Over All Rating 3/5
PROS 👍
- Premium Design
- Exceptional OLED Display
- Robust Battery Life
CONS 👎
- Webcam
- Volume Output
- Minimal Upgrade Options
ASUS, the Taiwanese tech giant, has firmly established itself as a leader in the laptop market, offering a wide array of devices to meet the varied needs of consumers. The company launched a new 2024 Vivobook series of laptops, a series known for catering to both business and gaming enthusiasts. Among all, we received the Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED (S5506MA) laptop for a review. Let’s see what it has to offer!
Design & Build
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED comes in two sleek colour options: Neutral Black and Mist Blue. The unit we received for a review was the Neutral Black variant. The laptop measures 353.6 x 246.9 x 15.9mm and weighs 1.5kg. While some competitors offer lighter models (around 1.1-1.2kg), the Vivobook S 15 OLED remains impressively portable. The very first thing you will notice when handling this laptop is its lightweight and slim profile, coupled with a well-distributed weight.
Talking about the charging case, the lid snaps closed with a magnetic seal. Even if it accidentally opens, the earbuds are firmly magnetically latched, reducing the risk of a runaway earbud. Unfortunately, there’s no way to track the Accentum True Wireless if you misplace it under the sofa or in a purse. The Smart Control app is not helpful unless you are using the earbuds.
It supports a 180-degree hinge, allowing for flexible usage angles, and boasts MIL-STD 810H military-grade certification for durability in harsh conditions. The design features an all-metal body, enhancing its premium feel. The display shell has a minimalist design with the ASUS Vivobook branding engraved on the middle portion. Beneath the display shell, strategically placed heat ventilation openings to ensure efficient thermal management.
Display
Upon opening the laptop, you’re greeted by ASUS’s Lumina OLED Glossy Display. This 15.6-inch screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio and an 83% screen-to-body ratio. It supports a stunning 3K resolution (2880x1620p), a 120Hz refresh rate, 400 nits brightness, and a 1 billion colour range. The display offers a 0.2ms response time and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, covering a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.
It also boasts SGS Eye Care Certification and TÜV Rheinland certification, reducing harmful blue light by 70%. A full-HD camera with Windows Hello support is integrated into the top display border, allowing for secure and quick login. The camera also features a privacy shutter for when it’s not in use.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Vivobook S 15 OLED features a full-sized Chiclet keyboard with single-zone RGB backlighting, supporting millions of colours and Microsoft Dynamic Lighting effects. This feature, though unconventional for business notebooks, can appeal to a wide range of users.
The keyboard includes a numeric pad, which might require some getting used to for new users. It has a 1.7mm key travel and a 0.2mm concave arc keycap design. Underneath the keyboard lies a massive 7.1-inch touchpad, the largest in ASUS’s notebook history. It boasts a 240Hz ultra-high sampling rate for smooth operation and quiet clicks.
Connectivity
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is well-equipped with seven ports. On the left, there’s an HDMI 2.1 TMDS port, two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (supporting DisplayPort and Power Delivery), a MicroSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the right, there are two USB Type-A Gen 3.2 ports supporting 5Gbps transfer speed. Although it lacks a LAN port, the comprehensive connectivity options eliminate the need for external docks.
Performance
The laptop comes with 16 GB lightning-fast LPDDR5X memory, soldered to the motherboard. In terms of storage, options are 512GB and 1TB. Our unit had 1TB storage, with only one SSD slot, meaning users need to replace the existing SSD to upgrade or downgrade. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7-155H and the CPU features 16 cores and 22 logical processors.
Using Spyder X for benchmark testing, we found that the display covers 99.8% sRGB, 95.2% AdobeRGB, and 98.8% DCI-P3 colour gamuts. The peak brightness measured was 362 nits in SDR mode and 579 nits in HDR mode, slightly below the official claims. Colour accuracy tests in various modes showed excellent results. In sRGB mode, the average Delta-E value was 0.8 (peak 2.85), while in Display-P3 mode, the average was 0.78 (peak 2.62). In DCI-P3 mode, the average was 0.93 (peak 2.95).
Battery and Charging
The Vivobook S 15 OLED features a 75WHr 4-cell Li-ion battery, boasting an increased charging cycle lifespan and maintaining over 75% capacity after four years. ASUS claims up to 16 hours of battery life on medium settings. The laptop comes with a 90W USB Type-C AC Adaptor, charging up to 60% in just 49 minutes. Our testing with PCMark 10 modern office benchmarks, under settings configured for best energy efficiency, yielded 13 hours and 20 minutes of battery life, sufficient for a full day of work.
Verdict
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED stands out with its premium design, exceptional OLED display, and solid performance. Its robust battery life and comprehensive connectivity options make it a versatile choice for both professionals and casual gamers. While it may not be the lightest option on the market, its durability and feature set provide excellent value for the price. Overall, whether for professional use or casual gaming, the Vivobook S 15 OLED offers a compelling package for discerning users.
