If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
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Hurdle Word 1 hint
On edge.
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Hurdle Word 1 answer
JUMPY
Hurdle Word 2 hint
In the middle of something.
Mashable Top Stories
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Hurdle Word 2 Answer
MIDST
Hurdle Word 3 hint
An object’s form.
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Hurdle Word 3 answer
SHAPE
Hurdle Word 4 hint
A popular card game.
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Hurdle Word 4 answer
MONTE
Final Hurdle hint
A sweet, seeded food.
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Hurdle Word 5 answer
FRUIT
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Meta has cut Manus off from its internal systems, Bloomberg reported, preventing employees from using Manus tools for internal projects as the two companies move toward a full separation.
Meanwhile, according to May reports, the co-founders of Manus have held preliminary discussions about raising approximately $1 billion from outside investors to reclaim the startup from Meta, a move that could pave the way for a Chinese joint venture structure and an eventual listing in Hong Kong, a venue that has seen a surge in AI listings this year for Chinese AI startups like MiniMax and Zhipu.
What was supposed to be a landmark exit for Chinese AI is quickly unraveling. The move underscores Beijing’s determination to retain control over strategically sensitive technology, regardless of a company’s offshore incorporation.
In addition to the forced divestiture, Chinese authorities have since expanded travel restrictions to researchers and executives at private firms, requiring government approval before heading abroad. China is also tightening its grip on foreign capital, with reports indicating that top AI firms, including Moonshot AI, StepFun, and ByteDance, will need government sign-off before accepting U.S. investment, adding another layer to Beijing’s sweeping effort to control its AI sector.
Even as Meta moves to sever ties with Manus, the agentic AI startup has continued to ship new features, rolling out integrations with Similarweb and Shopify.
Manus drew widespread attention with a viral agent demo relocated its staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in December. Chinese regulators moved to scrutinize the transaction earlier this year, citing potential violations of technology export controls and foreign investment rules.
Manus investors, including California-based venture firm Benchmark, have already received their proceeds from the acquisition, while Asian backers, including Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund, have indicated they will cooperate with the unwinding process, according to the WSJ.
Manus’ Chinese origins with parent company Butterfly Effect drew scrutiny on both sides of the Pacific, with Senator John Cornynquestioning whether American capital should flow to a Chinese-linked firm.
Meta and Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Meta has cut Manus off from its internal systems, Bloomberg reported, preventing employees from using Manus tools for internal projects as the two companies move toward a full separation.
Meanwhile, according to May reports, the co-founders of Manus have held preliminary discussions about raising approximately $1 billion from outside investors to reclaim the startup from Meta, a move that could pave the way for a Chinese joint venture structure and an eventual listing in Hong Kong, a venue that has seen a surge in AI listings this year for Chinese AI startups like MiniMax and Zhipu.
What was supposed to be a landmark exit for Chinese AI is quickly unraveling. The move underscores Beijing’s determination to retain control over strategically sensitive technology, regardless of a company’s offshore incorporation.
In addition to the forced divestiture, Chinese authorities have since expanded travel restrictions to researchers and executives at private firms, requiring government approval before heading abroad. China is also tightening its grip on foreign capital, with reports indicating that top AI firms, including Moonshot AI, StepFun, and ByteDance, will need government sign-off before accepting U.S. investment, adding another layer to Beijing’s sweeping effort to control its AI sector.
Even as Meta moves to sever ties with Manus, the agentic AI startup has continued to ship new features, rolling out integrations with Similarweb and Shopify.
Manus drew widespread attention with a viral agent demo relocated its staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in December. Chinese regulators moved to scrutinize the transaction earlier this year, citing potential violations of technology export controls and foreign investment rules.
Manus investors, including California-based venture firm Benchmark, have already received their proceeds from the acquisition, while Asian backers, including Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund, have indicated they will cooperate with the unwinding process, according to the WSJ.
Manus’ Chinese origins with parent company Butterfly Effect drew scrutiny on both sides of the Pacific, with Senator John Cornynquestioning whether American capital should flow to a Chinese-linked firm.
Meta and Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Meta has begun dismantling its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, completing an operational separation from the Chinese-founded AI startup and halting data sharing between the two companies. This is the most concrete step yet toward complying with a divestiture order Beijing issued roughly two months ago on national security grounds.
Meta has cut Manus off from its internal systems, Bloomberg reported, preventing employees from using Manus tools for internal projects as the two companies move toward a full separation.
Meanwhile, according to May reports, the co-founders of Manus have held preliminary discussions about raising approximately $1 billion from outside investors to reclaim the startup from Meta, a move that could pave the way for a Chinese joint venture structure and an eventual listing in Hong Kong, a venue that has seen a surge in AI listings this year for Chinese AI startups like MiniMax and Zhipu.
What was supposed to be a landmark exit for Chinese AI is quickly unraveling. The move underscores Beijing’s determination to retain control over strategically sensitive technology, regardless of a company’s offshore incorporation.
In addition to the forced divestiture, Chinese authorities have since expanded travel restrictions to researchers and executives at private firms, requiring government approval before heading abroad. China is also tightening its grip on foreign capital, with reports indicating that top AI firms, including Moonshot AI, StepFun, and ByteDance, will need government sign-off before accepting U.S. investment, adding another layer to Beijing’s sweeping effort to control its AI sector.
