12 Jan
Blog

JBL Flip 6 Review: Still Loud For Small Crowds

JBL Flip 6.

JBL Flip 6 in the test: Still loud for small crowds

RRP $ 130.00

"With the Flip 6, JBL keeps it inside and out in the family."

benefits

  • Solid build quality

  • Loud and clear sound

  • Lightweight and portable

  • Excellent water and dust protection

  • EQ offers some sound tweaks

  • Works with the JBL Portable App and PartyBoost

disadvantage

  • Stereo pairing with non-flip 6 JBL speakers not possible

  • Does not work as a speakerphone

  • Not much different from Flip 5

Bluetooth speakers are often a predictable lot where functionality and portability complement their good sound. But different speakers are designed for different situations. When it comes to the audience type, JBL is there. The Flip line fits that description exactly, and the company brings new models to market almost every year.

So don't expect any surprise from them JBL Flip 6. If you know what the Flip range of speakers is all about, you know you're getting plenty of bass and volume. Both are obvious as soon as you start the music. So what are the other perks that come from the few extras that JBL threw in?

What's in the box?

JBL Flip 6.Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends

There isn't much to unpack on the Flip 6. JBL could downsize the packaging, or at least print a picture of the speaker's true dimensions on the page, so as not to create the impression that it is bigger than it actually is. In addition to the speaker itself, you will find a USB-C charging cable and a quick guide.

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JBL Flip 6.Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends

You get the same cylindrical design and largely similar dimensions as its predecessors. JBL has reduced the height (7.0 inches), width (2.6 inches), and depth (2.8 inches) slightly to make it a bit smaller, albeit with effectively the same weight. Not that it weighs 1.21 pounds – it actually feels just as portable, so you can take it with you anywhere.

This also includes everything to do with water thanks to an official water and dust resistance rating. Unlike previous Flip versions, JBL has given this one an IP67 rating, which improves the Flip 5's IPX7 rating. It's perfect when you want to sing along in the shower, listen to a podcast in a relaxing bath, or splash around in the pool. Let's not forget the beach either, as the Flip 6 holds up well in salt water and sand, making it a great option for a wide variety of outdoor activities.

Durability extends to the rubberized bumpers that surround the passive radiators at each end. JBL has adopted the same design principle here, and the bumpers continue to play a major role in protecting the other components. Much of the rest of the Flip 6 represents an aesthetic change on the outside, like the larger JBL logo on the front and the more textured material on the body. A rubber strip on the bottom prevents the speaker from rolling while at the same time tilting part of the audio up for a more spacious sound profile.

JBL has also addressed the lack of a lanyard in previous versions by incorporating one into the Flip 6. By integrated, I mean that it is already tied up for you, and if you should ever lose it, you could realistically replace it with another.

Wisely, JBL didn't change the control layout and used the same raised buttons that, while not backlit, are easy to feel and accurate when playing / pausing music or adjusting the volume. Power, Bluetooth, battery level indicator and USB-C charging port also return to the rear.

Setup and configuration

It was easy to pair the Flip 6 via Bluetooth as it will automatically go into pairing mode. Just as easily put it back into pairing mode later by holding down the speaker's bluetooth button until it flashes. It connects to one device at a time and was not equipped with a microphone by JBL, so the Flip 6 does not have a hands-free function. This thing is about playing audio, not making phone calls, which is a blatant omission in the industry at this stage of the game.

One thing JBL changed with the Flip 6 is that it can access the JBL Portable (formerly Connect) app for iOS or Android. You can use it to update the firmware and adjust the modest number of settings. The big standout for me was the EQ, which earlier Flip speakers didn't have. It's hardly complicated, with simple bass, mids, and treble sliders, but it marks a shift towards some level of audio control on the Flip 6.

PartyBoost is back, but not without guard rails. I could use party mode to wirelessly connect to other compatible JBL speakers to play the same audio at the same time. You can also create a stereo pair if you or a friend owns another Flip 6 (both speakers must be of the same model). I tried pulling it off with a Flip 5 but got nowhere.

Sound quality

JBL Flip 6.Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends

It's hardly surprising that the bass stands out in the overall sound signature. JBL chooses it with each subsequent iteration. In this case, it's less about boosting the bass by default as you can tweak it using the portable app's EQ. What is interesting is that the mids and highs have a greater impact on the sound signature. We're not talking about something audiophiles will love, but it's hard not to like the results for what they are.

The Flip 6 gets loud – once again a matter of course for a loudspeaker like this one. It's the response at higher volumes that impressed me. Just when I was expecting the distortion to set in and pop the highs or lows, it maintained a stable sound that I liked even more over time.

Part of it has a lot to do with context, which means I used the speaker a lot when I was moving. Whether I was showering, cooking a meal, or listening to music at work, it became a practical part of my daily routine. Whether it was different genres of music or long podcast episodes, I appreciated the Flip 6 for its performance.

If you're a fan of bass heavy genres I don't think you'll be disappointed with the output here. It's deep and rumbling, with just enough detail in the mids and highs for decent balance. Pretty much any top 40 and party hits playlist will do well with a small crowd if this thing challenges them.

JBL Flip 6.Ted Kritsonis / Digital Trends

Battery life

JBL claims the Flip 6 can last up to 12 hours per charge, but at no point did I achieve that. It depends how loud you get, but I've been in the range of around 8-10 hours which isn't bad. That's enough time for a trip to the park, the beach or the pool. Connect it with the USB-C cable and you can play the music that way, especially if you have a portable battery to help.

