Asus Vivobook S 15
MSRP $1,100.00
“The Asus Vivobook S15 stands out as the top large-display Copilot+ laptop, featuring a classic design.”
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Exceptional OLED display
- Impressive processing speed
- Outstanding battery life
Cons
- Traditional 16:9 display ratio
- Subpar keyboard quality
Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative emphasizes AI support with advanced neural processing units (NPUs). Initially launched on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chipsets powering Windows on Arm, Copilot+ aims for superior efficiency compared to Intel, while still delivering commendable performance. While results have been mixed, Apple’s Arm-based M3 laptops still maintain a notable edge in battery life, despite being slightly slower.
The Asus Vivobook S 15 follows as another Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ laptop, showcasing a conventional 16:9 aspect ratio, which some may find outdated. Despite this, it offers strong speed and battery efficiency at a competitive price, making it a viable option for those in search of a 15-inch laptop that meets Copilot+ standards.
Specifications and Configurations
Asus Vivobook S 15 (Copilot+)
- Dimensions: 13.88 x 8.93 x 0.58 – 0.63 inches
- Weight: 3.13 pounds
- Processor:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100
- Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno
- RAM: 16GB, 32GB
- Display: 15.6-inch 16:9 3K (2880 x 1620) OLED, 120Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD, 1TB SSD
- Touch: No
- Ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x USB4, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x microSD card reader
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- Webcam: 1080p with infrared support for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition
- Operating System: Windows 11 on Arm
- Battery: 70 watt-hour
- Price: Starting at $1,100+
Currently, the Vivobook S 15 offers two configurations, starting at $1,100 for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a stunning 15.6-inch 3K OLED display. An upgrade to the Snapdragon X Elite chipset and a 1TB SSD is available for a list price of $1,300, also currently discounted to $1,100.
This pricing is competitive for a well-equipped 15-inch laptop, closely aligned with many new Microsoft CoPilot+ PC offerings. It’s around $100 more than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441, which includes the same Snapdragon X Plus chipset, but lacks an OLED display. Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge starts at a premium of at least $1,500 for its Snapdragon X Elite and 16-inch 3K OLED display.
Design
Positioned within Asus's midrange lineup, the Vivobook series contrasts with the premium Zenbook lineup, although pricing does not always reflect this. Interestingly, some Vivobooks outperform Zenbooks while remaining more affordable. Hence, defining the Vivobook S 15 into categories can be challenging.
Right from the start, I noticed that the Vivobook lacks the premium feel associated with many Zenbooks. The lid is somewhat flexible, and both the chassis and keyboard exhibit noticeable give. This makes it less solid compared to competing Copilot+ PCs like the Inspiron 14 Plus 7441, HP OmniBook X, or Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x.
In terms of aesthetics, the Vivobook S 15 adopts the minimalist design trending among current laptops, featuring simple lines, an all-black color palette, and little to no chrome. Although visually appealing, it plays it safe. The Yoga Slim 7x showcases more distinctive style, while the Inspiron 14 Plus appears even less remarkable. Overall, the Vivobook S 15’s looks are decent but not exceptional.
It maintains a reasonable weight and slim profile, aligning with the design of most Copilot+ laptops, nearly matching the dimensions of the Inspiron 14 Plus. However, the 15.6-inch display and broader bezels give it a distinctly older feel, thanks to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio that renders it wider and more rectangular. Typically, I favor laptops with a 16:10 or 3:2 aspect ratio, which makes the Vivobook feel somewhat outdated.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The generous keycaps occupy most of the wide keyboard deck, allowing for a comfortable typing experience. While the numeric keypad might seem quaint, it’s small for leveraging the wider chassis. However, I found the switches to be less than ideal, feeling wobbly and lacking the snappy response expected in modern keyboards, leading to a somewhat mushy typing experience compared to other Copilot+ laptops I've tested.
The touchpad is adequately sized, and its buttons operate quietly. While it performs similarly to many mechanical touchpads available today, the trend is shifting towards superior haptic touchpads in newer models.