Even as Meta moves to sever ties with Manus, the agentic AI startup has continued to ship new features, rolling out integrations with Similarweb and Shopify.
Manus drew widespread attention with a viral agent demo relocated its staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in December. Chinese regulators moved to scrutinize the transaction earlier this year, citing potential violations of technology export controls and foreign investment rules.
Manus investors, including California-based venture firm Benchmark, have already received their proceeds from the acquisition, while Asian backers, including Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund, have indicated they will cooperate with the unwinding process, according to the WSJ.
Manus’ Chinese origins with parent company Butterfly Effect drew scrutiny on both sides of the Pacific, with Senator John Cornynquestioning whether American capital should flow to a Chinese-linked firm.
Meta and Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
ExpertBook Ultra. Shifting focus a bit towards the product in hand, it’s been three weeks since I switched to the S14, and truth be told, it doesn’t put a foot wrong. Maybe it’s the gorgeous design, the stunning display, the rapid performance, or just a mix of all three, but the ZenBook S14 makes me want one. But is it worth it for your workflow? This review will answer that for you.
Asus ZenBook S14 Review
Hisan Kidwai
Summary
The Asus ZenBook S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
Design & Hardware
Design is a very subjective matter, but if there’s one thing we all can expect from Asus, it’s that these guys know how to create beautiful machines. Sure, you must know the cold, aluminum touch by now, which is used by most premium laptops, including my beloved MacBook. Well, Asus has formulated something they call Ceraluminum. It’s essentially aluminum with a ceramic coating on top.
It’s hard to describe it in words, but I’m going to try anyway. The Asus ZenBook S14’s top feels like that high-end matte marble flooring you might see in stores. It feels very premium to the touch, with a unique patterned finish I’ve never seen before. Every time I took it to a coffee shop, I noticed people looking at just what I was using. I’m also a fan of the subtle ZenBook branding that’s very sophisticated. While you don’t have to worry about fingerprints messing up the finish, oily fingers will leave hard-to-remove marks, so please wipe off the Doritos dust before using the laptop. You do get a couple of color options, including a grey and white.
Open up the laptop, and the ceraluminum finish makes way for a polished aluminum keyboard deck, and I’m a fan. The S14 carries the same sophistication here. Above the deck sits what looks like a speaker grille, though it’s actually part of the cooling system, whose shape reminded me of the cheesegrater Mac Pro (reference only for ages 15 and up).
While the color options might be a bit boring, it’s important to remember that the ZenBook S14 is for the type of person who’s giving a presentation at noon, closing another client at lunchtime, and maybe flying to another country for an urgent meeting, in other words, a busy professional. So, another important thing for any such person is portability. The ceraluminum inclusion made me think the ZenBook S14 might weigh a lot, but Asus has managed to limit the weight to just 1.2 kg, which is really good for a laptop with crazy internals. This meant I could carry the S14 to different coffee shops without hurting my back.
I also wasn’t worried about damaging the S14 in my backpack because it’s a durable machine. Of course, I didn’t toss the laptop intentionally. However, I did check for chassis flex. On the keyboard deck, there wasn’t any, and even the top stayed in shape after I applied some serious force.
As far as ports are concerned, Asus has almost everyone covered. On the S14, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports (for charging and display), a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and a headphone-microphone combo jack. The only minor gripe I have is the fact that both USB-C charging ports are on the left side, which can force you to do some cable gymnastics.
Keyboard & Trackpad
A good keyboard is the bare minimum for a professional laptop, let alone a ZenBook. As a surprise to absolutely no one, the ZenBook S14’s keyboard is just great. The layout is standard, meaning I didn’t spend a week trying to get used to a special key. The actuation energy is slightly higher than that of my MacBook, which provides a more tactile experience. The feedback is solid overall yet not very loud, which is ideal when working in an office. The keyboard is also backlit, with different brightness levels to choose from. Since I got the gray variant, the key lettering contrasts well with the lighting.
When I was reviewing the Asus ExpertBook Ultra, I just fell in love with that haptic trackpad, wishing every laptop incorporated the same. Well, I’m also the first to admit that not everyone loves a haptic trackpad. There are people who’d take the physical click over fake ones. And if you’re one of those (I’m not judging), then the S14’s trackpad is made for you. Never have I ever felt mechanical clicks more sophisticated than here. The clicks are precise, and the feedback is just awesome.
Display & Camera
Unlike smartphones, where almost all displays are the same, Asus has held a high place in my display rankings. After all, these guys were one of the first to bring OLED tech to laptops. And the ZenBook S14 is no different. It features, dare I say, a perfectly spec’d 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) Lumina OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. At a response time of just 0.2ms, everything feels quick and snappy. As expected, the video-watching experience of the S14 is simply lovely.
Colors pop off the screen with a punchy vibrancy while still keeping natural skin tones. The details are crisp enough to help you make out the fine facial features. Even the HDR performance is stellar, with the panel reaching a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. I had no problems working with the laptop outdoors, though, by outdoors, I mean inside a cool cafe, since only a lunatic can sit outside in the 45-degree Indian summer heat. Just be careful of the reflections, though, as the glossy panel does catch a lot of light.
