ASUS introduced the 2022 roster of Zenbook and Vivobook laptops in early May. On the top of the roster was the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED powered by an Intel Core i9-12900H processor coupled with 32GB of 5200MHz LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD storage. The laptop also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX3060 onboard and the ASUS Dial.
Now, the company announced that it is bringing the laptop to the Philippines with a PHP 239,995 price tag. It is available for pre-order from August 14 to August 31, 2022 where you can get a free ASUS Gimbal and Marshall Major IV Wireless Headset worth PHP 15,000.
We were given a review unit of the monster productivity laptop and we’re here to share our initial impressions and hands-on experience with the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED.
If you’re looking for an in-depth, stay tuned for our full review later this month.
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i9-12900H |
| Display | 16” 16:10 (3840 x 2400) @ 60 Hz OLED touchscreen, up to 550-nit peak brightness and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, certified DisplayHDR 500 True Black, PANTONE Validated, TÜV Rheinland, and Dolby Vision |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX3060 with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Main memory | 32 GB 5200 MHz LPDDR5 onboard |
| Storage | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6E (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Camera | FHD IR webcam with ALS/RGB and ToF sensor |
| I/O ports | 2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C with full range (5~20 V) of charging 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x full-size HDMI 2.11 x SD Express 7.0 card reader 1 x 3.5 mm Audio combo jack |
| Touchpad | Haptic touchpad with NumberPad 2.0150 x 90 mm |
| Audio | Certified by Harman Kardon Dolby Atmos Smart AMPAI Noise Canceling Audio |
| Battery | 96Wh lithium-polymer battery |
| AC adapter | 200W Φ6 power adapter |
| Dimensions | 355 x 251 x 16.9 mm |
| Weight | Approx. 2.4 kg |
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Unboxing Experience
The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED comes in a stunning black box that’s flat on the back and angled on the front. The front of the box features the new ASUS monogram logo midway on the right side and ASUS Zenbook text on the bottom part.
Opening the box itself is as simple as sliding up the top part of the box which reveals the laptop in all its glory.
Meanwhile, housed in a box behind the laptop are the charging brick, cable, and the ASUS Pen.
I have to commend ASUS for offering such a unique laptop unboxing experience complete with a gorgeous minimalist box.
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Hands On Experience
Now, to the laptop itself. It has an aluminum alloy and comes in a Tech Black color option with the classic concentric circular design and the new monogram logo. Yes, this is what the front of the box is hinting at.
As with many laptops with a pretty shiny finish, fingerprints will be pretty apparent on the lid. This isn’t too much of a big deal for me though especially since its overall design is just too gorgeous to warrant a case of sorts.
I was surprised to see that the monogram logo lit up. I generally don’t mind the lights at the back of laptops simply because I don’t see them when I’m using the laptop but it’s a good clean touch to an aesthetically pleasing laptop.
Underneath the laptop are rubber stands along the side of where you’d open the laptop and a rectangle outlining where the hardware and fans are. These not only lift up the laptop a bit but also make it very easy to grip when carrying around. Additionally, the rubber stands gave the laptop sturdiness, which is always welcome.
Opening the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED is actually quite a unique experience as well. It has an AAS Ultra design that tilts the keyboard at up to 7° for better cooling and a more ergonomic experience.
Having experienced the more ‘classic’ ASUS ErgoLift design, I found that the AAS Ultra design is just superior. It not only offers a better typing experience because of the angle it’s lifted but also it helps keep the laptop, and in turn keeps the keyboard cool.
It also retains the stability of the laptop because it still stands on the previously mentioned rubber stands.
Speaking of the keyboard, it has RGB per-key lighting to help you use it while in dimmer settings and is even customizable should you want to add a bit of flair to the laptop. The keyboard itself has a 1.4mm key travel and feels pretty good while typing.
The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED has a 150x90mm touchpad with a NumberPad 2.0. The touchpad itself is 84% larger than its predecessor. What makes it quite different though is its haptic feedback. Admittedly, it took getting used to the haptic feedback instead of the more ‘traditional’ clicking sound. Although, I do wish it still had a bit of click just for a bit of feedback.
On the left of the trackpad is the ASUS Dial which can be used for a variety of things for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Aftereffect, and Adobe Illustrator. Without the Adobe Creative Suite though, it is used for volume and brightness control.
Because I don’t use the Adobe Creative Suite, I was skeptical of the Dial. However, even if just for the brightness and volume, it was still definitely more convenient as opposed to using the function keys or doing it manually on Windows.
You can customize the Dial options by using the ProArt software which I’ll get to in the full review.
As far as ports go, there’s the charging port, USB-A port, and two Thunderbolt Type-C ports on the right. On the right are the SD card reader, 3.5mm combo headphone jack, and full-sized HDMI ports.
Given how thin the laptop is at 16.9mm, the number of ports is decent.
The display is, perhaps, where the laptop shines. As the name suggests, the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED has a 16-inch OLED panel with a 4K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio.
Having reviewed the Zenbook 14X OLED previously, I have a greater appreciation for the taller 16:10 laptops. The taller display just offers more real estate to work with especially for me and my daily writing needs as well as checking social media.
However, the aspect ratio is just a smaller aspect of its display. The center of it all is the OLED panel which just offers stunning picture quality with deep blacks and vibrant colors. This panel coupled with the 4K resolution is just a match made in heaven, especially for creative professionals.
Initial Verdict
The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) is quite an impressive laptop both on paper and in person. It has a good mix of handy features like the AAS Ultra design for an ergonomic typing experience and the introduction of the ASUS Dial is a good addition as well. On top of that, you get to enjoy a 4K OLED touchscreen panel and lighting for the keyboard and the monogram logo.
However, its PHP 239,995 price tag is pretty steep and might not be for everyone. We can’t quite quantify the price just yet as this is a First Impressions article but I still think it’s worth checking out if you do have the budget as a creative professional.
If you do want to check it out, it is available for pre-order from August 14 to August 31, 2022 for PHP 239,995. You’ll enjoy an ASUS Gimbal and Marshall Major IV Wireless Headset worth PHP 15,000 as bundled freebies if you do decide to pre-order.
We’ll offer a deeper dive into the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) in our full review. This will include customization options for the ASUS Dial, a look into the ASUS Pen, benchmarks, and more. Stay tuned for that later this month.
Product shots courtesy of Rianne Ronquillo
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
