MacBook Air vs Asus ZenBook 14: Which One Should You Go for?
We compared MacBook Air and Asus ZenBook 14 to see which one is an ideal buy for you.
advertisement
MacBook Air and Asus ZenBook 14 are similar devices in many ways. Both devices have high-end components and are powerful enough to perform daily tasks, making them suitable options for creative professionals.
While both the devices are under the same price range, it becomes a tedious task to choose one. So, we have compared both the devices for you.
Read on to find out whether the MacBook Air or the Asus ZenBook 14 is the best laptop for professional use.
Design
MacBook Air is a 13.3-inch laptop, whereas Asus ZenBook 14 is slightly taller with a 14-inch display. Despite being a 13.3-inch laptop, MacBook Air’s frame is half-an-inch wider than ZenBook 14.
Both devices resemble an A4 sheet and weigh under 1.2 Kg. Speaking about the body, both are solidly built with a rigid lid and chassis.
MacBook Air has an excellent keyboard deck which is quite flexible and is equipped with Force Touch Support. On the other hand, ZenBook’s keyboard is traditionally built and is less flexible in comparison to the MacBook Air.
Casing & Colour
ZenBook comes in two colours, namely royal blue and icicle silver, and it is made with hard brushed steel. Whereas, the MacBook Air comes in three colors: gold, space grey, and silver with an aluminum finish.
Ports
Asus ZenBook 14 is equipped with two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one USB-C port without Thunderbolt 3, an extra slot for a microSD card reader, and an inbuilt audio jack. Whereas, the MacBook Air is packed with only two USB-C ports with ThunderBolt 3 support and an audio jack as well.
Display
Asus ZenBook 14 comes with half-an-inch larger display than MacBook Air and supports full HD images with 1920x1080 pixels.
MacBook Air, on the other hand, has a greater advantage because of the introduction of a new ‘Retina’ display feature which delivers a maximum resolution of 2560x1600. Besides, the true tone technology makes the display even sharper with automatic adjustment of white tones.
Performance
Both devices offer SSD storage capacity upto 1TB, DDR3 RAM, expandable upto 16GB and Intel’s Integrated graphic cards.
While ZenBook 14 offers three models equipped with Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 processors, MacBook Air is only available with Core i5 processor. However, what makes MacBook better here is that it allows the use of an external GPU, which makes the laptop better for video editing and allows using heavy software as well.
Portability & Battery life
Weighing only 1.2 kg both devices are thin, light and can be carried easily. The battery capacity for both is 50 watts, but the MacBook Air is better due to the new ARM-based M1 chip. According to the manufacturers, both provide a battery back-up of up to 13 hours.
Price
MacBook Air’s current price is around Rs 69,193 in retail stores, whereas The Zenbook 14 is sold for the official price of Rs 58,257.
Which One Should You Buy?
In terms of performance, display, built and battery power MacBook Air is the clear winner here. However, if you're looking for a portable laptop that can handle creative tasks with ease, then ZenBook 14 is a good choice as well.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)