Table of Contents
In this article we’re discussing the 2023 updates in the standard Asus ZenBook 14 OLED lineup of thin-and-light portable laptops.
Those include the ZenBook 14 UX3402VA (Intel 13th-gen Core P) and ZenBook 14 UM3402YA (AMD Ryzen 7000) clamshell designs, as well as the 2-in-1 convertible ZenBook Flip 14 UP3404VA (Intel gen 13th Core P).
All these are premium aluminum builds with 14-inch OLED displays, good inputs and ports, as well as a 75 Wh battery that ensures long runtimes. These are lightweight designs made for everyday use and multitasking, but not so much for demanding loads.
However, if you’re interested in more powerful 14-inch laptops, you should check out our coverage of the 2023 ZenBook Pro 14 and ZenBook Pro Duo 14 models, as well as the intermediary 2023 Asus ZenBook 14X series. Or the 2023 ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming series.
With that in mind, I’ve spent a little time with a few samples of these 2023 Zenbooks, and down below we’ll go through the notable novelties of these generations, briefly comparing them to the previous ZenBook 14 models. I’ll follow up with our in-depth reviews later in the year.
Specs – 2023 Asus Zenbook 14 lineups
But first, here are the specs sheets of these three ZenBook lineups.
| Asus Zenbook 14 UX3402VA | Asus Zenbook 14 UM3402YA | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UP3404VA | |
| Screen | 14.0 inch, 2.8K 2880 x 1800 px, 90 Hz, OLED, glossy, non-touch or touch 400-nits with 600-nits peak HDR, HDR500, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage 2.5K IPS matte display option also available |
14.0 inch, 2.8K 2880 x 1800 px, 90 Hz, OLED, glossy, touch 400-nits with 550-nits peak HDR, HDR500, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage |
|
| Processor | Intel Rocket Lake 13th gen, up to Core i7-1360P, 4C+8c/16T |
AMD Barcelo R, up to Ryzen 7 7730U, 8C/16T |
Intel Rocket Lake 13th gen, up to Core i7-1360P, 4C+8c/16T |
| Video | Intel Iris Xe, 96 EUs, up to 1.5 GHz | AMD Radeon, 8 Cores, up to 2.0 GHz | Intel Iris Xe, 96 EUs, up to 1.5 GHz |
| Memory | up to 16 GB LPDDR5 (soldered) | ||
| Storage | single M.2 2280 slot | ||
| Connectivity | Wireless 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | ||
| Ports | 1x USB-A 3.2 gen2, 2x USB-C 3.2 with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 TMDS, microSD card reader, audio jack |
1x USB-A 3.2 gen2, 2x USB-C 3.2 with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 TMDS, audio jack |
|
| Battery | 75 Wh, 65W USB-C charger with quick-charging | ||
| Size | 313 mm or 12.35” (w) x 220 mm or 8.69 (d) x from 16.9 mm or 0.67” (h) | 311 mm or 12.26” (w) x 223 mm or 8.80″ (d) x from 15.9 mm or 0.63” (h) | |
| Weight | from 3 lbs (1.35 kg) + .49 lbs (.22 kg) charger + cables, EU version from 3.06 lbs (1.4 kg) for touchscreen models |
from 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) + .49 lbs (.22 kg) charger + cables, EU version | |
| Extras | white backlit keyboard, glass NumberPad, FHD webcam (with IR on Flip model), finger sensor in the power button, stereo bottom speakers, Ponder Blue and Foggy Silver colors | ||
Update: If interested, here’s our coverage of the newer Intel Zenbook 14 UX3405 series, the 2024 update built on Intel Meteor Lake hardware with Core Ultra processor and Arc graphics.
Clamshell ZenBook 14 UX3402 (Intel) / UM3402 (AMD)
These are built on the ZenBook 14 UX3402 chassis which we’ve reviewed in depth in this article.
The novelties for the year are on the inside, with 2023 hardware platforms from both Intel and AMD, and an updated higher-res FHD camera that replaces the mediocre 720p shooter on the previous generation.
We’ll get to the specs in a second, but first, a brief summary of the design and ergonomics.
