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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 offers a higher-end experience with its premium construction, more storage, and significantly larger RAM, making it well-suited for complex tasks such as engineering work or content creation. However, it is heavier and carries a slightly higher price. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air is lighter, generally less expensive, and boasts a longer battery life, which may favor users who prioritize portability and extended use without charging. The MacBook Air is also known for its silent operation due to a fanless design, making it an excellent choice for quiet environments. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and high-quality displays, but the Zenbook uses OLED technology, which can provide better color contrast. If gaming is a consideration, the MacBook Air may not be the best option, but for general use and multimedia, both are capable, with the ASUS Zenbook leading in performance-intensive scenarios. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook S 13
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.9
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a powerful CPU and a good amount of RAM, which, combined with its excellent screen quality, makes it very suitable for a range of tasks, yet it maintains good portability and battery life. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels with an excellent CPU and the best RAM for general use, superior screen quality, and exceptional battery life, all in a package that's silent and fanless, enhancing its portability and comfort during use.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its higher RAM and advanced Intel CPU, excels in multitasking and complex engineering applications, alongside superior screen quality with its OLED display, making it very good for engineering and design use. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air (2022) offers ample power for engineering tasks with the efficient Apple M2 chip and a solid GPU, balances portability with a lightweight design, and provides silent operation and higher battery life but with less RAM and storage compared to the ASUS, categorizing it as good for engineering and design use.
Content Creation
8.5
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
8.1
7.6
13.3in
SIZE
13.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and MacBook Air have screens with high resolution and brightness, making them excellent for general tasks where clarity and visibility are key. For engineering and design, they both offer wide color gamuts, providing the color accuracy professionals in these fields require. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens have lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals, making them less ideal for those specific activities where fast refresh is critical.
Battery
11.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
7.6
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$899
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $899.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, is suitable for gaming and 3D applications, though not at the high end, while the MacBook Air, running on the Apple M2 chip with integrated graphics, offers moderate 3D performance. However, despite their adequate GPUs and equal screen refresh rates, the Zenbook benefits from a broader range of compatible games, whereas many games are not available for macOS which limits gaming on the MacBook.
Software Development
8.3
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Best in Class
Excellent
13.3in
SIZE
13.6in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.4in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook S 13 to have best in class portability, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook S 13 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.7'' x 8.5'' x 0.46'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.2 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.66" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.52" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1355U | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 63 Wh | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 365 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.5/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook S 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | May 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
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About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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