ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED Review – When Power Meets Elegance in a Slim Package

In an era where ultrabooks are expected to perform like workstations yet feel as light as a feather, ASUS delivers a remarkable blend of power, portability, and style with its latest Zenbook S16 OLED. With a premium OLED display, top-tier hardware, sleek design, and flagship features such as the ASUS DialPad, this laptop stakes a serious claim in the competitive 16-inch ultrabook market.

In this comprehensive review, we’ll explore its design, display, performance, battery life, connectivity, and real-world usage to see whether the Zenbook S16 OLED is the perfect productivity machine for 2025.

Striking Design with Featherweight Confidence

ASUS has refined the Zenbook aesthetic with a minimalist aluminum chassis that screams modern elegance. Measuring just 1.49 kg, this 16-inch machine remains incredibly portable—ideal for working professionals, frequent travelers, or anyone prioritizing mobility. Its dimensions of approximately 355 × 252 × 15.9 mm ensure it slips easily into medium-sized backpacks and briefcases.

Highlighting its build quality is the iconic spun-metal ‘Zen’ finish on the lid, subtle chamfered edges, and polished keyboard deck. The backlit keyboard offers ample key travel (approx. 1.4 mm), satisfying tactile feedback, and a comfortable typing experience even during extended sessions. The spacious glass touchpad supports multi-touch gestures and smoothly doubles as the innovative ASUS DialPad with its hidden tactile dial feature.

OLED Display: A Visual Feast

Where the Zenbook S16 OLED truly shines is its gorgeous 16-inch 3K+ (3024 × 1896) OLED panel with a 60 Hz refresh rate. This stunning display boasts:

• 600 nits peak brightness, ideal for indoor and well-lit environments
• 100% DCI‑P3 color coverage suited for creative work like photo editing, design, and video
• Semi-gloss coating to reduce reflections without compromising on vibrancy
• TÜV Rheinland low blue-light compliance and flicker-free output for eye comfort

Watching HDR content from Netflix, sRGB photo editing, or long coding sessions—the OLED screen delivers deep blacks, lifelike colors, and exceptional contrast that outclasses most LCD rivals.

Performance That Defies Its Size

Beneath the sleek chassis sits potent hardware options:

• Up to Intel Core i9‑13900H or Core i7‑13700H (13th Gen Raptor Lake)
• Up to 32 GB LPDDR5X 6400 MHz RAM (soldered)
• Up to 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

This combination ensures smooth multitasking, rapid app loading, and strong performance for creative software. In benchmarks and real usage:

• Adobe Premiere renders drive quickly;
• DaVinci Resolve video playback stays smooth;
• Coding environments like VS Code and Docker containers open swiftly;
• Even moderate gaming runs well, thanks to Intel’s iGPU or optional NVIDIA MX 550 GPU option.

The Zenbook S16 also includes efficient thermal management—dual fans, vapor chamber cooling, and large heat sinks—ensuring performance remains consistent under sustained loads, with audio remaining subdued in everyday use.

ASUS DialPad: A Subtle Productivity Booster

One of the most forward-thinking features is the ASUS DialPad—a hidden capacitive dial beneath the touchpad that senses circular finger movements. ASUS software allows this to control aspects like brush size in Photoshop, timeline scrubbing in Premiere, or zooming in Excel. It’s intuitive, tweakable, and subtly integrates into creative workflows, proving that small innovations can offer productivity gains.

Keyboard, Touchpad & Input

The backlit chiclet keyboard delivers solid feedback, making typing enjoyable even into the late hours. The spacious touchpad is highly responsive to multi-gesture inputs. Meanwhile, the power button doubles as a precision fingerprint sensor, enabling secure Windows Hello logins.

Additional input details:

• 1080p HD webcam with IR sensor and physical privacy shutter
• Hey Lenovo-style physical switch for mic mute
• Stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, offering crisp trebles but lacking in deep bass

Robust Port Selection & Connectivity

Despite its slim form, the Zenbook S16 bronze comes equipped with solid connectivity:

• 2 × Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports – 40 Gbps data, external display, and charging support
• 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps)
• 1 × HDMI 2.1 port for external high-resolution displays or gaming setups
• 1 × microSD card slot—a boon for photographers and videographers on the go
• 1 × 3.5 mm audio combo jack

Wireless connectivity is future-proofed with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and Windows 11 formatted for modern work.

Battery Life That Keeps Pace

Mighty hardware doesn’t always drain quickly—that’s not the case here:

• Looping HD video playback under 600 nits consumed ~50% battery in 6.5 hours
• Light office work yielded around 10–12 hours of battery life
• Even with intense multitasking, the laptop easily carried users through a full workday

Additionally, fast 100 W USB-C charging tops up the battery in approximately 70 minutes—a welcome convenience during travel.

Real-World Usage Scenarios

Creative Workflows

Video editors and content creators will appreciate the color-accurate OLED panel, fast storage, and multitasking flexibility. DaVinci Resolve and Photoshop workflows are smooth, while the DialPad adds finesse to detail work.

Productivity & Remote Work

The powerful Intel processors effortlessly handle virtualization tools like Docker and WSL2. Office tasks, spreadsheets, and web multitabs are snappy, with no hint of sluggishness.

On-the-Go Lifestyle

Lightweight, portable, and equipped with USB-C charging, the Zenbook S16 excels for business travelers or digital nomads. The inclusion of an HDMI port and microSD slot increases external monitor and storage flexibility.

Points to Consider

• The OLED panel is fixed at 60 Hz; creatives craving faster refresh rates may be disappointed
• Only one USB-A port may require a dongle for legacy devices
• No dedicated XL GPU means ultra-heavy gaming or 3D work will be limited
• Stereo speakers are good but bass performance feels light compared to larger chassis laptops

Final Verdict: Premium, Portable, Powerful

The ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED is a well-rounded ultrabook that checks most boxes for 2025: a spectacular display, brisk performance, innovative ergonomics, and true portability. It’s a standout for professionals, creatives, and frequent travelers who want flagship features minus the bulk.

While not without minor compromises—a one-port shortage or lack of high-end GPU—it delivers consistently in core areas that matter the most. With strong battery life, refined software, and build quality, the Zenbook S16 is poised to become a favorite in the high-end ultrabook category.

Whether you’re editing photos, crunching spreadsheet data, writing on the go, or simply streaming your favorite Maxwell Buoy track, ASUS’s OLED powerhouse ensures you don’t compromise. Stylish, fast, and smart—the Zenbook S16 suggests that ultrabooks of the future won’t just be lighter—they’ll be smarter.