These ZenBooks are compact and lightweight 14-inch clamshell designs, with Ergolift hinges designed to raise up the main body when using the laptop, in order to allow for better airflow into the cooling module.
They’re entirely made out of aluminum, with an anodized finish, and feel sturdy and durable. There’s still some flex in the keyboard deck and some creaks escape from the underside panel, at least on this early sample.
The design has been refined and cleaned up with these latest ZenBook iterations, and Asus offers both models in either blue or silver colors. Our unit is the silver one, while the blue is showcased in the previous article. I prefer the blue, but the silver one is the more carefree choice, as it does a better job of hiding smudges and scratches.
These ZenBooks are also fairly practical and ergonomic. I appreciate the spacious armrest and the smooth hinges, as well as the ability to lean back the display flat to 180 degrees. I also appreciate having a good choice of ports.
However I find the front lip and corners rather sharp on my wrists and fingers, and I’m not a fan of having all the ports on the right edge – I would have preferred a mirrored design, with the IO on the left and the radiator on the right.
Inputs and display
Assus offer color-matched inputs on the two design options, hence our unit gets the silver keyboard and touchpad.
We’ve seen this Asus keyboard perfected over the years, and it’s now one of the best typers available in the ultraportable space. The keycaps aren’t as smooth to the touch on this silver model as on other variants that I’ve used in the past – not sure if this is by design or a quirk of this sample. They feel somewhat like touching fine sandpaper, which I found rather weird.
The centered glass touchpad is excellent (by Windows space standards), and doubles as a NumberPad. There’s also a finger sensor integrated into the power key, but no IR camera.
As for the display, Asus offers these 2023 ZenBooks with the 14-inch 16:10 OLED panel we’ve reviewed on the previous model and encountered on a bunch of other OLED ultraportable designs.
It’s a beautiful panel with a sharp 2.8K resolution, 90Hz refresh, and fast response times, as well as excellent contrast and punchy colors. It doesn’t get very bright though, at around 400-nits max brightness, and since this is a glossy touch implementation, it won’t do well outdoors or in bright light environments.
Furthermore, since this is a touch OLED, you’ll have to accept the graininess caused by the digitizer layer, which I find annoying while browsing and reading texts. From what I understand, Asus will also offer non-touch OLED variants on these ZenBooks, and that’s definitely the one I’d choose if given an option. It is still glossy, but slightly brighter and no longer grainy.
That aside, a matte display variant with an IPS panel is also available on some ZenBook 14 models. That’s a mid-quality 2.5K IPS panel with 400 nits of brightness and 100% sRGB color coverage, so nothing fancy.
Hardware, performance, and battery life
You’ll find these 2023 ZenBook 14 models in stores in either Intel or AMD variants.
On the Intel side, the Asus ZenBook 14 UX3402VA is available with up to the Intel Core i7-1360P 13th-gen processor, 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory, and gen 4 storage (single M.2 2280 slot). The 13th-gen Raptor Lake platform is a minor refinement of the 12th-gen hardware on the previous gen, with a slight bump in CPU and iGPU clock speeds, and a few other refinements, so don’t expect this 2023 update to perform significantly better than the 12th-gen model reviewed here.
On the AMD side, the best-specced variant of the Asus ZenBook 14 UM3402YA gets an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor with 16 GB of LPPDR5 RAM and the same kind of gen4 storage. This is disappointing, as the Ryzen 7 7730U is still a Barcelo-R platform and pretty much a rebadge of the Ryzen 7 5825U processor from 2022. That means it doesn’t offer Zen4 cores and still implements a mediocre Radeon Vega iGPU.
Zen4 cores are not yet available on Ryzen U platforms, as they’re reserved for the higher-power Ryzen 7000 HS and HX hardware, but I would have at least hoped for a Ryzen 7 7735U configuration here, which is the rebadged 6800U with Radeon 680M graphics. And yeah, way to go AMD making all these names so very confusing.
Internally, the two variants are the exact same layout, with the same motherboard design, the same cooling module, and the same audio system.
Expect both these laptops to run at mid-power settings in this chassis, at up to 30W sustained on the Performance mode in the myAsus control center.
