In 2023, the thin and light laptop segment saw major advancements with the ASUS Zenbook S OLED, HP Pavilion Aero 13, and Lenovo YogaBook 9i. The ASUS Zenbook S OLED leads with its ultra-sleek design, featuring a 13.3-inch, 2.8K OLED screen and a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, emphasizing portability and aesthetics.
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The HP Pavilion Aero 13 offers a featherweight aluminum build and a practical matte IPS screen, powered by an AMD Ryzen 7000 series processor for efficient everyday use. Lenovo’s YogaBook 9i introduces innovative dual 13.3-inch OLED displays, powered by the same 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, allowing versatile multitasking and creative workflows. Each model brings unique strengths to the table, with ASUS focusing on design and performance, HP on lightweight practicality, and Lenovo on innovative dual-display technology, highlighting diverse user preferences in the segment. But there can only be one winner.
Price: Rs 1,49,990
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) is a testament to ultrabook innovation, combining sleek aesthetics with practical functionality. It features a 13.3-inch, 2.8K OLED display, providing vivid visuals and deep colors, and is powered by the efficient 13th-gen Intel Core i7-1355U processor, accompanied by Intel Iris Xe graphics. With 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1TB Gen4 SSD, it offers quick response times and ample storage. However, its ultra-slim design leads to a shallower keyboard and constrained performance under heavy loads. Despite these trade-offs, its lightweight form, robust I/O, and good battery life make it a strong contender in the ultrabook market.
Going in the detail, the ASUS Zenbook S OLED 13 impresses even more. Starting with its chassis, instead of polycarbonate ASUS has used plasma ceramic aluminium. It helps in keeping the laptop ultra-thin while also making sure it remains strong. How thin you ask? The ASUS Zenbook S OLED 13 is just 10.9mm thick, it is thinner than even the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air at 11.3mm.
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Despite that the ASUS Zenbook S OLED 13 doesn’t miss out on performance. The Intel 13th Gen Core i7 chip barely loses points in throttle tests and delivers solid performance in both 3D rendering and computing tasks. The OLED display is amazing too, featuring a 550 nits peak brightness, 150% sRGB and 100% DCI-P3 coverage, numbers that are poised to give you one of the best viewing experiences. On top of that you also have a super fast SSD, enough RAM to handle everyday and demanding tasks and a quite exquisite keyboard and trackpad combination. Enough good stuff and raw prowess deserving of the Digit Zero1 Award.
Runner-up: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i
Price: Rs 2,49,900
The 2023 Lenovo YogaBook 9i, designed for a niche market, features dual 13.3-inch OLED touchscreens with 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, offering an iPad-like visual and touch experience. It runs on a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U processor with 16 GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, providing adequate performance for routine tasks but struggling with more demanding ones. Notable features include a QHD webcam with Windows Hello, quad speakers, and a 360-degree hinge for various usage modes. Despite its innovative dual-screen design, the YogaBook 9i’s virtual keyboard lacks the efficiency of a physical one (though a Bluetooth keyboard is provided), and it has limitations in connectivity (only USB-C), non-upgradable parts, and cooling under heavy usage. In short, innovative design but unrefined execution. Priced at Rs 2.49 lakh, it’s a high-end choice suitable for users valuing dual-screen functionality over conventional laptop aspects, earning its position as the runner-up in the premium thin and light category.
Price: Rs 78,990
The HP Pavilion Aero 13 redefines thin and light laptops with its ultralight magnesium-aluminum body and robust performance. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7735U processor, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD, it excels in daily tasks and light gaming. The 13.3-inch WUXGA IPS display, featuring micro bezels and 400 nits brightness, offers a modern aesthetic. Its keyboard and Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers enhance user experience, while the long-lasting battery surpasses many competitors. Not just that, the AMD Ryzen 7 7735U features a decently powerful iGPU capable of running games. I played GTA V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and even Crysis three remastered. And the HP Pavilion Aero 13 ran all of them at a playable frame rate.
It is not just because of the iGPU but also because of the processor’s strong single and multicore performance. Another thing which impressed me is the laptop’s battery life of 532 minutes, which is 8.8 hours at 100% screen brightness. Impressive to say the least. The diverse variety of ports, a solid build quality, ultra compact size and an absolute killer price makes the Aero 13 worthy of the Best Buy award, ideal for budget-conscious users seeking a high-quality ultrabook.
For more information on Digit Zero1 Award winners across various categories of products, please visit: https://www.digit.in/zero1-awards