Our opinion

For $ 130, the Flip 6 feels like value for money. You get a speaker that is very portable yet has enough power to be loud when you need it. Its added durability makes it safer and more useful in sandy and tougher environments, which certainly can't hurt either. There are also a handful of colors to choose from: black, blue, red, gray, and teal.

Is there a better alternative?

JBL doesn't give up 5. turn aroundwhich is arguably just as good for most situations, but if you want to go that route, wait for the price to drop. Ultimate Ears charges more than $ 150 for similar size and toughness in the Boom 3except that you also get a more spacious sound as the speaker wraps around your body. To get this spatial effect with serious harshness, pay the same $ 150 to get the Outdoor technology OT-2800-B Turtle Shell 3.0that offers the same water (but not dust) resistance.

If your budget allows it and you want a whole house music ecosystem to match your bluetooth speaker, then you should consider the Sonos Roam as well. It supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as simple voice commands and wireless charging, and you get it all for $ 179.

How long it will take?

JBL speakers have a pretty good track record, and the Flip 6 was made to last. You need to handle it properly to ensure its longevity, such as rinsing off sand and salt. Keep it clean and it should play for years. JBL offers a one-year guarantee against damage to the speaker, but not in all cases of water damage.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you need a speaker this size that prefers loud, clear sound and you don't want a speakerphone inside. If you already have a Flip 5, you probably don't have to take the plunge unless you really want to use the few new features that are available.

Editor's recommendations



06 Nov
Blog

MSI Summit E16 Flip Review: Stepping Up to Compete

MSI Summit E16 Flip sits on a table.

MSI Summit E16 Flip

RRP $ 2,299.00

"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a decent laptop for content creators, if only it was a little cheaper."

advantages

  • Solid build quality

  • Attractive aesthetics

  • Strong productivity performance

  • Excellent IPS display with 120 Hz refresh rate

  • Very good keyboard

disadvantage

  • Too expensive

  • Battery life is mediocre

  • Small touchpad

I really liked the MSI Summit E13 Flip, especially the modern aesthetics, excellent battery life, and solid performance. It turned out that MSI can make an excellent productivity-oriented 2-in-1 convertible for the popular gaming laptops, even if the price was a bit steep.

MSI has a larger version of the device, the Summit E16 Flip, which not only expands the 16:10 display from 13.4 inches to 16 inches, but also adds a separate GPU via Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3050. It has a similar look and feel, but is more aimed at developers who can take advantage of the extra power of a GPU for applications that can use it, like Adobe's Creative Suite.

I tested the top-end Summit E16 Flip with a Core i7-1195G7 CPU and the RTX 3050, which has a retail price of $ 2,299. The three available models only differ in their RAM and storage, whereby the test device with 32 GB RAM and a 2 TB SSD is the top model. As with the 13-inch model, the Summit E16 Flip is a bit pricey – but I enjoyed the machine enough to justify the investment.

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Rear view of the MSI Summit E16 Flip.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Like its smaller brother, the Summit E16 Flip has a slim, completely black case with just a few rose gold accents in an MSI logo on the front and along the beveled edges on the lid and touchpad. The larger model doesn't have the cropped chassis and lid corners of the 13-inch model reminiscent of the HP Specter line, including the Specter x360 15, but the rose gold and black color scheme still hints at HP's machines .

The lines of the 2-in-1 are simpler, with a slightly angled edge along the back of the case and a steeply angled keyboard deck. It's an elegant overall look that is not overrated and is more eye-catching than the HP Envy x360 15, which is also available in black but has a deliberately minimalist design. As with the smaller version, MSI also notes the use of the golden ratio (1.68) when designing the dimensions of the laptop.

The display bezels of the 2-in-1 display aren't tiny at the top and bottom, so the overall dimensions of the Summit E16 Flip are a bit excessive. It's almost as wide as the Specter x360 15, but over an inch deeper thanks to the taller display and larger bezels. However, it's thinner at 0.67 inches and slightly heavier at 4.4 pounds compared to the Specter x360 15 at 0.79 inches and 4.23 pounds. The Summit E16 Flip is also deeper than the Envy x360 15 with its 16: 9 display, while again it's thinner and slightly heavier compared to the Envy’s 0.72 inches and 4.11 pounds.

MSI Summit E16 Flip folded back.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Overall, the Summit E16 Flip is a large convertible 2-in-1, but not unexpected considering it's a large and tall display. You won't want to hold it in your arm to ink, but that's typical of larger 2-in-1 devices.

The Summit E16 Flip is made from CNC machined aluminum, which fits its premium character. Accordingly, the entire chassis is torsion-resistant, without the lid (as shown on the 13-inch model), the keyboard deck or the case's underside sagging. It is slightly on par with the Specter x360 15 and is ahead of the Envy x360 15, which had a bit of keyboard flex.

The Summit E16 Flip is a very well made laptop. The hinge can be easily opened with one hand, which is unusual for convertible 2-in-1s, and holds the display in its four positions – clamshell, tent, media and tablet. It also supports the keyboard deck at an angle for a more comfortable typing experience and improved airflow.

On the left is a full-size HDMI port and two USB-Cs with Thunderbolt 4 (one of which is for charging).

Two USB-A 3.2 ports, a 3.5 mm audio jack and a microSD card reader on the right side of the MSI Summit e16 Flip.