Of the two, the Intel 13th-gen implementation is the more competent option here, while the AMD model should be available for a cheaper price and could offer better runtimes on battery use.
Both these ZenBooks offer a 75 Wh battery, which is larger than the norm for a 14-inch thin-and-light design. Expect long runtimes with both hardware variants. Both charge via USB-C and come with a compact 65W charger.
Convertible Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED UP3404
The ZenBook 14 Flip UP3404 is the convertible 2-in-1 iteration of the clamshell ZenBook 14 UX3402 model discussed above. In this part of the article, we’ll mostly touch on the differences between these two models.
The 14 Flip only comes with Intel hardware and it’s a little bit larger and heavier than the standard model, as a result of incorporating the 360-degree hinges and display. Other than that, though, it looks and feels just like the clamshell variant.
In these following illustrations, the regular ZenBook 14 clamshell is on the left side, and the convertible Zenbook 14 Flip is on the right.
For some reason, this convertible variant doesn’t offer the micro SD card reader that’s available with the traditional design, but includes all the other ports and a similar IO layout.
The 360-degree hinge mechanism is tried and tested on past ZenBook Flip models, with smooth and hopefully reliable mechanisms. Magnets keep the two sides attached in tablet mode, but this notebook is not comfortable to hold and use in this format, due to its size and weight, and especially due to its sharp edges and pointy corners.
Asus also implemented some rubber rest feet in the corners of the main chassis, for the screen to sit on when the laptop is closed. For comparison, the clamshell model doesn’t need those, as it incorporates a rubber gasket around the bezels. There’s no such rubber bezel on the Flip model but instead, there’s this thin and sharp metal framing illustrated in the comparison images.
And since we’re discussing the tiny differences between these models, I must mention that the Flip gets an IR camera and a regular power key without a finger-sensor, while the clamshell model gets a regular camera and power key with a finger-sensor. That’s despite the fact that the two incorporate the exact same keyboard and touchpad layouts.
As for the screen, the 2.8K OLED is the single available option on the Flip, in the touch implementation with the grainy digitizer layer.
Hardware and performance
As mentioned already, the ZenBook 14 Flip UP3404 series is only available with Intel 13th-gen hardware and can be configured up to an Intel Core i7-1360P with 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory and 1 TB of gen4 SSD storage.
Internally, the 2-in-1 and the clamshell models are nearly identical, with the same motherboard layout, the same 75 Wh battery, and the same audio system. The hinges take more space inside the 2-in-1 model, though, as shown down below.
Pricing and availability
Asus didn’t share much in these regards, but expect all these ZenBook 14 series to be competitive in the mid-tier segments, with certain variants aggressively targeting the budget laptop price class, just like the ZenBook 14 Q409ZA configuration did on the US market last year.
From what I know so far, these 2023 generations should be available in stores by the Spring of this year, and I’ll update this section when we know more and once I get to properly reviews these.
In the meantime, I’m looking forward to your thoughts on these ZenBook 14 and ZenBook 14 Flip 2023 updates, so get in touch in the comments section below.
Olivier
January 26, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Why does it seem, that competitive AMD CPUs are not getting picked up into most of the new notebooks?
2 years ago or even 1 year ago, at least Asus had a wide range of AMD laptops to choose from. Today they are only present in some gaming rigs
Andrei Girbea
January 27, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Most likely supply issues. Not sure if you were following, but even the few portable AMD models announced last year were rarely available in stock. So this year OEMs didn't even bother with AMD models.
This is also the reason why there's no Zen4 Ryzen U yet.
C
February 21, 2023 at 10:09 pm
on the market?
walmart.com/ip/ASUS-ZenBook-14-OLED-UM3402YA-IS76T-180-degree-hinge-design-AMD-Ryzen-7-5825U-2-GHz-Win-11-Home-Radeon-Graphics-16-GB-RAM-1-TB-SSD-NVMe-14-touchscree/1353058284
Andrei Girbea
February 22, 2023 at 12:35 pm
what do you mean?
C
February 23, 2023 at 1:12 am
Searched for model number in title of this article and turned up that result (UM3402YA) Thx.