All that being said, Asus hasn’t just designed the S14’s display for movie watchers. For creators, the S14’s panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. It’s VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 1000 certified, and the colors are PANTONE validated. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical space than a typical laptop display, meaning you can fit a few extra spreadsheet columns without having to scroll. Still, the best part of the S14’s display is that the trackpad isn’t the only way to interact with it. It’s also a touchscreen. Honestly, touchscreens on laptops make a lot of sense for people on the go and for employees like me. The best compliment I can give is that after the review period, I accidentally touched my MacBook’s display, thinking it would do something.
The 1080p webcam is fairly standard. While it won’t break any image-quality benchmarks, the videos it took during conferencing were decent, with good-enough sharpness and okayish colors. It also supports Windows Hello, so signing in to your laptop is quick and easy.
Performance
A professional laptop needs to pack a punch in terms of performance. It should not only keep up with your needs but also have ample juice in the bank to ramp things up if needed. The Asus ZenBook S14 ships with the newest Panther Lake Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor. It includes 16 cores: 4 performance, 8 efficiency, and 4 ultra-efficiency. The processor is coupled with an Intel iGPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, whose read and write speeds we measured at 6972.59 MB/s and 3367.89 MB/s, respectively.
As you might have guessed, the everyday performance of the Asus ZenBook S14 is nothing to complain about. Apps launch instantly, without a loading delay. The RAM is enough to keep over 25 Chrome tabs while also running Spotify in the background. My daily workload, which is mainly on Chrome, was no match for the Core Ultra 9’s mammoth capabilities. So to properly fire up the processor, I first installed Da Vinci Resolve and tried editing a reel. Truth be told, I’m not the best editor, nor do I know how to add effects, but with color grading and multiple 4K streams, the laptop handled everything well without slowing down. For all my programmer friends, don’t worry. I installed VSCode and ran a few Python programs for fun. The result was lightning-quick runtimes.
Since this is a review, and my workflow can only paint a certain picture, I also ran a series of benchmarks to put the Asus ZenBook S14 against its peers. Starting with CineBench R24, the laptop scored 960 in the multi-core test and 125 in the single-core test. For some much-needed context, that’s almost double the CineBench score of last year’s ThinkPad X Carbon. In PCMark 10, the Core Ultra 9 managed to reach 9321 points.
Coming to graphics performance, there’s something I need to mention: don’t expect to play AAA games on the ZenBook S14’s integrated graphics. If you are, I think you’d be better off with a Zephyrus G14. Still, if you’re interested in a fun pastime, then yes, the ZenBook S14 has enough power, given that it scored 4,342 points in 3DMark’s Time Spy test. To test those capabilities, I first fired up F1 25, where on medium-high settings on 1080p resolution, I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 FPS. The same frames followed in games like GTA V, but at medium settings. In eSports titles like Valorant and Rocket League, the laptop easily delivered over 100 FPS on high settings.
Battery Life & Speakers
Since the ZenBook is for people on the go, battery life has always been really good. Fortunately, I can say the same thing about the S14. With Panther Lake’s efficiency gains and the 77Wh lithium polymer cell, I could easily go through a full workday with some charge to spare. In real numbers, that’s about 11 hours of Chrome, watching YouTube, editing some photos, and spreadsheets. Charging is handled with a fast 65W Type-C adapter, which can take the battery from 0%-50% in about 40 minutes.
For as long as I can remember, speakers have been an afterthought on Windows laptops. The only laptop that I remember having amazing speakers is the Asus ExpertBook Ultra. It has set the bar pretty high, and while the ZenBook S14 doesn’t quite match that level of quality, it’s still really good. They are positioned underneath the keyboard and sound louder than my MacBook. The treble is on point, and the mids, which are where most of the dialogue lives, sound clear. Even at higher volumes, the highs don’t screech the ears, which is great news for movie watchers.
Verdict
At a starting price of ₹179,990 or ₹249,990 for the unit I tested, the Asus ZenBook S14 trundles in the very premium Windows laptop market, which has historically been dominated by the likes of Dell XPS and ThinkPads. Honestly, the S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
ExpertBook Ultra. Shifting focus a bit towards the product in hand, it’s been three weeks since I switched to the S14, and truth be told, it doesn’t put a foot wrong. Maybe it’s the gorgeous design, the stunning display, the rapid performance, or just a mix of all three, but the ZenBook S14 makes me want one. But is it worth it for your workflow? This review will answer that for you.
Asus ZenBook S14 Review
Hisan Kidwai
Summary
The Asus ZenBook S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
Design & Hardware
Design is a very subjective matter, but if there’s one thing we all can expect from Asus, it’s that these guys know how to create beautiful machines. Sure, you must know the cold, aluminum touch by now, which is used by most premium laptops, including my beloved MacBook. Well, Asus has formulated something they call Ceraluminum. It’s essentially aluminum with a ceramic coating on top.
