The ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED has emerged as a compelling option in the crowded laptop market, blending a sleek design with powerful performance and a vibrant display. It's designed to cater to students, professionals, and content creators seeking a balance between portability, performance, and visual experience.

Design and Build Quality

The Vivobook S16 OLED sports a thin and light design, making it easy to carry around. Its all-metal chassis provides a sturdy and premium feel, akin to the higher-end Zenbook series. The laptop is remarkably thin, measuring just 13.9-15.9mm. Despite its large 16-inch display, it weighs around 1.5 kg to 1.74 kg, making it a compact "big" laptop. The design has won the iF Design Award 2025, a global symbol of excellent design. It comes in multiple color options.

Display

The centerpiece of the Vivobook S16 OLED is its stunning OLED display. The 16-inch screen boasts a 3.2K (3200 x 2000) resolution, providing a crisp and clear visual experience with a pixel density of 236dpi. It also has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The OLED panel delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and a high contrast ratio, enhancing the viewing experience for both work and entertainment. The display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, making it suitable for color-sensitive tasks like photo and video editing. It also has impressively low Delta E color variances, ensuring professional-level color accuracy.

Performance and Specifications

The ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED is available with different processor options, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the Core Ultra 9 185H. These processors, based on the Intel Evo platform, deliver a balance of performance and efficiency, making the laptop suitable for various tasks ranging from everyday productivity to more demanding workloads. The laptop comes with integrated Intel Arc graphics. It also features 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB PCIe4 SSD, providing ample memory and storage for smooth multitasking and fast data access. Some models are also powered by AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processors.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Vivobook S16 OLED features a full-sized keyboard with a comfortable typing experience. The keys are well-spaced and offer decent key travel, allowing for efficient and accurate typing. Some models come with a single-zone RGB backlit keyboard, allowing users to customize the colors and lighting effects. The laptop also includes a larger touchpad with good palm rejection, ensuring accurate tracking and smooth navigation.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The Vivobook S16 OLED offers a good selection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 video output, a MicroSD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two USB-A ports. Wireless connectivity is handled by Intel's AX211 modem card, supporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The laptop is equipped with a 75Wh battery, providing a decent battery life for all-day use.

Potential Drawbacks

• Soldered RAM: Some reviews mention that the RAM is soldered, which means it cannot be upgraded.
• Reflective Display: The glossy finish of the OLED display can be reflective in well-lit environments.
• No Fingerprint Reader: Oddly enough, some models lack a fingerprint reader.
• Touchpad Issues: Some users have found the touchpad tricky to navigate.

Pricing and Value

The ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED is positioned as a value-for-money option in the 16-inch laptop market. While pricing may vary depending on the configuration and retailer, it generally falls into the mid-range category.

Overall, the ASUS Vivobook S16 OLED presents a compelling package for users seeking a well-rounded laptop with a stunning display, solid performance, and a sleek design.