I review a new laptop almost every week, so there are few things I appreciate more than a unique or weird laptop design to liven up the often homogenous sea of laptops.
That’s one of the reasons why I love Asus products; the company is always innovating (the Asus ROG Ally X is the best example). But the weirdest laptops aren’t always a hit. I just reviewed the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 (N6506, 2025), which is the best example of that.
Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst laptop designs I've encountered so far in 2025.
Miss — Asus Vivobook Pro 15’s Asus Dial
The Vivobook Pro 15 features the Asus Dial, which is a little dial embedded in the top left corner of the touchpad. You activate it by swiping down diagonally in the top right corner.
In the Asus Dial app, you can program how apps interact with it. Adjusting the volume or brightness of the laptop is the default feature. It also supports tight integration with Adobe and Microsoft Office products. That’s really cool, but my problem isn’t the software; it’s the hardware.
There’s a slight delay when using the Asus Dial, which is enough that it is awkward to use. And it’s hard to distinguish where my finger is on the dial because the impression is faint, and there’s no lighting. Overall, it felt like I needed to take an extra step to achieve what I wanted, which defeats the purpose.
Besides the Dial, the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 had a tacky design overall, with thick rubber padding all over the display and underside. It made for a real 2000s look.
Hit — Asus Zenbook Duo’s dual-displays
Back to Asus’ hits, there’s the Asus Zenbook Duo 2025 with its dual displays. Now, this concept isn’t new, but the Zenbook Duo is one of the best ways to experience dual displays.
The Zenbook Duo is rocking two 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED touchscreen panels. Unlike some dual-display laptops of yore, you don’t need to hurt your neck to see the second display, as it supports a firm stand in the back to prop up the deck.
This is only a few hundred dollars more than the Vivobook Pro 15, and it offers an entire secondary display of functionality. This opens up a world of possibilities for multitaskers. As someone who loves to 100% games, it’s not the most fun to alt-tab out just so I can look at a guide. Having it side-by-side makes it easy to access all the information I need.
Not to mention that the magnetic Bluetooth keyboard is quite clicky and features a rather smooth touchpad.
Incoming — Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s rollable display
I’m not sure how I feel about the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s rollable display yet. Lenovo plans on launching at the end of March, so we should get our hands on it sooner rather than later.
The ThinkBook Plus features a 14-inch display (120Hz, 400 nits, 100% DCI-P3) that can extend vertically to 16.7 inches. I think it’s a great idea in concept, as it provides more screen space within a small form factor, keeping the laptop thin and light.
However, I worry about the sturdiness of the display and the mechanical functionality of the device overall. I remember the first Samsung Galaxy Fold shattering in the Laptop Mag offices back in 2019. Thankfully, rollable technology isn’t new, but Lenovo is leading the way with the first rollable screen laptop ever.
This could change the laptop industry as we know it, but it’s going to come down to cost and functionality. Starting at $3,499, I'd be terrified to carry one in my laptop bag.
What's next
There are plenty of weird laptops and laptop-adjacent products I’m excited to see throughout 2025.
As I said earlier, Asus’ work with the ROG Ally is among my favorite examples of innovating in a space that clearly needed it. And I think a lot of people (including myself) are anxious to see its successor.
More weird stuff, please.
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