It’s hard to describe it in words, but I’m going to try anyway. The Asus ZenBook S14’s top feels like that high-end matte marble flooring you might see in stores. It feels very premium to the touch, with a unique patterned finish I’ve never seen before. Every time I took it to a coffee shop, I noticed people looking at just what I was using. I’m also a fan of the subtle ZenBook branding that’s very sophisticated. While you don’t have to worry about fingerprints messing up the finish, oily fingers will leave hard-to-remove marks, so please wipe off the Doritos dust before using the laptop. You do get a couple of color options, including a grey and white.
Open up the laptop, and the ceraluminum finish makes way for a polished aluminum keyboard deck, and I’m a fan. The S14 carries the same sophistication here. Above the deck sits what looks like a speaker grille, though it’s actually part of the cooling system, whose shape reminded me of the cheesegrater Mac Pro (reference only for ages 15 and up).
While the color options might be a bit boring, it’s important to remember that the ZenBook S14 is for the type of person who’s giving a presentation at noon, closing another client at lunchtime, and maybe flying to another country for an urgent meeting, in other words, a busy professional. So, another important thing for any such person is portability. The ceraluminum inclusion made me think the ZenBook S14 might weigh a lot, but Asus has managed to limit the weight to just 1.2 kg, which is really good for a laptop with crazy internals. This meant I could carry the S14 to different coffee shops without hurting my back.
I also wasn’t worried about damaging the S14 in my backpack because it’s a durable machine. Of course, I didn’t toss the laptop intentionally. However, I did check for chassis flex. On the keyboard deck, there wasn’t any, and even the top stayed in shape after I applied some serious force.
As far as ports are concerned, Asus has almost everyone covered. On the S14, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports (for charging and display), a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and a headphone-microphone combo jack. The only minor gripe I have is the fact that both USB-C charging ports are on the left side, which can force you to do some cable gymnastics.
Keyboard & Trackpad
A good keyboard is the bare minimum for a professional laptop, let alone a ZenBook. As a surprise to absolutely no one, the ZenBook S14’s keyboard is just great. The layout is standard, meaning I didn’t spend a week trying to get used to a special key. The actuation energy is slightly higher than that of my MacBook, which provides a more tactile experience. The feedback is solid overall yet not very loud, which is ideal when working in an office. The keyboard is also backlit, with different brightness levels to choose from. Since I got the gray variant, the key lettering contrasts well with the lighting.
When I was reviewing the Asus ExpertBook Ultra, I just fell in love with that haptic trackpad, wishing every laptop incorporated the same. Well, I’m also the first to admit that not everyone loves a haptic trackpad. There are people who’d take the physical click over fake ones. And if you’re one of those (I’m not judging), then the S14’s trackpad is made for you. Never have I ever felt mechanical clicks more sophisticated than here. The clicks are precise, and the feedback is just awesome.
Display & Camera
Unlike smartphones, where almost all displays are the same, Asus has held a high place in my display rankings. After all, these guys were one of the first to bring OLED tech to laptops. And the ZenBook S14 is no different. It features, dare I say, a perfectly spec’d 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) Lumina OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. At a response time of just 0.2ms, everything feels quick and snappy. As expected, the video-watching experience of the S14 is simply lovely.
Colors pop off the screen with a punchy vibrancy while still keeping natural skin tones. The details are crisp enough to help you make out the fine facial features. Even the HDR performance is stellar, with the panel reaching a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. I had no problems working with the laptop outdoors, though, by outdoors, I mean inside a cool cafe, since only a lunatic can sit outside in the 45-degree Indian summer heat. Just be careful of the reflections, though, as the glossy panel does catch a lot of light.
All that being said, Asus hasn’t just designed the S14’s display for movie watchers. For creators, the S14’s panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. It’s VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 1000 certified, and the colors are PANTONE validated. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical space than a typical laptop display, meaning you can fit a few extra spreadsheet columns without having to scroll. Still, the best part of the S14’s display is that the trackpad isn’t the only way to interact with it. It’s also a touchscreen. Honestly, touchscreens on laptops make a lot of sense for people on the go and for employees like me. The best compliment I can give is that after the review period, I accidentally touched my MacBook’s display, thinking it would do something.
The 1080p webcam is fairly standard. While it won’t break any image-quality benchmarks, the videos it took during conferencing were decent, with good-enough sharpness and okayish colors. It also supports Windows Hello, so signing in to your laptop is quick and easy.
Performance
A professional laptop needs to pack a punch in terms of performance. It should not only keep up with your needs but also have ample juice in the bank to ramp things up if needed. The Asus ZenBook S14 ships with the newest Panther Lake Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor. It includes 16 cores: 4 performance, 8 efficiency, and 4 ultra-efficiency. The processor is coupled with an Intel iGPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, whose read and write speeds we measured at 6972.59 MB/s and 3367.89 MB/s, respectively.
As you might have guessed, the everyday performance of the Asus ZenBook S14 is nothing to complain about. Apps launch instantly, without a loading delay. The RAM is enough to keep over 25 Chrome tabs while also running Spotify in the background. My daily workload, which is mainly on Chrome, was no match for the Core Ultra 9’s mammoth capabilities. So to properly fire up the processor, I first installed Da Vinci Resolve and tried editing a reel. Truth be told, I’m not the best editor, nor do I know how to add effects, but with color grading and multiple 4K streams, the laptop handled everything well without slowing down. For all my programmer friends, don’t worry. I installed VSCode and ran a few Python programs for fun. The result was lightning-quick runtimes.
