Asus has launched S15, the latest edition of its vivobook series, with an aim to cater to the 'everyday' laptop users. Launched in two variants, based on Core i5 and Core i7 processors, S15 makes an impressive first impression with its elegant looks and big screen.
I used the latest offering as my primary laptop for over a month and I must say, it had earned extra points from me because of the big screen and light weight. But is it worth the hype? Let's find out.
Design and specifications
I prefer lightweight devices because I travel too much- as I mentioned earlier the Vivobook S15 does not disappoint on this front. It weighs around 1.7kg and has a sleek chassis that is only 17.9mm wide. The ASUS VivoBook S510’s minimalist, trendy design takes inspiration from ASUS’ ZenBook series, exuding the same beauty with its aluminium alloy lid.
Another thing which will make the users happy is that the S15 sports a 15.6-inch display. The display’s 7.8mm NanoEdge bezel is among the slimmest for the VivoBook S15’s class. The backlit keyboard has evenly spaced keys which makes typing in dark comfortable.
The palm rest is wide but the touchpad is not spacious enough. The direction keys are now separated with spaces above the left and right keys, making them easier to find during rapid typing.
On the top right corner of ASUS VivoBook S15’s touchpad is a fingerprint scanner that works with the Windows 10 “Hello” security login feature.
VivoBook S15 covers all the connectivity basics and packs two USB 3.0 connectors and a card slot on left side panel and one USB 3.0, 1 HDMI, a USB type-C and a 3.5mm jack on the opposite side.
Performance
The device comes with latest 8th generation (KabyLake Refresh) high performance, 15W Intel Core i7-8550U processor, up to 16GB of high speed 2400MHz DDR4 memory. It also has a massive storage option of up to a 2TB HDD and a super-fast M.2 SSD boot drive of up to 512GB which allows the laptop to start in a few seconds.
The device works smoothly for everyday tasks. Apps did not take much time to load, even with several windows open with multiple tasks,I did not face any glitch. Gaming experience with S15 was also an obstacle-free one.
Much like of its predecessors, the VivoBook S15 comes up with a dozen of pre-loaded applications such as Asus ZenLink, Asus GiftBox, Splendid Utility, ASUS Battery Health Charging, Asus Install, Asus Live Update, MyAsus Service Centre and much more. While some of it come handy, most you won't even bother to open.
As for videos, Asus has included its ASUS Tru2Life Video technology that is said to work behind the scenes to bring more sharp and vivid videos on the screen.
One might think with so much loaded apps and features the laptop will face the heating issue, however, that's not the case with S15, even after the continuous usage, the device, like I mentioned above, worked smoothly and without heating up.
Battery Life
Now, let's talk about the most important issue, the battery life. For basic constant use, it provides the battery life of around six hours, which I think should be some more. However, if you use it extensively for gaming you might want to plug-in the charger after 3-4 hours.
But this negative part has been overshadowed by the fact that the device supports fast charging.
Analysis
To sum it all, the device is surely a value for your money. The light weight makes it easy to carry around and the looks are pretty much chic. Even if the company is targeting regular laptop users, the device is highly recommendable for the multimedia users because of its audio and video technologies.
Asus Vivobook S15 costs Rs 79,990 for core i7 model and the Core i5 is priced at Rs 59,990.
