Asus gets creative with 2-in-1 laptop

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is a 2-in-1 laptop designed for creators, offering exceptional versatility and AI-powered features and performance. It functions as a tablet with a detachable keyboard and magnetic cover removed, and as a laptop when connected. This flexible design provides a dynamic and adaptable user experience.

In tablet mode, the device weighs 0.85kg (excluding attachments). The touchscreen is responsive and rotates smoothly. The adjustable magnetic stand holds its position firmly when untouched, though it shifts slightly when tapped. However, once the backlit keyboard is connected, the device transforms into a traditional laptop configuration, eliminating the need to touch the display at all.

The keyboard and large touchpad are comfortable to use. The keyboard folds behind the device and deactivates to prevent accidental typing while in its tablet form.

Featuring a 13-inch 3K (2880×1800) OLED Lumina display, it delivers clear and vivid visuals, but is limited to 60hz. These specifications are superb for photo editing and drawing, but the size posed a challenge for some applications. For example, in Capcut, the video preview appeared somewhat small within the editing interface.

The display has solid durability with its Corning Gorilla Glass, and military grade durability. It has an IP52 dust and water resistance.

Enhancing the touchscreen experience is the included Asus Pen 2.0 – a stylist which I found to be very useful during editing, and web browsing. The touchscreen is comfortable to tap on with one’s finger or the Pen.

The Pen charges via a short USB-C to USB-C cable. Asus claims a 30-minute charge provides over 140 hours of use. It features two side buttons and Bluetooth connectivity. Four pen tips (2H, H, HB, B) are included in the box.

The dual speakers, enhanced by a Smart Amp and Dolby Atmos support, deliver excellent stereo sound. Impressively, the volume can reach high levels, and does not compromise quality.

Despite the device’s cooling technology, it heated up significantly during use. On the plus side, it operated with minimal noise.

Performance and AI

The laptop’s performance is uninterrupted during light tasks, like web browsing and video streaming, and while editing video content. Equipped with a Snapdragon X Plus processor with 45 TOPS NPU and 16GB of RAM, the laptop is well-equipped to handle AI-enhanced tasks efficiently.

As a Copilot+ PC, it features useful tools like: Recall, Live Captions, Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects, and Automatic Super Resolution.

Also included is StoryCube, an AI-powered digital asset-management tool, which can automatically organise your photos and videos. The ProArt Creator Hub, another program, acts as a personal portal for monitoring device’s status, customising settings, and enhancing workflow.

Battery

The laptop displayed varying hours of remaining battery life while in use. However, Asus claims that it can last up to 21 hours during a full HD video playback test, and up to 17 hours while browsing the web.

The laptop boasts an impressive battery life. At full brightness during tasks such as web browsing and video editing, it projected over 10 hours of usage at 90% battery. After an hour of light work, the battery level dropped to 80%. Even at 30% battery, it indicated 3 hours of use remained.

The device charged quickly from 30% to 85% in about an hour.

Why does it matter?

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is an artistic powerhouse. While the display might feel small for certain programs, its high resolution and vibrant colours provide an outstanding experience for creative work and video watching, despite its 60Hz refresh rate.

Enhancing this, is its SD card support, and two USB4 Type-C ports, supporting fast charging, up to 5K external displays, and up to 40 Gbps data transfers. The SD Card reader is compatible with microSD cards. A microSD card adapter is included in the box.

With its versatile usability configurations and high-quality touchscreen display, this device stands out as an excellent choice for users who need a reliable tool for creative tasks. On top of this, its robust design, included backpack, and robust design make it great for on-the-go work.

How much does it cost?

The Asus ProArt PZ13 (HT5306) is available at a recommended retail price of R32,999 on the Asus website here.

What are the biggest negatives?

• Display’s refresh rate is limited to 60hz.
• Device heats up significantly.
• Display may be somewhat small for some programs.

What are the biggest positives?

• Clear, vivid 3K touchscreen display.
• Versatile user experience.
• Operates quietly during use.

* Jason Bannier is a data analyst at World Wide Worx and writer for Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Threads at @jas2bann.