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The ASUS Zenbook A14 is the MacBook Air competitor I've been dreaming of

I knew I had found my favorite computer of CES 2025 early last December, long before I had a chance to see what most other PC makers were cooking up. That was the Zenbook A14, a system that ASUS had joked about calling the Zenbook Air. That name would have been fitting: It weighs less than 2.2 pounds (or 1kg), half a pound lighter than Apple&#39;s smallest MacBook Air. In almost every respect, the ZenBook A14 outclasses Apple&#39;s ultraportable, with specs like a 14-inch OLED screen and up to 32 hours of battery life. The only downside is that it&#39;s running Qualcomm&#39;s Snapdragon X and X Elite chips, which limits compatibility with older Windows apps (along with some devices).<br /> <br /> What&#39;s most remarkable about the Zenbook A14, though, is that it simply feels great to hold. The light weight is a big part of that, but its also covered in ASUS&#39;s unique Ceraluminum material, which feels markedly different than a typical metal case. ASUS has deployed Ceraluminum across its premium lineup for years, but this is one of the first times we&#39;ve seen it on practically every surface of a laptop (the top lid, keyboard desk and bottom).<br /> The Zenbook A14 also features plenty of thoughtful design elements. It&#39;s easy to open up one-handed, thanks to a refined hinge that counter-acts the laptop&#39;s tiny frame. It also has a surprising amount of ports, including one USB Type A connection, two USB C ports, HDMI 2.1 and a headphone jack. That&#39;s all connectivity we&#39;ll never see on a MacBook Air.<br /> In my short time with the Zenbook A14, its keyboard and trackpad also felt relatively comfortable. ASUS says the keys offer 1.3mm of travel, and while they could always be deeper, they seemed fine for casual typing. The laptop also sports a 1080p IR camera, speakers with Dolby Atmos support and Wi-Fi 7. Basically, it has everything we&#39;d want in a premium laptop in 2025.<br /> The ASUS Zenbook A14 starts at $900 with a Snapdragon X Plus CPU and 16GB of RAM (in a slightly chunkier 2.4 pound case). The lightest 2.18 pound model is available for $1,100 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip and 32GB of RAM.<br /> ASUS<br /> This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-asus-zenbook-a14-is-the-macbook-air-competitor-ive-been-dreaming-of-173026012.html?src=rss