Since this is a review, and my workflow can only paint a certain picture, I also ran a series of benchmarks to put the Asus ZenBook S14 against its peers. Starting with CineBench R24, the laptop scored 960 in the multi-core test and 125 in the single-core test. For some much-needed context, that’s almost double the CineBench score of last year’s ThinkPad X Carbon. In PCMark 10, the Core Ultra 9 managed to reach 9321 points.
Coming to graphics performance, there’s something I need to mention: don’t expect to play AAA games on the ZenBook S14’s integrated graphics. If you are, I think you’d be better off with a Zephyrus G14. Still, if you’re interested in a fun pastime, then yes, the ZenBook S14 has enough power, given that it scored 4,342 points in 3DMark’s Time Spy test. To test those capabilities, I first fired up F1 25, where on medium-high settings on 1080p resolution, I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 FPS. The same frames followed in games like GTA V, but at medium settings. In eSports titles like Valorant and Rocket League, the laptop easily delivered over 100 FPS on high settings.
Battery Life & Speakers
Since the ZenBook is for people on the go, battery life has always been really good. Fortunately, I can say the same thing about the S14. With Panther Lake’s efficiency gains and the 77Wh lithium polymer cell, I could easily go through a full workday with some charge to spare. In real numbers, that’s about 11 hours of Chrome, watching YouTube, editing some photos, and spreadsheets. Charging is handled with a fast 65W Type-C adapter, which can take the battery from 0%-50% in about 40 minutes.
For as long as I can remember, speakers have been an afterthought on Windows laptops. The only laptop that I remember having amazing speakers is the Asus ExpertBook Ultra. It has set the bar pretty high, and while the ZenBook S14 doesn’t quite match that level of quality, it’s still really good. They are positioned underneath the keyboard and sound louder than my MacBook. The treble is on point, and the mids, which are where most of the dialogue lives, sound clear. Even at higher volumes, the highs don’t screech the ears, which is great news for movie watchers.
Verdict
At a starting price of ₹179,990 or ₹249,990 for the unit I tested, the Asus ZenBook S14 trundles in the very premium Windows laptop market, which has historically been dominated by the likes of Dell XPS and ThinkPads. Honestly, the S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
#Asus #ZenBook #S14 #Review #OLED #UltrabookAsus">Asus ZenBook S14 Review: The OLED Ultrabook That Gets Almost Everything Right
If you’ve dabbled with premium laptops before, there’s about a 100% chance you’ve seen Asus’s ZenBooks around. These laptops from the Taiwanese maker have served professionals in need of respectable power without carrying a brick-like gaming laptop. I’ve personally tested many of these devices, and every single one of my reviews has ended with something like “Oh, this laptop is great and worth the recommendation.” That’s because Asus knows its target audience and caters to their needs almost perfectly. And if you’re in the market for an ultra-premium laptop, Asus has just announced something for you: the ZenBook S14 UX5406.
I’ve been using a basic MacBook Air M1 for the past five years. It’s served me well, and, despite my years of testing laptops, I’ve only once felt the urge that it would be amazing if that review unit were mine. The laptop I’m talking about is the ExpertBook Ultra. Shifting focus a bit towards the product in hand, it’s been three weeks since I switched to the S14, and truth be told, it doesn’t put a foot wrong. Maybe it’s the gorgeous design, the stunning display, the rapid performance, or just a mix of all three, but the ZenBook S14 makes me want one. But is it worth it for your workflow? This review will answer that for you.
Asus ZenBook S14 Review
Hisan Kidwai
Summary
The Asus ZenBook S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
Design & Hardware
Design is a very subjective matter, but if there’s one thing we all can expect from Asus, it’s that these guys know how to create beautiful machines. Sure, you must know the cold, aluminum touch by now, which is used by most premium laptops, including my beloved MacBook. Well, Asus has formulated something they call Ceraluminum. It’s essentially aluminum with a ceramic coating on top.
It’s hard to describe it in words, but I’m going to try anyway. The Asus ZenBook S14’s top feels like that high-end matte marble flooring you might see in stores. It feels very premium to the touch, with a unique patterned finish I’ve never seen before. Every time I took it to a coffee shop, I noticed people looking at just what I was using. I’m also a fan of the subtle ZenBook branding that’s very sophisticated. While you don’t have to worry about fingerprints messing up the finish, oily fingers will leave hard-to-remove marks, so please wipe off the Doritos dust before using the laptop. You do get a couple of color options, including a grey and white.
Open up the laptop, and the ceraluminum finish makes way for a polished aluminum keyboard deck, and I’m a fan. The S14 carries the same sophistication here. Above the deck sits what looks like a speaker grille, though it’s actually part of the cooling system, whose shape reminded me of the cheesegrater Mac Pro (reference only for ages 15 and up).
While the color options might be a bit boring, it’s important to remember that the ZenBook S14 is for the type of person who’s giving a presentation at noon, closing another client at lunchtime, and maybe flying to another country for an urgent meeting, in other words, a busy professional. So, another important thing for any such person is portability. The ceraluminum inclusion made me think the ZenBook S14 might weigh a lot, but Asus has managed to limit the weight to just 1.2 kg, which is really good for a laptop with crazy internals. This meant I could carry the S14 to different coffee shops without hurting my back.
