that can also be configured with multiple processor and storage combinations. Some of them even have flip capabilities that transform functionality into that of a tablet, while others focus strictly on higher end specs in a more traditional laptop appearance.
The 16X OLED F1603 is one of the newer iterations to the Vivobook line. It comes in two colors (Transparent Silver and Quiet Blue). Our review unit is the blue version that comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. The Vivobook 16X OLED can typically be configured with as low as an Intel Core i3 or an i5 CPU with options for 4 or 8 GB of RAM and 256 of 512 GB of storage. All versions run Windows 11 Pro. The point is that Asus is extremely versatile with their lineup of products for consumers of all kinds.
On initial impression out of the box, I like how “adult” this laptop makes me feel. The Quiet Blue color is a deep navy that can be mistaken for grey in dimmer light. It weighs 1.8KG and has a slim design with a noticeable but not over-the-top Asus Vivobook logo on the front. Along the sides are two fan vents in addition to larger vents on the bottom. The laptop runs Asus’ IceCool feature to help keep the laptop from overheating when running heavy processes. In terms of ports, there’s 1 USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 USB 3.2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Type A, an HDMI port, an audio jack, and a DC plug.
A Look Inside
The Vivobook has a 4K display
There appears to be a well thought out combination of parts that comes built together in the Vivobook 16X OLED. The 16” display is an OLED panel in a 16:10 aspect ratio with a 0.2ms response time. With a 3840 x 2400p resolution, this already has the makings of one the best visually appealing laptops displays we’ve seen yet. 4K displays on laptops are still not as common as one would imagine in 2022. The refresh rate is at 60 hz. We’ll have to test it out more in our full review, but the colors appear to be incredibly vivid and the display seems quite bright. The display is also advertised to be PANTONE Validated for better color accuracy. Asus also touts a functionality where the laptop uses 70% less harmful blue light emitting, making it easier on the eyes. The display is a little glossy, but looks like it will still perform well in the outdoors. The laptop uses an Intel Iris Xe graphics card, which we haven’t tested out previously but will share our thoughts on later. On paper it seems like this laptop would be a great option for students or office workers who want reliability to their devices as the most important factor.
Other features include an impressively large trackpad that comes with an optional fingerprint sensor and a well laid out full size keyboard. The keys are soft to touch without being too mushy. There’s solid tactile feedback, but we’ll be sure to update our long term thoughts once we have a bit more time with the device under our belt. An interesting feature Asus has added is an AntiBacterial Guard, which is meant to keep your keyboard and laptop surface areas clean and germ-free. Additionally, for those looking to use the laptop for Zoom calls or video conferencing, there’s a 720p HD camera with a physical privacy shutter. We never have impeccably high expectations for built-in laptop cameras, but maybe this one will surprise us.
An added bonus for those looking for a laptop that is conference-ready is the 180 degree lay-flat feature that the Vivobook 16X OLED has. When combined with the display, this laptop could be a great option for designers or creatives who meet with clients or colleagues frequently and like to be able to demonstrate and show and tell.
Finally the Asus Vivobook 16X OLED comes with a 70 Wh battery capacity and a 90W AC adapter that can fast charge the laptop to 60% in 49 minutes. We’ll have to see how this holds up in our full review, but we’re thrilled to see a promising, and what looks to be an intentionally built laptop that Asus has continued to improve on over the years. Currently retailing for just about $1,200 USD, this is a mid-ranged device that can be placed against similar spec’d Lenovo and Microsoft laptops.
Let us know what you want to see in the comments below and be sure to tune back in for the full review of the Asus Vivobook 16X OLED F1603 laptop.
Lida
Always the number cruncher, the former narrative journalist turned data scientist, can’t help but find herself bursting with excitement with each new generation of tech gadgets. After all, predicting future trends is Lida’s forte. Any gadget that survives Lida’s torturous, adult working woman itinerary of over 700 notifications a day deserves praise!