Connectivity is a strength. On the left is a full-size HDMI port and two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for charging) and two USB-A 3.2 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card reader on the right.

Given the usefulness of this 2-in-1 for creatives, a full-size SD card reader would have been desirable. The latest in Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 offer fast wireless capabilities with the right router.

power

MSI Summit E16 Flip folded back in a tent fold.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Summit E16 Flip uses a 28-watt 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7-1195G7, which is a fast chip, but it's still intended for thin and light laptops rather than portable powerhouses. This is in contrast to the 45-watt Core i7-10750H with 6 cores and 12 threads in the HP Specter x360 15 and the 8-core / 16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 5700U in the HP Envy x360 15.

Then there are clamshell laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and MSI Creator Z16 that use the latest 8-core / 16-thread Core i7-11800H CPUs that are significantly faster – though it's not entirely fair, these portable ones Compare workstations with a Convertible 2. in 1. My performance expectations for the Summit E16 Flip have been lowered despite everything.

According to our benchmarks, the Summit E16 Flip's performance was strong for productive work, but mixed for creative endeavors. Note that MSI provides a utility to switch from "balanced" to "powerful" modes and this made a noticeable difference in some of these results, but not enough to warrant analysis. If you need a little more power, you can switch the 2-in-1 to overdrive.

The MSI Summit E16 Flip balances CPU and GPU performance very well.

The Summit E16 Flip performed well in Geekbench 5 and beat the Specter x360 15 in both the single and multi-core tests, but lost in the multi-core test against the blazingly fast AMD Ryzen 7 CPU in the Envy x360 15. In our Handbrake test, which converts a 420MB video to H.265, the MSI couldn't compete with any of our comparison devices except for the LG Gram 16, which uses a slower Core i7, but it wasn't much slower than the Specter x360 15. The same applies to Cinebench R23, another CPU-intensive benchmark. The Summit E16 Flip scores exceptionally well in the PCMark Complete test, and its values ​​for essentials, productivity and content creation are also good for the CPU class.

One surprising result was Pugetbench, which uses Adobe Premiere Pro to handle a number of demanding video editing tasks and can use both the CPU and GPU to speed up performance. Here the Summit E16 Flip achieved an excellent score of 552, which was significantly higher than all the others except for the Dell XPS 15 (which beat it) and the MSI Creator Z16 (which dominated this benchmark). MSI coordinated the CPU and the GPU excellently to achieve a good performance in this practical test.

The Summit E16 Flip is not the fastest notebook in the 15- and 16-inch class, but it is fast enough for a convertible 2-in-1. It's faster overall than the HP Specter x360 15, and while the HP Specter x360 16 was announced with a 35-watt H-series CPU, the details are sparse – it could be another solid competitor, but we won't know until we i have compared it. Either way, the Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 device that can handle your demanding productivity tasks, but not handle demanding creative workflows that are CPU intensive.

Laptop Underdog bench 5 Cinebench R23 Budget bank Handbrake
(Seconds)		 PCMark 10 3DMark time spy Fourteen days
(1080p epic)		 Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
MSI Summit E16 Flip (Core i7-1195G7) 1607/6096 1589/5344 552 175 5681 4138 52 fps 62 fps
HP Specter x360 15 (Core i7-10750H) 1237/5013 1102/5492 339 160 4676 2325 54 fps 60 fps
HP Envy x360 15 (AMD Ryzen7 5700U) 1198/6790 1258/8131 185 116 5419 902 20 fps N / A
Dell XPS 15 OLED 2021 (Core i7-11800H) 1544/7692 1513/9979 509 101 6024 4540 50 fps 73 fps
MSI Creator Z16 (Core i7-11800H) 1540/7625 1444/9615 738 103 6486 6322 59 fps (1200p) 92 fps
LG gram 16 (Core i7-1165G7) 1573/5454 1394/4137 N / A 213 4827 1390 13 fps n / A

The Summit E16 Flip is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, an entry-level graphics chip. It does well in the 3DMark Time Spy test, not too far behind the RTX 3050 Ti in the Dell XPS 15 and well ahead of the GTX 1650 Ti in the HP Specter x360 15. When testing the performance in some popular games, I found the Summit E16 Flip at 1080p or 1200p and moderate graphics settings a competent performer.

Fortnite reached 52 frames per second (fps) at 1200p and epic settings, behind the Specter x360 15 but ahead of the XPS 15 and competitive with the MSI Creator Z16 (with an RTX 3060). In Civilization VI, the Summit E16 Flip hit 62 fps at 1080p and ultra graphics, slightly ahead of the Specter x360 15 and behind the XPS 15 and Creator Z16, but not by much. MSI's 2-in-1 hit 43 fps at 1200p and high graphics, way behind the XPS 15 and Creator Z16, and it dropped from there as the resolution and graphics settings went up.

In Battlefield V, the Summit E16 Flip finally ran at 49 fps at 1200p and medium graphics, again clearly behind the XPS 15 and the Creator Z16, but still playable. Even at 1600p and ultra graphics, the Summit E16 Flip achieved 30 fps.

As long as you agree to the graphic quality limitation, you can play modern titles at 1080p or 1200p. It's not a gaming laptop, but it's not a bad entry-level device.

