What you need to know
- ASUS announced the VivoBook S15 which will be available starting at $800.
- The thin and light laptop features a second display in the trackpad.
- The laptop has an 88 percent screen to body ratio.
ASUS annouced its newest laptop, the VivoBook S15. The new laptop features an 88 percent screen to body ratio, an ergolift hinge to make the keyboard rest at a comfortable angle, and a secondary touch display housed inside the trackpad. There are multiple configurations of the device which start at $799.99. The most powerful configuration is powered by an Intel Core i7 and an NVIDIA GeForce MX250.
The unique selling point of the ASUS VivoBook S15 is its secondary display that rests inside the trackpad. This is called the ScreenPad 2.0. It works with ASUS' preinstalled applications, and developers can use ASUS' APIs to optimize their apps for the second screen. ScreenPad 2.0 supports handwriting and works as a number pad. You can also program personalized hotkeys that work with the secondary display. The video below shows off ScreenPad 2.0 technology on different ASUS laptops, the Zenbook 14 and Zenbook 15.
The VivoBook S15 will attract many users with its secondary display, but its internals and other features combine to make an attractive laptop regardless of ScreenPad 2.0. The VivoBook S15 weighs 3.97 lbs, has a 15.6 inch Full HD display with a screen to body ratio of 88 percent, and has an ergonomic hinge that provides a comfortable typing experience.
The higher-end configurations of the device run on an Intel Core i7 and an NVIDIA MX250. The MX250 isn't the most powerful graphics card but provides a large boost in performance when compared to Intel's integrated graphics. The VivoBook S15 is available with 8GB DDR4 RAM and a PCIe NVMe 512GB SSD. The laptop also has an IR camera for Windows Hello and Harman Kardan certified audio.
The VivoBook S15 is available in five colors, including Moss Green, Punk Pink, Cobalt Blue, Gun Metal, and Transparent Silver. Certain colors are not available at launch but will arrive in the future. The VivoBook S15 is listed on Amazon, NewEgg, and ASUS' website. Each of these sites lists the laptop as coming soon, though they list different dates. NewEgg states the release date is July 13 while Amazon states the device whill ship between August 16 and September 30. ASUS' website only states "coming soon."
This thin and light laptop features a secondary display inside the trackpad. It also houses impressive internals for an ultrabook with configurations available running an Intel Core i7 and an NVIDIA MX250.
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