Zenbook A14 Unveiled As A Great Rival For The MacBook Air

Asus unveiled the Zenbook A14 at CES 2025, a lightweight Windows laptop positioned as a competitor to Apple’s MacBook Air. Weighing just 2.18 pounds—lighter than Apple’s M3 MacBook Air—and featuring a magnesium alloy chassis with a ceramic-like “Ceraluminum” finish, the A14 prioritizes portability and style. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor, promising up to 32 hours of battery life from its 70Wh battery, significantly larger than the MacBook Air’s 52.6Wh cell.

Launching in mid-January at $1,099.99, the base model includes 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14-inch OLED display with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 600 nits brightness, and 60Hz refresh rate. In March, a more affordable $899.99 variant with a Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD will be available exclusively at Best Buy, weighing slightly more at 2.4 pounds.

The A14 offers a broader range of ports compared to the MacBook Air, including two USB 4 Type-C, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, a full-size HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It supports up to three external monitors, though one must supply power via USB-C.

While the Zenbook A14 stands out for its design, OLED display, and competitive pricing, questions remain about its performance and compatibility. Snapdragon X processors have shown progress in balancing efficiency and performance, but Windows on ARM can still face app compatibility issues. Benchmarks suggest that while the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite processors compete with Apple’s M3 chip, the A14’s entry-level Snapdragon X may struggle, especially with Apple’s anticipated M4 models on the horizon.

Specs

Feature	Details
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon X (base) / Snapdragon X Plus (cheaper variant)
Display	14″ OLED, 1920 x 1200, 60Hz, 600 nits
RAM	32GB (base) / 16GB (cheaper variant)
Storage	1TB SSD (base) / 512GB SSD (cheaper variant)
Battery	70Wh, up to 32 hours claimed battery life
Weight	2.18 lbs (base) / 2.4 lbs (cheaper variant)
Build Material	Magnesium alloy with “Ceraluminum” ceramic coating
Ports	2 x USB 4 Type-C, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack
External Display Support	Up to 3 monitors (1 must supply power via USB-C)
Starting Price	$1,099.99 (base) / $899.99 (cheaper variant, Best Buy exclusive)
Release Dates	January 2025 (base) / March 2025 (cheaper variant)

Paulo Montenegro
Categories: Computers
Tags: Asus, Qualcomm, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus, Snapdragon X, Zenbook A15