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Close up on the MSI Summit E16 flip display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I criticized the Summit E13 Flip for its poor calibration, with colors and gamma that were far away. I noticed this when I was doing my tests and before I pulled out my colorimeter. With the display of the Summit E16 Flip, which looked very bright, with dynamic and natural colors and deep blacks, there were no such problems. And the large 16-inch display has the productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio with a sufficiently sharp QHD + resolution (2,560 x 1,600). I really enjoyed using the display while doing my tests.

I was not wrong with my impressions. According to my colorimeter, MSI picked an excellent IPS panel for the Summit E16 Flip and calibrated it much better. First, it was very bright at 482 nits, well above our 300 nit threshold. The colors were much wider than the average premium display at 89% of AdobeRGB (most displays are around 72%) and 100% of sRGB (with 95% close to average).

I discovered by accident that the display supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

The colors were also accurate with a Delta E of 1.12 (1.0 or less is considered excellent). The contrast of 1,140: 1 was above our threshold of 1,000: 1. This is much better than the IPS display of the HP Envy x360 15 with 270 nits, 71% Adobe RGB and 95% sRGB with an accuracy of 1.06 (slightly better) and a contrast ratio of 900: 1. Of course, the HP Specter x360 15 with its OLED display had even wider colors at 99% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB, with an accuracy of 1.21 and an ink-black contrast ratio of 426,180: 1.

In an interesting twist, I discovered quite by accident that the display supports 120 Hz, although this is nowhere mentioned in the literature I received with the test device. I tried running Assassin's Creed Valhalla which wouldn't run properly and in the settings I noticed that the game was set to the non-native 60Hz by default.

Lo and behold, I could switch to 120 Hz if I wanted to. I checked the display settings and there it was, set to 120 Hz by default. I didn't notice anything prior to this discovery, but when I switched back and forth between 60Hz and 120Hz I found that things went a little smoother. So that's another plus point for the display, which MSI should advertise more prominently.

Close-up of the webcam of the MSI Summit E16 Flip.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Overall, the Summit E16 Flip's display is great for productive work, with more than wide and accurate colors and contrasts that make black text stand out on a white background. It's also good enough for developers who might want a slightly larger AdobeRGB color space but could certainly get their job done with this 2-in-1. It's an excellent display that justifies the Summit E16 Flip's higher price tag.

The sound was surprisingly quiet, even at maximum volume. The mids and highs were clear and comfortable, and there was even a hint of bass, but it just wasn't a lot of volume. It's good audio for Netflix and the like, but you should do this in a quiet setting. Headphones are needed when you need to drown out background noise.

Keyboard and touchpad

MSI Summit E16 Flip Keyboard and Pen.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Like the smaller model, the Summit E16 Flip also has an excellent keyboard. It has a lot of space and large keycaps, even if you tuck in the small numeric keypad on the right. The switches offered a lot of spring travel with 1.5 mm, a light touch and a snappy mechanism. My only complaint was that the floor movement was a little softer than I like, but that's nits. I would rate this keyboard at the top of the list with the best, including versions of the HP Specter and Dell XPS lines.

But I have a bone to pick with MSI. There's plenty of room on the palm rest for a huge touchpad – that's one of the advantages of a taller display. And yet a tiny, wide-format touchpad is built in, which leaves almost an inch of free space at the top and bottom.

Dell used this space with the XPS 15 and equipped one of the largest touchpads that you will find on a Windows computer. The E16 flip touchpad is fine for what it is, with a smooth surface, reliable support for Windows multitouch gestures thanks to Microsoft Precision touchpad support and firm but quiet buttons. But it's so tiny.

Tablet mode and stylus on the MSI Summit E16 Flip.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

MSI contains its active pen in the box and can be magnetically attached to the housing or cover of the Summit E16 Flip. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity with tilt and is charged via USB-C. Although the 16-inch 2-in-1 is quite unwieldy in tablet mode when you place it on a surface and use it for drawing or taking notes, the pen works admirably. The touch display also responded.

A fingerprint reader provides Windows Hello support on the palm rest. As with most fingerprint readers today, it was quick and reliable. MSI has also implemented some options to turn off the webcam for privacy reasons. You can either press a key on the keyboard or flip a physical switch to electronically turn off the webcam so that hackers can no longer take advantage of it.

I prefer this to the physical sliders and those other manufacturers use. HP developed the concept with its Specter x360 13 and Specter x360 15, but has since moved to physical covers that are controlled by keyboard keys.

Battery life

MSI Summit E16 Flip sits on a table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

MSI put 82 watt hours of battery into the case of the Summit E16 Flip, which is close to the 83 watt hours of the HP Specter x360 15 and significantly more than the 51 watt hours of the Envy x360 15. I didn't have spectacular battery life with a large, high-resolution display expected.

What I got was longevity that may or may not last a day's work depending on the workload. In our web browsing test, the Summit E16 Flip lasted eight hours, which is below the 10 hours we'd like to see in this test. While the Specter x360 15 only lasted 6.2 hours with its OLED display, the Envy x360 15 lasted a more impressive 11 hours. That puts the result of the Summit E16 Flip into perspective.

In our video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Summit E16 Flip achieved 10.75 hours, an OK result compared to the Specter x360 15 with just 6.5 hours and the Envy x360 15 with 13 , 65 hours.

The battery life of the MSI Summit E16 Flip is only mediocre.

