BERLIN — Asus is making its latest ZenBook Flip models more compact than before. But while it shrinks the size of its 13- and 15-inch 2-in-1, it's also working in a pair of new features that let you do more with the devices.
Asus unveiled the latest ZenBook Flip 13 and 15 convertibles here at the IFA trade show today (Aug. 30). U.S. pricing and availability weren't announced as of this writing.
To make the new ZenBook Flips more compact, Asus used ultra-narrow bezels on all four sides of the models' respective 13.3- and 15.6-inch screens. That's made the latest ZenBook 13 and 15 models more compact than their predecessors, as they boast a 10 percent smaller footprint. That translates to a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent, Asus says.
There's more to these new ZenBook Flips than just a more compact design, though. Both the 13 and 15 now offer an optional world-facing camera next to their keyboards, allowing for augmented-reality experiences with the Mixed-Reality Viewer app for Windows 10.
We weren't able to test the feature during our brief hands-on time with the new convertibles, but Asus says that when you put the ZenBook Flip in tent or tablet mode, you'll be able to place 3D objects over the real world and capture them by taking a picture.
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The ZenBook Flip 13 also offers a NumberPad, which Asus bills as a workaround to the lack of a dedicated numeric keypad on the device. Tap the NumberPad icon on the Flip's touchpad, and it will turn into an LED-illuminated keypad for you to start crunching numbers. It's pretty cool-looking in person.
In terms of specs, both the FlipBook 13 and 15 run on the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, backed up by 16GB of RAM and SSD storage. The 15 also offers discrete graphics from an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q GPU. And users can opt for a dual-storage option on the Flip 15 that combines both SSD and HDD storage.