I also wasn’t worried about damaging the S14 in my backpack because it’s a durable machine. Of course, I didn’t toss the laptop intentionally. However, I did check for chassis flex. On the keyboard deck, there wasn’t any, and even the top stayed in shape after I applied some serious force.
As far as ports are concerned, Asus has almost everyone covered. On the S14, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports (for charging and display), a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and a headphone-microphone combo jack. The only minor gripe I have is the fact that both USB-C charging ports are on the left side, which can force you to do some cable gymnastics.
Keyboard & Trackpad
A good keyboard is the bare minimum for a professional laptop, let alone a ZenBook. As a surprise to absolutely no one, the ZenBook S14’s keyboard is just great. The layout is standard, meaning I didn’t spend a week trying to get used to a special key. The actuation energy is slightly higher than that of my MacBook, which provides a more tactile experience. The feedback is solid overall yet not very loud, which is ideal when working in an office. The keyboard is also backlit, with different brightness levels to choose from. Since I got the gray variant, the key lettering contrasts well with the lighting.
When I was reviewing the Asus ExpertBook Ultra, I just fell in love with that haptic trackpad, wishing every laptop incorporated the same. Well, I’m also the first to admit that not everyone loves a haptic trackpad. There are people who’d take the physical click over fake ones. And if you’re one of those (I’m not judging), then the S14’s trackpad is made for you. Never have I ever felt mechanical clicks more sophisticated than here. The clicks are precise, and the feedback is just awesome.
Display & Camera
Unlike smartphones, where almost all displays are the same, Asus has held a high place in my display rankings. After all, these guys were one of the first to bring OLED tech to laptops. And the ZenBook S14 is no different. It features, dare I say, a perfectly spec’d 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) Lumina OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. At a response time of just 0.2ms, everything feels quick and snappy. As expected, the video-watching experience of the S14 is simply lovely.
Colors pop off the screen with a punchy vibrancy while still keeping natural skin tones. The details are crisp enough to help you make out the fine facial features. Even the HDR performance is stellar, with the panel reaching a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. I had no problems working with the laptop outdoors, though, by outdoors, I mean inside a cool cafe, since only a lunatic can sit outside in the 45-degree Indian summer heat. Just be careful of the reflections, though, as the glossy panel does catch a lot of light.
All that being said, Asus hasn’t just designed the S14’s display for movie watchers. For creators, the S14’s panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. It’s VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 1000 certified, and the colors are PANTONE validated. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical space than a typical laptop display, meaning you can fit a few extra spreadsheet columns without having to scroll. Still, the best part of the S14’s display is that the trackpad isn’t the only way to interact with it. It’s also a touchscreen. Honestly, touchscreens on laptops make a lot of sense for people on the go and for employees like me. The best compliment I can give is that after the review period, I accidentally touched my MacBook’s display, thinking it would do something.
The 1080p webcam is fairly standard. While it won’t break any image-quality benchmarks, the videos it took during conferencing were decent, with good-enough sharpness and okayish colors. It also supports Windows Hello, so signing in to your laptop is quick and easy.
Performance
A professional laptop needs to pack a punch in terms of performance. It should not only keep up with your needs but also have ample juice in the bank to ramp things up if needed. The Asus ZenBook S14 ships with the newest Panther Lake Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor. It includes 16 cores: 4 performance, 8 efficiency, and 4 ultra-efficiency. The processor is coupled with an Intel iGPU, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, whose read and write speeds we measured at 6972.59 MB/s and 3367.89 MB/s, respectively.
As you might have guessed, the everyday performance of the Asus ZenBook S14 is nothing to complain about. Apps launch instantly, without a loading delay. The RAM is enough to keep over 25 Chrome tabs while also running Spotify in the background. My daily workload, which is mainly on Chrome, was no match for the Core Ultra 9’s mammoth capabilities. So to properly fire up the processor, I first installed Da Vinci Resolve and tried editing a reel. Truth be told, I’m not the best editor, nor do I know how to add effects, but with color grading and multiple 4K streams, the laptop handled everything well without slowing down. For all my programmer friends, don’t worry. I installed VSCode and ran a few Python programs for fun. The result was lightning-quick runtimes.
Since this is a review, and my workflow can only paint a certain picture, I also ran a series of benchmarks to put the Asus ZenBook S14 against its peers. Starting with CineBench R24, the laptop scored 960 in the multi-core test and 125 in the single-core test. For some much-needed context, that’s almost double the CineBench score of last year’s ThinkPad X Carbon. In PCMark 10, the Core Ultra 9 managed to reach 9321 points.
Coming to graphics performance, there’s something I need to mention: don’t expect to play AAA games on the ZenBook S14’s integrated graphics. If you are, I think you’d be better off with a Zephyrus G14. Still, if you’re interested in a fun pastime, then yes, the ZenBook S14 has enough power, given that it scored 4,342 points in 3DMark’s Time Spy test. To test those capabilities, I first fired up F1 25, where on medium-high settings on 1080p resolution, I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 FPS. The same frames followed in games like GTA V, but at medium settings. In eSports titles like Valorant and Rocket League, the laptop easily delivered over 100 FPS on high settings.
