Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407) Review: A Lightweight Powerhouse with Surprising Features

The Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407) has made waves in the tech world, particularly after its standout performance at CES 2025. This ultralight laptop combines impressive battery life with a stunning OLED display, making it a compelling choice for those who prioritize portability and visual quality. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what this laptop has to offer, its strengths, and where it falls short.

Key Features: A Balanced Mix of Power and Portability

The Zenbook A14 is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor, which, while not the most powerful in its class, delivers sufficient performance for everyday tasks. It comes with 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, ensuring smooth multitasking and ample storage. The laptop features a 14-inch OLED display with a 1,920×1,200 resolution, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks, though it lacks touch functionality and a high refresh rate. Weighing in at just 2.16 pounds, the Zenbook A14 is one of the lightest laptops in its category, making it an excellent choice for travelers and remote workers.

The inclusion of an OLED display at this price point is a significant highlight, as OLED panels are typically more expensive and power-hungry than LCDs. Asus has managed to balance this by achieving over 24 hours of battery life, a feat that few other laptops can match. The Zenbook A14 also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast and reliable connectivity. While the laptop’s performance may not be top-tier, its combination of portability, display quality, and battery life makes it a strong contender in the ultraportable market.

Performance: Capable but Not a Powerhouse

In terms of performance, the Zenbook A14 is adequate for general use, such as web browsing, office work, and streaming. However, it lags behind other Copilot Plus PCs equipped with Snapdragon X Plus or Elite processors, as well as Intel-based laptops like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. Benchmark tests such as Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024 show that the Zenbook A14 trails its competitors, particularly in multi-core tasks. This is largely due to the Snapdragon X processor, which, while efficient, is not as powerful as the Snapdragon X Plus or Elite variants.

The laptop’s graphics performance is similarly middling, with 3DMark Time Spy scores indicating that it’s better suited for light tasks rather than demanding applications or gaming. However, the Zenbook A14 excels in AI-related tasks thanks to its 45-TOPS Hexagon NPU, which enables efficient processing for AI-driven applications. While this laptop may not be the best choice for heavy users, it provides more than enough power for average consumers.

Design Excellence: A Blend of Style and Durability

One of the Zenbook A14’s standout features is its Ceraluminum chassis, a unique blend of aluminum and ceramic materials. This construction allows the laptop to be incredibly lightweight while maintaining rigidity and durability. The chassis is resistant to scratches, smudges, and fingerprints, giving it a premium feel that belies its affordable price. The laptop’s matte gray finish is both elegant and practical, avoiding the overly common brushed aluminum look found in many other devices.

The keyboard is another highlight, offering a comfortable typing experience with shallow key travel but a satisfyingly firm response. The touchpad, while roomy and feature-rich, is somewhat disappointing, with a mechanical click that feels uneven. However, given the laptop’s price, it’s hard to fault Asus for not including a haptic touchpad. Additionally, the laptop’s single-hinge design provides smooth, one-finger opening and keeps the display stable at any angle.

Battery Life Leadership: All-Day and All-Night Performance

The Zenbook A14 truly shines in the battery life department, with over 24 hours of continuous use in CNET’s tests. This is impressive, especially considering the power-hungry OLED display. While Asus claims up to 32 hours of battery life, real-world usage will likely fall short of this figure, but even 24 hours is exceptional for a laptop in this class. This longevity makes the Zenbook A14 an ideal choice for users who need a device that can last multiple days on a single charge.

The laptop’s battery performance is all the more remarkable when compared to its competitors. The HP OmniBook X 14, which features an LCD display, lasts slightly longer, but the Zenbook A14’s OLED panel is a significant advantage. For users who value display quality and don’t mind sacrificing a few hours of battery life, the Zenbook A14 is the clear winner.

Comparing the Competition: Where the Zenbook A14 Stands

The Zenbook A14 faces stiff competition from other ultraportable laptops, but its unique combination of features sets it apart. The HP OmniBook X 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 are both strong contenders, offering higher-resolution displays and better performance. However, neither can match the Zenbook A14’s OLED display or its ultra-lightweight design. The Surface Laptop 7, for example, weighs considerably more and has a higher price point, making the Zenbook A14 a more attractive option for budget-conscious buyers.

Asus is also releasing a second variant of the Zenbook A14, priced at $900, which features a faster Snapdragon X Plus processor but halves the RAM and storage. This model will be available in a different color, Zabriskie Beige, and uses the same oxidation process to achieve its finish without paint. While this cheaper model may appeal to some, the UX3407 remains the better choice for users who need more memory and storage.

Conclusion: A Laptop for the Modern Traveler

The Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407) is a well-rounded laptop that excels in areas that matter most to travelers and remote workers: portability, battery life, and display quality. While it may not be the most powerful device on the market, its lightweight design, stunning OLED display, and exceptional battery life make it a compelling choice. For users who prioritize these features and are willing to compromise on performance, the Zenbook A14 is an excellent option. At $1,100, it offers great value, particularly when compared to more expensive competitors with fewer standout features.