Asus Zenbook Duo: A Game-Changer for Dual-Screen Productivity

I’ve been using the Asus Zenbook Duo since May, traveling with it to various places, and it has fundamentally transformed my work habits. While my go-to machine has always been the M2 MacBook Air due to its portability, the Asus Zenbook Duo has made me reconsider, despite its added weight. I’m pleased to admit that I was wrong about dual-screen laptops; they have the potential to become mainstream productivity tools shortly.

When I used the Asus Zenbook 17 OLED as my work device in late 2022, I encountered significant issues with operating system optimization and battery life. I assumed that having two screens, or even one large screen, would present challenges for Windows. However, the Asus Zenbook Duo has successfully addressed these concerns while also impressing me with its innovative design.

From its hardware to its user interface customizations, the Zenbook Duo offers plenty to appreciate. It features two 14-inch Full HD OLED displays, which support Dolby Vision and can reach up to 500 nits of peak brightness. Both screens are vibrant and bright, making them excellent for watching movies, though you’ll need headphones because the built-in speakers are merely average.

A standout design feature of the Zenbook Duo is the kickstand at the bottom, which helps position the dual displays at comfortable viewing angles. This integrated feature is a smart design choice, eliminating the need for an additional accessory to take advantage of the laptop’s unique form factor.

The laptop also includes a detachable Bluetooth keyboard that magnetically connects to the bottom display. All of this is packed into a 0.78-inch thick, 1.65 kg body—thicker than the MacBook Pro, but I believe it’s worth the extra bulk. The flexibility provided by the Zenbook Duo is unmatched.

For example, during an 8-hour bus journey, I can use the Zenbook Duo as a traditional laptop while simultaneously covering online events in real time without needing an extra display. With the MacBook Air, I would require an iPad to watch a livestream while keeping my Teams and Chrome apps active. In contrast, the Zenbook Duo allows me to detach the keyboard and use one screen for the livestream while using the other to discuss ideas with my editor and take notes in Google Docs.

The Zenbook Duo also excels in performance. Unlike my experience with the Asus Zenbook 17 OLED, where Windows would sometimes crash or gestures would fail to work, the Zenbook Duo runs flawlessly. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor with a TDP of 35W, along with an Intel Arc GPU and Intel AI Boost NPU, this laptop handles tasks effortlessly. I can drag and drop windows between the two displays without any hiccups, even with 14 Chrome tabs, Teams, and Slack running in the background. Running Adobe Photoshop on the top screen while researching and writing stories on the bottom display is smooth, something that wasn’t possible before. Asus has managed to fix the reliability issues that previously plagued dual-screen setups.

While the Zenbook Duo tends to run warm under heavy use, I haven’t noticed any stuttering or slowdowns. However, it can get uncomfortable on your lap. In such cases, you can place the laptop on a table and use the detachable keyboard on your lap. Although this setup isn’t ideal, the keyboard has decent key travel and a satisfying clicky feel that makes typing comfortable. The trackpad also performs well.

A virtual keyboard can be triggered on the bottom screen with a six-finger tap, but I haven’t found a practical use for it yet. It seems more like a backup feature for situations where you forget to pack the keyboard. The Zenbook Duo also supports a stylus, included in the box, but there’s no built-in slot to store it, so you’ll have to carry it separately.

Asus includes the ScreenXpert app to simplify the dual-screen experience. This app allows you to adjust the brightness of each screen individually, monitor the keyboard’s battery life, resize the virtual keyboard, and more. Having all these settings accessible in one place is essential for controlling a device with a unique form factor like this one, and ScreenXpert fulfills that need effectively.

Battery life has been impressive, with the Zenbook Duo consistently lasting me an entire workday over the past two months. While using both screens can drain the battery, I’ve managed to get up to five hours of usage in dual-screen mode, which isn’t bad. The laptop comes with a 65W Type-C charger that can recharge it from 10% to 100% in just over two hours.

In terms of connectivity, the Zenbook Duo offers one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. While these options are sufficient for most productivity tasks, an SD card reader would have been a nice addition for creative professionals.

Priced at $1,500 or ₹1,79,990, the Asus Zenbook Duo is an easy recommendation. I never thought I would travel with a laptop thicker than 0.5 inches, but the Zenbook Duo has changed my mind. Although it occupies a bit more space in my backpack, the extra millimeters are worth it. I would have appreciated better speakers and a higher-quality camera, but even as it stands, the Asus Zenbook Duo is a productivity powerhouse.