Battery Life & Speakers
Since the ZenBook is for people on the go, battery life has always been really good. Fortunately, I can say the same thing about the S14. With Panther Lake’s efficiency gains and the 77Wh lithium polymer cell, I could easily go through a full workday with some charge to spare. In real numbers, that’s about 11 hours of Chrome, watching YouTube, editing some photos, and spreadsheets. Charging is handled with a fast 65W Type-C adapter, which can take the battery from 0%-50% in about 40 minutes.
For as long as I can remember, speakers have been an afterthought on Windows laptops. The only laptop that I remember having amazing speakers is the Asus ExpertBook Ultra. It has set the bar pretty high, and while the ZenBook S14 doesn’t quite match that level of quality, it’s still really good. They are positioned underneath the keyboard and sound louder than my MacBook. The treble is on point, and the mids, which are where most of the dialogue lives, sound clear. Even at higher volumes, the highs don’t screech the ears, which is great news for movie watchers.
Verdict
At a starting price of ₹179,990 or ₹249,990 for the unit I tested, the Asus ZenBook S14 trundles in the very premium Windows laptop market, which has historically been dominated by the likes of Dell XPS and ThinkPads. Honestly, the S14 doesn’t put a foot wrong. The ceraluminum design is unique in a way that screams premium while still being sophisticated. The display can best be described as near-perfect, with insane levels of color and brightness. Beyond that, no amount of work can tax the Core Ultra 9 processor, and the battery life comfortably lasts a full working day. Not to mention the speakers, which have a really good soundstage.
#Asus #ZenBook #S14 #Review #OLED #UltrabookAsus
Viz Media dropped its spring 2027 manga publishing lineup today, and there’s some great news for Jujutsu Kaisen fans: Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, the sequel to the acclaimed manga, is getting a physical release in English. Previously, the English translation was only available digitally. Only the first of three volumes will be published in spring 2027, but it’s still exciting. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is written by Gege Akutami and illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki.
The company also announced new physical editions of the light novel JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven, Junji Ito: Dissection, a collection of Ito’s previously unpublished works, a deluxe edition of seminal sports manga Slam Dunk, and more. It’s an impressively stacked lineup. Check out all the upcoming releases below.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami, illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki
Description: “68 years after the Culling Game, siblings Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu are pulled into a galactic conflict when an alien race arrives on Earth.”
Description: “The legendary basketball manga, Slam Dunk, returns in a deluxe hardcover edition with exclusive color pages from the original serialization, brand-new covers, and volume structure reordered by story arcs.”
Description: “The ultimate dissection of the career of horror legend Junji Ito! This hardcover edition bursts with previously unpublished manga and includes an unfinished rom-com manga Ito created before his debut.”
The Exorcist and the Lovestruck Raven Vol. 1 by Akira Osora
Description: “Talented but isolated exorcist Asaki Hibana is trying to be a normal high schooler. Could a handsome boy with big black wings be her first ally, or is he hiding something sinister?”
Description: “Nona is a witch, and her world hates witches. She tries to live in peace with her mother among humans, avoiding the brutal Magic Surveillance Bureau at all costs. Will a small act of kindness change her life forever?”
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven by NISIOISIN with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki
Description: “Before Jotaro burned the diary, DIO recorded his ultimate plan. The perspective-flipping JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven light novel, written by NISIOISIN, and with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki, releases with a gold foil deluxe hardcover Spring 2027.”
Description: “Yua just got dumped by her boyfriend. Reina’s been single for a hot minute. So, like, what if they dated? I mean, they’re kind of #perfect for each other! A one-year trial run turns into a #relationship4life?!”
Description: “This deluxe hardcover presents a dreamlike journey into the imaginative world of renowned photographer Jingna Zhang. Featuring 100+ full-color art photographs inspired by classic manga, anime, and games, Odyssey by Jingna Zhang releases Spring 2027.”
Description: “Through four deeply personal vignettes, a legendary mangaka confronts guilt, shame, pride, and loneliness in unfiltered reflections on his younger years.”
Description: “Discover the real Detective Conan in this faithful version of the renowned series, published under its original name with character names restored!”
Takemitsu Zamurai Vol. 1 by Issei Eifuku, illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto
Description: “A chaotic new comedy from hakei, the Eisner award-nominated author of “DeadAss”! A student from Mars’ slums loses his scholarship and must avoid expulsion by making the corporate bots in charge fall in love with him.”
Viz Media dropped its spring 2027 manga publishing lineup today, and there’s some great news for Jujutsu Kaisen fans: Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, the sequel to the acclaimed manga, is getting a physical release in English. Previously, the English translation was only available digitally. Only the first of three volumes will be published in spring 2027, but it’s still exciting. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is written by Gege Akutami and illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki.
The company also announced new physical editions of the light novel JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven, Junji Ito: Dissection, a collection of Ito’s previously unpublished works, a deluxe edition of seminal sports manga Slam Dunk, and more. It’s an impressively stacked lineup. Check out all the upcoming releases below.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami, illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki
Description: “68 years after the Culling Game, siblings Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu are pulled into a galactic conflict when an alien race arrives on Earth.”