I also ran the Summit E16 Flip through the PCMark 10 Applications battery test where it reached nearly 8.5 hours. Again, that's less than the 10 hours we saw in this benchmark, which best approximates battery life to productivity. The Specter x360 15 was significantly lower with 5.5 hours and the Envy x360 15 was again significantly stronger with 12.5 hours. The Summit E16 Flip lasted 2.25 hours in the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which is roughly average. This test seems to measure how hard a laptop is working on battery life, rather than reflecting total battery life.

Overall, the battery life of the Summit E16 Flip is only mediocre. As I said earlier, it may or may not get you through a full day of work, and I suspect it won't if your workflow is above average. Take your charger with you when you're on the go.

Our opinion

The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a nice-looking and well-built 2-in-1 convertible with an outstanding 16-inch 16:10 display. It's big and inconvenient like a tablet, but that's to be expected with such a large display. It's an admirable work machine for productivity and can handle entry-level creative tasks too. The keyboard is very good, but the touchpad is way too small given the space available.

MSI made one of the better large format 2-in-1 convertibles you can buy. If you're looking for a flexible machine that can handle serious jobs, the Summit E16 Flip should be on your list.

Are there alternatives?

The Specter x360 15 is a solid alternative, although it is getting on in years. Its 45 watt CPU and separate GPU perform well, and the OLED display is excellent. You will also save some money.

The new Specter x360 16 is likely to be another good alternative, although its 35-watt CPU is unlikely to offer much better performance. But you have an OLED display option and a display that is just as big and expansive. However, we don't know much about the machine, including the price.

Finally, if you don't need a 2-in-1, the Dell XPS 15 is a solid choice. It has an even better build quality, an even better display, and its performance is better for developers. They pay similar prices for the same configurations.

How long it will take?

The Summit E16 Flip is solidly built and should be productive for years. Its components are modern and cutting edge, including the fastest WiFi you can get, and it should keep up with Windows 10 – and Windows 11 – for as long as you need it. The one-year warranty remains disappointing at this price.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. You'll love the looks and performance of the Summit E16 Flip – just be prepared to charge it.

Editor's recommendations



09 Sep
Blog

MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo Review: A Nice 2-in-1, At a Price

MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo sits on the tabletop.

MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo

RRP $ 1,900.00

"The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo does almost everything right – except for the price."

advantages

  • Modern and attractive aesthetics

  • Thin and light

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Great battery life

  • Solid productivity performance

disadvantage

  • Lid is a bit flexible

  • Display is badly calibrated

  • Too expensive

When looking for a convertible 2-in-1 laptop, MSI might not be the first brand that comes to mind. It's best known for its gaming laptops, but the company makes several other lines of laptops aimed at general consumers and business users. For the latter, MSI offers the Summit line, including the new Summit E13 Flip Evo 2-in-1, which offers a 16:10 display and an extremely attractive design.

I tested the high-end configuration, which costs $ 1,900 and includes an 11th generation Intel Core i7-1185G7 and a 13.4-inch IPS display in a productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. It immediately convinced me with its aesthetics and left a clear impression of quality. At a higher total price and without cheap basic equipment, however, the attractiveness remains limited.

draft

My first impression of the Summit E13 Flip Evo was that it bears a clear resemblance to the HP Specter x360 14. At least that's the case with my Ink Black version; the impression is not as pronounced with the Pure White color scheme.

I say this because the Summit E13 Flip Evo has case and display corners that are cut off at angles similar to the Specter x360 14, and the various edges of the laptop (including around the touchpad) are a familiar rose gold color. It's easy to tell the difference between the laptops, but it seems that MSI has adopted some aesthetic concepts from HP.

This does not apply to functionality – unlike the HP, the MSI does not have a USB-C port, which is conveniently placed in a corner. Regardless of its inspiration, the Summit E13 Flip Evo is a beautiful laptop with modern lines and attractive colors that add up to an overall elegant design. MSI makes a lot of the golden ratio (1,618) used to proportion the laptop, and I can't fault its math.

What I can criticize, however, are the large display bezels, which detract from the otherwise modern look. They're bigger at the top and bottom than they could be, and that makes the 13.4-inch laptop with its 16:10 display a little deeper than necessary. It's only a fraction of an inch away from the Specter x360 14 with its larger and taller 13.5-inch 3: 2 display, though it's a bit thinner at 0.59 inches compared to the HP's 0.67 inches.

The MSI is only slightly heavier at 2.98 pounds than the HP at 2.95 pounds. It's larger in width and depth than the Dell XPS 13, which also uses a 13.4-inch 16:10 display, and the Dell is slightly thinner at 0.58-inches and lighter at 2.64-inches. Part of the added depth of the Summit E13 Flip Evo is due to the convertible 2-in-1 hinge, but even so, MSI could have made this laptop a smaller laptop with a little more attention to the bezels.

The construction of the Summit E13 Flip Evo is certainly top notch as it uses CNC machined aluminum to carve the lid and chassis from individual blocks of metal. The lid bends only slightly when you press it lightly and the LCD becomes distorted in the process. However, the bottom chassis and keyboard deck are solid and give the laptop a solid feel overall. Thanks to the lid, it's not as stiff as the HP Specter x360 14 or Dell XPS 13, but it is close. The hinge allows the lid to be opened with one hand, but it also makes it a little wobbly when you move the laptop.

