Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED | Review
The VivoBook 13 Slate OLED however, it is more than that: it is sold starting from 699 euros with keyboard and pen included and given the presence of the Windows operating system, it is obvious that it will also be used for other purposes, as well as for the use of multimedia content. So how does the new Asus convertible, dedicated to multimedia, behave? Let's find out in our review.
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The build quality is excellent and the dimensions of the tablet (309.9 x 190 x 79 mm) are all in all contained, thanks to the thin frames. Even the weight of 0.78kg is not excessive and allows you to hold the tablet in your hand without too much effort. When we connect the tripod and keyboard the weight increases, but remains around 1kg.
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The rest of the specs include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, a 13MP rear camera, a front 5MP, fingerprint reader integrated in the power button for login via Windows Hello, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 type C ports with support for DisplayPort output and charging, MicroSD card reader and 3.5mm jack, all positioned on the left side. The audio sector is finally managed by four speakers (two per side) with Smart Amp.
User experience
In the weeks in which we had the Asus VivoBook 13 Slate in our hands OLED we used it mainly for the purpose intended by Asus, that is as a multimedia center and “portable OLED TV”, also trying to carry out work activities. “Searching” is the key word, because unfortunately we encountered several difficulties in the process: first of all we were forced to remove Windows 11 S by switching to the classic version, as our password manager (despite being installed by the Microsoft Store) did not work. Secondly, we were faced with the performance of the Pentium Silver N6000: writing an article on a text editor such as Word, surfing the net with 4-5 open tabs reading the various sources, paging a piece on the site and managing emails ( from the GMail web page) are not too problematic activities, but they are also the only ones in the "productivity" area that the device is able to manage adequately. Finally, the resolution "only" Full HD does not offer a particularly high pixel density, which translates into sharpness and definition of the letters not at the top.if (jQuery ("# crm_srl-th_hardware_d_mh4_1"). is (": visible")) {console.log ("Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_hardware_d_mh4_1 slot id: th_hardware_d_mh4"); } The subdued performance is also reflected in the benchmarks, which do not reach particularly brilliant results: the PCMark 10 test scores 2431 points, CrossMark stops at 462 points, while GeekBench scores 1847 points in multi core, 711 points in single core, 4441 points in OpenCL and 3734 points in Vulkan.
Despite the performance, the writing of some texts allowed us to evaluate the quality of the keyboard and trackpad: the first offers good feedback when writing, it is complete with function keys and has a stroke of 1.4 mm, excellent for this type of devices which usually have decidedly shallower keys. If we were to find a defect we could say that it is not backlit, so in places with little light you will struggle to write. The trackpad has generous dimensions considering the space available, works well and does not require you to rely solely on the touchscreen.
Speaking of touchscreens, we used the active pen to take notes on OneNote during some conferences, and also in this case the experience was positive: the pen (with a sampling rate of 266Hz) is comfortable to use, does not have excessive weight and the stroke is precise, without smudging. The palm recognition also works well and allows you to write quietly with the pen, keeping your hand resting on the screen.
The kickstand, as mentioned at the beginning, magnetically connects to the body of the VivoBook 13 Slate OLED and offers a good support, as long as it is not placed on soft surfaces. When used on a desk, table or kitchen counter, it is firm and holds the tablet in place without any particular difficulty, whether you are using it as a tablet or with the keyboard connected. If, on the other hand, you find yourself using the device in bed, placing it on the mattress, you may have some more difficulties: with the keyboard connected, the magnetic stand comes off quite often, while without the keyboard the situation is better, but at certain inclinations the cover still tends to break away.
Putting office activities aside and using the VivoBook 13 Slate OLED as a multimedia center things change, it really feels like you have a small portable OLED TV in front of you. In addition to the various streaming services, the tablet can also manage 4K video streams without particular difficulties, an important plus given how it is advertised. The OLED panel and the full DCI-P3 space coverage do the rest, offering a truly high-level visual experience.
Autonomy
The 50Wh battery offers considerable autonomy, higher than that of many of the notebooks tested: in the "Modern Office" test of PCMark 10, with Wi-Fi active and brightness at 50%, the Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED turned off after 10 hours and 19 minutes, while in the benchmark video playback autonomy was 9 hours and 52 minutes. In both cases these are excellent results, which will allow you to use the device for a whole day without having to plug in the power supply.Conclusions
The Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED is a good device when used for its primary purpose, that of being a small portable OLED TV: multimedia contents are managed and played correctly both in streaming and locally, the OLED panel offers very high contrast, bright and faithful colors and a good brightness, fundamental aspects to enjoy a high-level visual experience. The four integrated speakers are average, with a high volume but not particularly deep bass and slightly metallic highs, however the presence of the 3.5mm jack allows you to connect your headphones to the device and overcome the problem.Unfortunately, the Windows experience is not as good: the screen is not ideal for text due to suboptimal sharpness and the performance guaranteed by the Pentium Silver N6000 is only sufficient for heavy loads. lightweight, such as web browsing, video streaming, and email management, as long as you don't have too many browser tabs open. The use of the active pen is also very limited: you will be able to take notes in OneNote or make sketches in AutoDesk Sketchbook, but you will not be able to use more demanding drawing or photo editing software to manage, such as Krita or Photoshop.
In conclusion, we advise you to buy the Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED only if you are interested in a tablet complete with all accessories with a high quality screen, which can be used as a portable multimedia center. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a more flexible solution, able to satisfy other needs related to productivity, you should opt for a device equipped with a more powerful processor, even if you will have to sacrifice the quality of the screen: the VivoBook 13 Slate OLED is in fact, in the time of writing, the only device in this category with an OLED screen.
