Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Creativity in motion

The Asus Zenbook has always delivered a good range of options for business users, with reasonably-priced, powerful machines that can also perform tricks such as folding and transforming into tablets at a pull of their hinge.

But despite their clear track record, the brand has still not become as ubiquitous in business as Apple or Dell. If the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) is anything to go by, this may all be about to change as Asus can snatch the portable laptop crown.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Design

The 2023 model of Zenbook 14 Flip is a sleek device to look at; its dark blue surface and simple back design are accentuated with bold lines hinting at the thought that has gone into designing it both above and below the hood.

While the plastic build is far from premium, it's not the worst design you're likely to find on a laptop at this price point. That said, in hot weather, the surface can become somewhat sticky which some users may find uncomfortable, and the back does attract both dust and fingerprints. And, at 1.5kg, this isn't the lightest laptop you're likely to come across but it's certainly dainty enough to easily fit into any backpack or briefcase.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard on the Zenbook 14 Flip is a treat to use. While it doesn't quite have the grace of some more expensive competitors – each key feels a little plasticky – it provides a solid typing experience.

Image 1 of 5

It's worth noting that the keys are quite quiet, which you wouldn't necessarily expect from a keyboard of this size or indeed one made from its plastic material. But, those looking for a full keyboard layout will come away disappointed, as this model comes with a condensed UK layout. It's to be expected for a laptop this size, and a Bluetooth keyboard is a handy solution to this not-so-big problem in a pinch.

Asus did pack this device with a trick up its sleeve, however. Hold your finger down on the numpad symbol in the top-right corner of the trackpad and it will light up with a digital numpad, for those data entry workers who want that full-size experience.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Display

Those looking for excellent picture quality in a small frame need to look no further than the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip's fantastic OLED display. In ITPro's internal testing, the display achieved a very respectable 100% sRGB coverage, 94.7% Adobe RGB coverage, and 98.9% DCI P3 coverage. This is in keeping with other variants of the Zenbook 14, such as the 14X which came through these tests with virtually the same set of scores. 

One point is that in standard OLED fashion, the screen is glossy and therefore does carry glare to an unfortunate level. Despite the laptop's inherent portability, it may be one to keep out of the sun to any significant extent, so you can make out what's happening on your screen.

As a 360-degree folding laptop, the Zenbook 14 Flip's display is also enjoyable in tablet mode or propped up in a stand as an arch. It's using the tablet in this format that really accentuates the real estate of its 16:10, 2880 x 1800 touchscreen display. This is perfect for watching videos, conference calls, or doing graphics-intensive work such as design or photography. 

Packaged with the Asus Pen, the screen is a powerful asset for the laptop that elevates it to a truly fantastic user experience. In our tests with Adobe Photoshop and Fresco, the sketching, note-taking, and photo editing experience with the pen was excellent, with the 2m/s latency leaving almost no room for lag with each brush stroke.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Hardware and performance

In tests of the device for both business and home use cases, no tasks proved too taxing, with heavy web browser use and file transfers both proving to be smooth sailing. Its Intel Core i7-1360P Processor (2.2 GHz), Intel® Iris Xe Graphics, and 16GB installed LPDDR5 memory allows the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED to chew through many of a user's day-to-day tasks with no issue.

In Geekbench 6, the device achieved an impressive single-core score of 2,280 and a multi-core score of 10,265. To put that in perspective, it's more than the 2021 Dell XPS 15's 1,551 and 8,707 and operating in the same category as the M2 Macbook Air's 2573 and 9886.

With Davinci Resolve, the Asus provided decent performance even when editing multiple 4k tracks over one another, with the occasional frame drop here and there but a solid rendering time and no measurable increase in fan noise. In general, the device remained whisper-quiet at all times. Excessive fan output could prove a real bother if one was holding the device in its tablet mode, but we never found this to be the case.

It's clear from the performance that this would make a good all-rounder laptop for anyone whose work necessitates frequent media tasks, but who cannot justify a full-stack setup like the MacBook Pro.

Despite claims of a 12-hour battery life, in our tests, the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED lasted just 6hrs and 30mins of constant video playback. That said, this intensive test wasn't reflective of the entire time spent using the device and did not include battery-saving features.

In day-to-day use, this device would last an entire business day, particularly if your work involves a healthy mix of intensive tasks and more relaxed duties such as checking emails or light word editing.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Ports and features

Sometimes lightweight laptops - particularly 2-in-1 devices – trade ports for portability. Happily, Asus didn't force users to pick one over the other with the Zenbook Flip 14 OLED, which comes packed with a plethora of connections for a good range of uses.

These comprise two Thunderbolt 4 display/power ports, an HDMI, a single USB 3.2 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The audio jack is a notable addition, given that it isn't ubiquitous across the Zenbook range, and very welcome for those looking to connect their laptops to studio headphones or external speakers.

That said, users will be pleasantly surprised by the power of the laptop's internal speakers. Tested on some bass-heavy clips, there was some distortion, but for clarity and sheer volume, these are a real surprise. Moving the laptop into and out of its various foldable positions is as seamless as you'd hope for, with the sturdy hinges giving good support while not impeding movement too much.

While it has Windows Hello face recognition, the lack of a dedicated fingerprint scanner on the Zenbook Flip 14 OLED is a bit of a disappointment. Given that this is a device that could be used as a tablet for a good deal of its life, it's not altogether convenient to have to rely on typing in your password every time you unlock the device, if you're not comfortable with facial recognition.

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 review: Price

At £1,499.99, the Zenbook 14 FLIP OLED isn't the cheapest option on the market, coming in around the same price as the Dell XPS 15 depending on configuration. That may sound like an indictment – certainly, the XPS 15 packs more of a punch on paper – but you get what you pay for and the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED certainly provides a fantastic user experience, and the XPS 15 can't touch the Zenbook's portability.

If you're never going to fold this thing into tablet or prop it up in its arch shape, it might be worth considering another device in the Zenbook range. But to experience the best the company offers, the Zenbook Flip 14 OLED is highly recommended.

FAQs

Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404VA) 2023 specifications