At that price point, the Summit E13 Flip Evo is expensive in its $ 1,900 configuration. It's worth the premium given the high-end design of the laptop, but most users will likely be put off by the high-end price. The $ 1,600 configuration with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD is cheaper and on par with the competition. The Specter x360 14, for example, currently costs $ 1,460 for the same configuration as the $ 1,600 Summit E13 Flip Evo, but with a Core i7-1165G7 versus the MSI Core i7-1185G7. So it's $ 140 cheaper, but it also has a smaller processor.

With an identical configuration, the Dell XPS 13 costs almost exactly the same price at $ 1,620. MSI is asking too much to upgrade to 32GB of RAM, which most users in this class won't need.

Connectivity is good for a very thin and light laptop, with a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port and two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports with Thunderbolt 4 on the left and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port ( no Thunderbolt 4) with a 3.5mm audio jack and a hidden microSD card reader on the right. Wi-Fi 6E – the Summit E13 Flip Evo is the first laptop with the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard that supports an exclusive 6 GHz band – and Bluetooth 5.2 ensures wireless connectivity.

power

MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo easel, foldable, sitting on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In the Summit E13 Flip Evo, MSI activates the full 28 watts of the 11th generation Intel Core i7-1185G7 and theoretically promises the best possible performance of the chip. However, according to our benchmarks, the 2-in-1 does not necessarily jump to the top among similarly configured laptops.

In Geekbench 5, the Summit E13 Flip Evo was in the midfield. MSI includes a utility to tune performance versus fan noise, and it made a modest difference in some tests. For example, the Geekbench score jumped to 1,519 single-core and 5,310 in performance mode. The utility also improved the laptop's Handbrake Score, which measures the time it takes to encode a 420MB video as H.265, from 207 to 178 seconds. Both values ​​are more competitive. The utility made less of a difference in Cinebench R23 and PCMark 10. In the last-mentioned benchmark, the notebook was in the midfield across all included tests, including Essentials (web browsing etc.), productivity (Office apps etc.), and Creation (video coding and more).

Overall, the Summit E13 Flip Evo was a fast laptop for its configuration, which included 32GB of RAM and a fast 1TB SSD, but it wasn't dominant among the Intel machines. As mentioned above, the $ 1,600 base configuration comes with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB solid-state drive. A model with 8 GB of RAM and less storage is not offered, which puts it behind its competitors.

In any case, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo will be fast enough to keep up with demanding productivity workflows, but it won't please creative types who crave a laptop that can handle CPU-intensive tasks. For this you need an AMD Ryzen 5000 series chip, an M1 MacBook or a larger 45 watt Intel laptop.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
(Core i7-1185G7)		 1352/4891 207 1360/4392 4872 1751
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 204 1399/4585 n / A 1380
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14
(Core i7-1185G7)		 1532/5415 207 1435/4409 4800 1648
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(Ryzen7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342
MacBook Pro 13 (M1) 1707/7337 n / A 1487/7547 n / A n / A

Like all laptops with Intel's built-in Iris Xe graphics (and AMD machines with Radeon graphics), the Summit E13 Flip Evo doesn't pretend to be a gaming laptop.

Its 3DMark Time Spy Score is inconspicuous and it only managed 26 frames per second (fps) at 1080p high settings in Fortnite. With the Epic graphics switched on, this dropped to 19 fps.

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Close up on the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo laptop screen.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I love seeing so many new devices with larger displays, especially in different sizes and form factors. The Summit E13 Flip Evo is such a laptop with a 13.4-inch 16:10 display in Full HD + resolution (1,920 x 1,200). That's the only choice that's unfortunate – I'd love to see a higher resolution display option.

Subjectively, the display seemed to me well suited for productivity tasks, as it was very bright and with good contrast, so that black text popped out of the white background (as an author, this is one of my most important display attributes). The colors seemed fine when looking at the display alone, though I did notice that things were a little out of place in color compared to some of the other laptops I had lying around.

This is where my colorimeter came in. So the display has some good and some not so good features. As I said, the panel appeared to be bright, at 471 nits (well above our 300 nit threshold), and the contrast ratio was 950: 1 – just below our preferred ratio of 1,000: 1. The colors matched at 73% AdobeRGB and 97% sRGB the average of the premium laptop (not creative). All of this is good enough for a machine in the Summit E13 Flip Evo's class.

The color accuracy was not so great with a disappointing DeltaE of 3.94. That explains my subjective impression. Gamma (how light or dark an image or video is displayed compared to the original) was also extremely poor at 1.4. I usually don't mention gamma as most laptop displays measure the 2.2 standard. However, the MSI's display is way too bright, which I noticed again when using the laptop.

Close up on close up of the screen and bezels of the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

It is possible that my device was poorly calibrated and could be repaired by anyone with the right tools – not many people have access to a colorimeter to do their own calibration. But it detracts from the experience of using the laptop including watching videos where the poor gamma has an impact. Creators will also find it too imprecise for their needs.

The sound was fine, with enough volume from the two down-facing speakers to enjoy a YouTube video without distortion when it was all the way up. The mids and highs were clear, but there was no bass. You will need a pair of headphones to enjoy Netflix and listen to music, but otherwise the sound quality is average for the class.

Keyboard and touchpad

Close-up of the trackpad and keyboard on the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The keyboard of the Summit E13 Flip Evo is characterized by excellent spacing and large keycaps with legible lettering and three useful levels of constant backlighting. The layout is standard for the most part and I was up to speed in no time. I enjoyed the 1.5mm of travel, especially considering the light switches that didn't cause fatigue. Floor motion was a bit soft, and I prefer the crisper HP Specter range of keyboards, but overall I found MSI's keyboard comfortable for longer tips sessions (like writing this review).