Description: “The legendary basketball manga, Slam Dunk, returns in a deluxe hardcover edition with exclusive color pages from the original serialization, brand-new covers, and volume structure reordered by story arcs.”
Description: “The ultimate dissection of the career of horror legend Junji Ito! This hardcover edition bursts with previously unpublished manga and includes an unfinished rom-com manga Ito created before his debut.”
The Exorcist and the Lovestruck Raven Vol. 1 by Akira Osora
Description: “Talented but isolated exorcist Asaki Hibana is trying to be a normal high schooler. Could a handsome boy with big black wings be her first ally, or is he hiding something sinister?”
Description: “Nona is a witch, and her world hates witches. She tries to live in peace with her mother among humans, avoiding the brutal Magic Surveillance Bureau at all costs. Will a small act of kindness change her life forever?”
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven by NISIOISIN with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki
Description: “Before Jotaro burned the diary, DIO recorded his ultimate plan. The perspective-flipping JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven light novel, written by NISIOISIN, and with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki, releases with a gold foil deluxe hardcover Spring 2027.”
Description: “Yua just got dumped by her boyfriend. Reina’s been single for a hot minute. So, like, what if they dated? I mean, they’re kind of #perfect for each other! A one-year trial run turns into a #relationship4life?!”
Description: “This deluxe hardcover presents a dreamlike journey into the imaginative world of renowned photographer Jingna Zhang. Featuring 100+ full-color art photographs inspired by classic manga, anime, and games, Odyssey by Jingna Zhang releases Spring 2027.”
Description: “Through four deeply personal vignettes, a legendary mangaka confronts guilt, shame, pride, and loneliness in unfiltered reflections on his younger years.”
Description: “Discover the real Detective Conan in this faithful version of the renowned series, published under its original name with character names restored!”
Takemitsu Zamurai Vol. 1 by Issei Eifuku, illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto
Description: “A chaotic new comedy from hakei, the Eisner award-nominated author of “DeadAss”! A student from Mars’ slums loses his scholarship and must avoid expulsion by making the corporate bots in charge fall in love with him.”
#Jujutsu #Kaisen #Sequel #Manga #English #Physical #Releasejujutsu kaisen,Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo">‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ Sequel Manga Gets English Physical Release
Viz Media dropped its spring 2027 manga publishing lineup today, and there’s some great news for Jujutsu Kaisen fans: Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, the sequel to the acclaimed manga, is getting a physical release in English. Previously, the English translation was only available digitally. Only the first of three volumes will be published in spring 2027, but it’s still exciting. Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is written by Gege Akutami and illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki.
The company also announced new physical editions of the light novel JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven, Junji Ito: Dissection, a collection of Ito’s previously unpublished works, a deluxe edition of seminal sports manga Slam Dunk, and more. It’s an impressively stacked lineup. Check out all the upcoming releases below.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami, illustrated by Yuji Iwasaki
Description: “68 years after the Culling Game, siblings Yuka and Tsurugi Okkotsu are pulled into a galactic conflict when an alien race arrives on Earth.”
Description: “The legendary basketball manga, Slam Dunk, returns in a deluxe hardcover edition with exclusive color pages from the original serialization, brand-new covers, and volume structure reordered by story arcs.”
Description: “The ultimate dissection of the career of horror legend Junji Ito! This hardcover edition bursts with previously unpublished manga and includes an unfinished rom-com manga Ito created before his debut.”
The Exorcist and the Lovestruck Raven Vol. 1 by Akira Osora
Description: “Talented but isolated exorcist Asaki Hibana is trying to be a normal high schooler. Could a handsome boy with big black wings be her first ally, or is he hiding something sinister?”
Description: “Nona is a witch, and her world hates witches. She tries to live in peace with her mother among humans, avoiding the brutal Magic Surveillance Bureau at all costs. Will a small act of kindness change her life forever?”
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven by NISIOISIN with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki
Description: “Before Jotaro burned the diary, DIO recorded his ultimate plan. The perspective-flipping JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven light novel, written by NISIOISIN, and with new illustrations by Hirohiko Araki, releases with a gold foil deluxe hardcover Spring 2027.”
Description: “Yua just got dumped by her boyfriend. Reina’s been single for a hot minute. So, like, what if they dated? I mean, they’re kind of #perfect for each other! A one-year trial run turns into a #relationship4life?!”
Description: “This deluxe hardcover presents a dreamlike journey into the imaginative world of renowned photographer Jingna Zhang. Featuring 100+ full-color art photographs inspired by classic manga, anime, and games, Odyssey by Jingna Zhang releases Spring 2027.”
Description: “Through four deeply personal vignettes, a legendary mangaka confronts guilt, shame, pride, and loneliness in unfiltered reflections on his younger years.”
Description: “Discover the real Detective Conan in this faithful version of the renowned series, published under its original name with character names restored!”
Takemitsu Zamurai Vol. 1 by Issei Eifuku, illustrated by Taiyo Matsumoto
Description: “A chaotic new comedy from hakei, the Eisner award-nominated author of “DeadAss”! A student from Mars’ slums loses his scholarship and must avoid expulsion by making the corporate bots in charge fall in love with him.”
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