BG
February 28, 2023 at 6:49 pm
"Searched for model number in title of this article and turned up that result (UM3402YA) Thx.
walmart.com/ip/ASUS-ZenBook-14-OLED-UM3402YA-IS76T-180-degree-hinge-design-AMD-Ryzen-7-5825U-2-GHz-Win-11-Home-Radeon-Graphics-16-GB-RAM-1-TB-SSD-NVMe-14-touchscree/1353058284"
This link is obviously the previous model with a 5825U (it says it right in the link!). Not the 2023 version. Still not looking good for the 2023 version as its handicapped with the old Radeon Vega iGPU. Heres hoping the Intel OLED version is capable of good battery life – else the ZenBook 14 OLED is a wash for 2023.
Bruce Jackson
March 26, 2023 at 8:13 am
You did not do a summary comparison of the Intel and AMD models.
Do you know why Asus don't realise some of the models you review such as Asus S13 5302 ?
Thanks
Rachel
April 21, 2023 at 2:21 am
Andrei, you are the only reviewer I know that has pointed out the issue with the grainieness of the touch screen OLED. I dont know why, none of the Youtubers say a thing about it.
…..But I agree, and It drives me crazy, I got an asus oled touch screen (my 1st OLED) and I thought the screen was defective because of how Granny the text and light colors were compared to my IPS touch screen. I wish Asus offered these laptops with an IPS Touch screen, OLED is not good for touch screen. Whats weird is, this is not an issue on OLED smartphones, wonder why?
Andrei Girbea
April 21, 2023 at 9:06 am
The issue is with the digitizer layer. If you can find an OLED laptop in a non-touch variant, there's no grain at all.
As far as I understand, tablets and phones use different technology for their digitizers.
Hugo S
June 8, 2023 at 6:02 am
Thank you for this review! If I had seen it before, I wouldn't have made the mistake of getting the wrong laptop model. I bought the UX3402VA from Bestbuy, thinking it was the one that could pivot 360 degrees. When I got home, I couldn't pivot it to 360 degrees. Looking at Bestbuy's website, I realized there were two models that looked exactly the same, but only one could pivot 360 degrees… and surprisingly, it was $100 cheaper than the one that could only pivot 180 degrees. I don't understand why it was cheaper when it has an additional feature. So, I'm going to return the one that pivots 180 degrees and get the other one. This is all very confusing… I don't understand why they don't change the names of the machines on Bestbuy and elsewhere. Both are called Asus Zenbook 14'' and have the same specifications.
Randy
June 21, 2023 at 4:53 am
any idea UX3404 will be available in the US and the cost?
C
June 30, 2023 at 2:53 am
I tired of waiting for Asus variants I wanted/reviewed here never materializing. Tried a Surface Pro 9 for a month then returned (terrible touch screen lag/freeze/typing/floppy kb/expensive overall)- and finally got a Lenovo Yoga 7i 14" from Best Buy for $1050 and am super happy with it! Lots of ports, microSD, touch, great batt life, well made, i7/16GB/512GB. Screen is not the brightest but perfectly happy with it. No complaints at all. My search is over and appreciate the reviews here and conversation about the details of all these systems.
suz
September 21, 2023 at 1:13 pm
Aust. Looking to purchase laptop for primarily web browsing and office functions – no gaming, creative etc so many to choose from … up to US$1500. Needs to be light. Narrowed down to;
1. ASUS ZenBook 15 UM3504 OLED 15.6" 120Hz 2.8K Laptop R7-7735U 16GB 512GB W11P – UM3504DA-NX133X
2. Acer Swift 14
3. Fujitsu LifeBook U9312X 13.3" Touch 2-in-1 Laptop i7-1265U vPro 32GB 1TB W11P
4. HP EliteBook 1040 G9 14" WUXGA Laptop i7-1265U 32GB 2TB W10P 4G LTE
5. ASUS Vivobook S 14 K5404 OLED 14.5" 120Hz 2.8K Laptop i9-13900H 16GB 512GB W11P – K5404VA-M9083X
6. Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14.5" 3K 120Hz Laptop Ryzen 7 16GB 512GB RTX3050 W11P – 83AU003QAU
What would your suggestion be and why? Other option is Apple but I've always been a PC user and not sure how easy it would be change
Any advice would be really appreciated. Too much reading …to hard to decide.