The touchpad was large and medium in size, but there is more room on the keyboard deck for a larger touchpad. It supports Microsoft's Precision touchpad drivers and responded well to Windows 10's multitouch gestures. The buttons were clicky and quiet, which is a nice combination. Apart from the fact that it would be a bit bigger, I have no complaints.

The active MSI pen is included in the scope of delivery and is attached magnetically to the lid or housing of the laptop. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt and is conveniently charged via USB-C. I found it to be as good a Windows Ink experience as any other modern 2-in-1 device I've used. The touch display also responded. An infrared camera and face recognition as well as a fingerprint reader on the palm rest offer Windows 10 Hello passwordless support. Both were quick and reliable.

Close up of the trackpad, keyboard, and fingerprint scanner on the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Interestingly, MSI has built a switch on the side of the laptop to electronically turn off the webcam. This is the same mechanism that HP used in some older Specter 2-in-1s, such as the Specter x360 13 and Specter x360 15. HP has since moved on to placing a key on the keyboard that closes a physical shutter over the webcam , but it's interesting that this is something else that MSI apparently borrowed.

I prefer the electronic version because it turns off the webcam completely and doesn't let hackers take advantage of it. The keyboard also has a button to turn off the microphone, another welcome privacy feature.

Battery life

MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo sits on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

MSI packed 70 watt hours of battery into the Summit E13 Flip Evo, which is a lot for a 13-inch laptop. In combination with the Full HD + display, I expected a good battery life.

That's exactly what I saw, starting with our web browsing test, where the 2-in-1 lasted about 11 hours. This is a strong score that surpassed the seven hours of the HP Specter x360 14 (an OLED display was used in our test device, so that's not a really fair test) and the Dell XPS 13 Full HD + with around 8.5 hours. In our video looping test using a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the MSI achieved 16 hours, which is also a good value. The XPS 13 only lasted 12 hours, the Specter x360 14 was well behind with 10 hours.

I also ran the PCMark 10 Applications battery test which got the Summit E13 Flip Evo to reach 13.5 hours. The Specter x360 14 ran for nine hours and the XPS 13 for 10.75 hours in this test, which makes the MSI's score impressive. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which stresses the CPU and GPU, the Summit E13 Flip Evo scores 2.5 hours better than many laptops – although this test seems to demonstrate how hard a laptop runs on battery power instead of directly testing battery life .

Ultimately, battery life is a strength of the Summit E13 Flip Evo. It runs all day, leaving some time for evening work or Netflix bingeing. You don't have to worry about taking your PSU with you unless you really put a load on the processors.

Our opinion

The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is a useful addition to the stable 13-inch convertible 2-in-1. It's fast, has a long battery life, and looks great. The lid is a bit flexible and a bit expensive in its high-end configuration, but I found it to be a comfortable laptop for real world use.

The problem is that there are a lot of competitors. The MSI is as good as most of them, just make sure you choose the right configuration to avoid spending too much.

Any alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 14 is a great alternative. It's not that fast (at least without activating the performance mode), but it has a spectacular 13.5-inch OLED display with a 3: 2 aspect ratio. It's almost as expensive as the MSI when configured with the OLED display, but it only comes with a maximum of 16GB of RAM compared to the Summit E13 Flip Evo's 32GB.

The Dell XPS 13 is another great option if you don't need a 2-in-1. It's just as fast, has good battery life, and is better built – there's a reason it tops several best-of lists.

How long it will take?

The Summit E13 Flip Evo is so well built that you don't have to worry about its longevity. In addition, it is future-proof equipped with modern components such as the fast Wi-Fi 6E. The one year warranty will always be disappointing.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. You will love using the Summit E13 Flip Evo; Just be prepared to pay a few extra dollars if you go for the high-end version.

Editor's recommendations



26 Aug
Blog

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Review: The Foldable for Everyone

Galaxy Z Flip 3 will close.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in the test: The foldable future is now ready for everyone

RRP $ 1,000.00

“The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the first foldable smartphone that most people should buy. It's compact, powerful, and durable, and costs about the same as its competitors. It's also really fun to use. "

advantages

  • Really compact

  • Water resistance increases durability

  • Nice screen

  • Innovative, eye-catching design

disadvantage

  • One day battery life

  • Features are missing from the cover screen

Foldable smartphones have a reputation of fragility, compromise, and cost that many people dismiss as expensive toys for the most avid early adopters. the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 banishes this reputation thanks to a more robust case, a smaller design and above all a lower price.

Samsung considers both the Z Flip 3 and its bigger sister phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, to be mainstream devices. But is that really true? Yes it really is.

Living with the foldable Z Flip 3

Take your regular mainstream smartphone, like the Galaxy S21 + or OnePlus 9 Pro, and imagine folding it in half when you're done. This is the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It is not the first phone of its kind, but it is the first to win and deserve mainstream attention due to various improvements over the previous models. It is therefore important to understand the benefits it brings to everyday life and the difference between using it and the Z Fold 3.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 with the Z Fold range.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

They may both fold up, but Samsung's two new foldable smartphones are very different from each other. The Z Fold 3 is about having a bigger screen in a full-size phone, while the Z Flip 3 is about having a full-size screen in a smaller than ordinary phone. Unlike the Z Fold 3, it is not designed to be used when closed and is based more on portability and comfort than on increased productivity.