Connectivity and Webcam
Connectivity is robust with a variety of ports, combining legacy and modern options. The inclusion of USB4 rather than Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 is noteworthy, but both offer comparable speed and capabilities. Additionally, the microSD card reader remains a useful feature, though I prefer a full-size slot. Latest wireless standards are well-represented with Wi-Fi 7 support.
The Vivobook S 15 features a 1080p webcam, which has become the standard, complemented by an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition. The performant NPU supports Copilot+ features such as Microsoft Studio Effects and Live Captions. However, the more controversial Recall feature, highlighted in the launch of the Copilot+ initiative, is still pending implementation. Asus also provides several utilities that may utilize the NPU, but their specific functions remain uncertain.
Performance
According to Asus, the Vivobook S 15 is equipped with either the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 or the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100. However, my review unit came with the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100, the slowest in the Snapdragon X Plus series, featuring eight cores at 3.4GHz. In contrast, the X Plus X1P-64-100 variant, which I've previously reviewed, boasts ten cores running at the same speed. Notably, neither has the dual-core boost offered by the Snapdragon X Elite chipsets.
Despite my unit's slower Snapdragon X chipset, the Vivobook S 15 surprisingly outperformed the Inspiron 14 Plus with the theoretically superior Snapdragon X Plus chipset. Its speed rivaled some machines powered by Snapdragon X Elite, although the slower Adreno GPU became apparent in gaming performance during the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark.
This means the Vivobook S 15 excels in productivity tasks but may lag behind for gaming and creative applications due to the slower Snapdragon X chipset. The choice of chipsets raises questions for a laptop with a vivid OLED display that would appeal to users interested in photo or video editing.
Currently, the capabilities of the Vivobook S 15 — and other Copilot+ laptops — in executing AI tasks remain uncertain. While the onboard NPU is fast for its kind, discrete GPUs still outperform in this area. The challenge lies in benchmarking AI performance, as existing tools are still evolving, leaving room for speculation.
Battery Life
I’ve included various comparison laptops here, as the Qualcomm chipsets are expected to offer enhanced Arm-based efficiency compared to traditional Intel and AMD chipsets. Typically, Intel laptops average around eight hours of web browsing and twelve hours in video playback.
The Vivobook S 15 falls within these expectations, delivering excellent battery life during web use and even better results with video playback. However, it's evident that as performance demands increase, efficiency can decline, particularly during intensive tasks like Cinebench 2024 multi-core tests. The Apple MacBook Air M3 continues to set the bar for efficiency, particularly under demanding conditions.
Display and Audio
As previously mentioned, the Vivobook S 15 features a wider 16:9 display, which is gradually being replaced by taller 16:10 formats. While the OLED screen is ideal for consuming media without black borders, it may fall short for productivity-focused users who prefer taller displays.
I have no complaints about the quality of the OLED panel itself; I've yet to encounter an OLED display that hasn't impressed. The Vivobook's panel shines with a brightness of 415 nits, pristine blacks, and an excellent contrast ratio of 28,230:1. Color representation is vibrant, covering 100% sRGB, 97% AdobeRGB, and 100% DCI-P3, with color accuracy rated slightly above excellent with a Delta-E of 1.13.
Audio performance is average, characterized by two downward-firing speakers. For richer sound quality, using headphones or external speakers is recommended for anything beyond simple video viewing.
Conclusion
While most Copilot+ laptops are around 14 inches or smaller, the Vivobook S 15 caters to users seeking a larger display. However, the trade-off presented by the 16:9 aspect ratio may disappoint those aiming for elevated productivity. It's well-suited for media consumption.
Despite the slower Snapdragon X Plus chipset, performance impresses, while battery life is commendable, though not the best in the class. Additionally, the price remains attractive, though not extraordinary. Nevertheless, for now, the Vivobook S 15 emerges as a compelling choice among larger Qualcomm devices exceeding 14 inches.
Ranking