Andrei Girbea
September 22, 2023 at 2:42 pm
You can't really go wrong with any of them, although I don't have any experience with the Fujitsu.
Few things to consider: keyboard format (with numpad or not), screen (matte or glossy – all the OLEDS), battery size, design, performance and cooling (these still matter for daily multitasking where I'd rather have something that can keep snappy and quiet, than something that needs to ramp up the fans all the time).
Performance wise, sure, some are more powerful than others, and there's a notable gap between a Core i9 H and a Core i7 U. But between these options, I'd probably go for either no. 1 or 6, if you're OK with an OLED and the glossy finish.
You haven't provided details on the Swift 14 specs, but if that's a matte IPS option, I would consider it as an alternative to the OLEDs.
Hope this helps at least somewhat.
Suzanne Layman
September 22, 2023 at 2:58 pm
Thank you Andrei.
Swift 14 Strong performance with 13700H, 1TB SSDs storage, lightweight 1.05kg. Battery life 56WH
what does Matte ips mean?
Is there anything I haven't listed that you would consider – especially something you have done a review that I can read.
THank you – have a good weekend!
Andrei Girbea
September 22, 2023 at 3:08 pm
IPS and OLED are screen panel technologies. the OLED tech is explained here: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/61635-oled-laptops/ . For IPS, you'll find plenty of articles online.
Matte and glossy are screen finishes. matte doesn't reflect light, glossy is like glass and shows glare/reflections in strong light. If you plan on using the laptop outdoors, a matte screen would be preferred.
That Swift is snappy and portable, but also has a small battery. I'd rather go with one of the other two.
Steve
October 7, 2023 at 2:42 am
Andrei thank you for the excellent review of this and last year's model. Thank you also for noting the grainy screen for the touch screen version. It buffles me how most reviewers don't even mention this. May I please ask if you know whether the non touch screen model will be available in the UK. It seems that for the time being they only sell here the OLED touch screen for the model with the 13th gen Intel Core. This laptop ticks all the boxes for me but I am very wary of getting the touch screen version based on the comments I have seen from some users. Any ideas about whether the non touchscreen might be available in the UK or Europe? Many thanks.
Andrei Girbea
October 7, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Hi. There's no way for me to know the exact configurations available in your country. Unfortunately, that's something only the local Asus reps might be able to answer, but even that might be impossible, since I doubt there's communication between the support/PR team and the Product managers in charge of configuring the various lineups. Especially in a big market like the UK.
As far as I can tell, most OLED options are touch, and non-touch variants are rare. You'll just have to scout the various webstores and figure out if any offer a non-touch configuration.
You could also perhaps try to find this touch OLED mode in a physical store, and see how you personally feel about the grain. Perhaps it's not going to be an issue for you. I think that is the reason many reviewers don't even mention it, it doesn't bother them. It did bother me and that's why I warned about it in my articles, but this can be subjective and vary from person to person.
That aside, you might also consider ordering the laptop from an online store that allows no-questions-asked returns within a few days, and decide if you'll keep it or return it.
Steve
October 7, 2023 at 1:32 pm
Thank you for your immediate and helpful answer. I called ASUS UK but they were not that helpful as they could not provide a clear answer. I did go today to a store and I think this will be an issue for me. From my perspective, it's there and I can see it (in some angles it's more pronounced than others). Admittedly, it's not that strong and I see how some people might get used to it but when I saw this next to other laptop screens it does not have as white and uniform screen as an IPS touch screen panel. It was next to an HP Envy 13.3 laptop (13-bf0500sa) and I have decided to go with that one as the camera was exceptional and I do a lot of video calls. The processor is not that strong in terms of performance (i7 1250U) in comparison the Zenbook's but I use my laptop mainly for word processing, spreadsheets, and browsing the net. So it should be fine. It's a shame because if they offered the non-touch screen version I would have gone for that one. Once again, thank you for your quick and helpful reply.
Andrei Girbea
October 7, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Glad I could help.