Living with the Z Flip 3 isn't really that different from life with any other smartphone with a 6.7-inch screen until you finish it and put it in your pocket. Folding the phone up, somewhat reminiscent of a flip phone from the 1990s or a makeup compact, is satisfying, different, and actually fun. The action is not old. You do it without thinking about it, such as clicking the tip of a pen, and sometimes you just pick up the phone and open it when you don't really need it. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a tactile, friendly, and interactive piece of mobile technology.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 open on a table.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

When closed, the 4.2-inch Z Flip 3 is a little more than half as long as it is open, but at 17.1 mm, more than twice as thick. However, at 183 grams it is light. Due to the reduced footprint, it takes up less space in a bag or pocket, but is still noticeable due to the thick housing. When folded, it sits comfortably and naturally in your hand, especially if you have small hands. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is really all about comfort and it makes it possible to live much more comfortably than other large, modern smartphones.

However, I've often left the Z Flip 3 open at home, which feels strangely wrong. Why? You can't do anything useful with the phone when it is closed because the cover screen isn't as useful as it should be. This underscores that the Z Flip 3's folding design is about portability, not ease of use. But not closing the flip is a bit like telling Placido Domingo not to sing.

The hinge of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 seen from above.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Many people probably envision the larger Z Fold 3 – a regular phone that turns into a tablet when they think of folding smartphones. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is not like that at all. It's a 6.7-inch smartphone that folds into a less awkward one than other similarly sized, non-foldable models. If you've ever thought that “modern phones are just too big” but never want to miss out on the big screen experience, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the phone for you.

draft

Samsung highlights the increased durability as one of the main reasons the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is ready for the mainstream audience, and that's right, but another reason is the emphasis on fashion, style, design and fun. The Z Fold 3 introduces tech before design, but the Z Flip 3 turns this on its head with an equally fun folding movement, a choice of colors, eye-catching accessories, and a delicate and stylish minimalist design. It reminds me of electric cars like the Honda E, which carefully blends modern tech with cool retro design elements to create broad appeal.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 seen from behind.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

My test model is cream with a silver frame and it is one of a total of seven combinations. Each phone is two-tone, with the colored glass panels coordinated with a black glass camera module and a contrasting housing color. There are a number of fun silicone cases available with straps or rings to attach the phone to a bag or lanyard. This depth of personalization really suits the fun nature of the Z Flip 3.

Samsung used a tougher new aluminum called Armor Aluminum for the construction, along with stronger flexible glass over the screen, and gave it an IPX8 rating for water resistance. It makes the Z Flip 3 more durable than previous versions. It feels that way too. There's no flex where it shouldn't be, solid construction, and no obvious gaps around the hinge either. The sleek glass case makes the phone quite slippery and it slides out of loose pockets or over some surfaces. However, the chassis offers enough support so that it does not slip out of your hand.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 with Z Fold area.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Magnets keep the phone securely closed, the unfolding movement is gentle and almost noiseless, and it clicks into place when fully opened. The opening and closing of the Z Flip 3 is satisfactory and tactile, and the action feels solid and high quality. Opening the Z Flip 3 initially took more force than expected, but after about a week the hinge loosened. However, it will always be two-handed as the hinge has enough resistance to hold the phone open at any angle.

The Z Flip 3 is cuter than any smartphone can really be, it feels extremely solid and well made, and it's a phone that will make you smile when you see it lying around. It's also been expertly crafted with some wonderful little touches like the domed glass around the camera module, the logo stamped into the hinge that disappears when the phone is opened so it doesn't have branding, and the built-in fingerprint sensor, and the small, sleek power key. With the Galaxy Z Flip 3, fashion meets technology and that's just right.

Screens

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has two screens. On the front of the closed phone is the cover screen, a small 1.9-inch Super AMOLED panel with 260 x 512 pixels. When open, you will see a 6.7-inch screen with 2640 x 1080 pixels and 120 Hz Dynamic AMOLED with an aspect ratio of 22: 9.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 screen.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Yes, there is a crease on the open screen, but it is imperceptible when the screen is active and viewing and is barely noticeable when you slide your finger up and down the screen. Having the phone and apps in dark mode helps when you can still see the crease and it bothers you. Dust and lint are more of a nuisance as it seems to collect a lot more than other screens, especially when the phone is closed and in your pocket. Particularly noteworthy is the redesigned screen protector, which has a much more glass-like texture than older versions.

The main screen is bright and detailed, the 120Hz refresh rate is wonderfully smooth and effectively reduces eye strain, and the video performance is up to usual Samsung standards. The vibrant and colorful door music video by Kwon Eun Bi shows the high contrast and bold colors but looks less natural than the iPhone 12 Pro's screen. Compare it to the Galaxy S21 + and there is almost nothing separating them other than a little more glare and reflection from the S21 + glass.

The screen of the Z Flip 3 is excellent when open. Closed, it's not that good. The cover screen is one of two downsides to the phone, and it's all because the software doesn't take full advantage of its capabilities. The title screen is interactive, and you can swipe left to see music controls, weather, voice recorder, and a selection of other customizable widgets. Swipe right and you'll get a vertical list of notifications that show a lot of details when you tap them and have the option to interact with them too.

However, the notifications are not visible like a normal always-on screen. The cover screen clock also doesn't have the option to show icons for notification. So if you miss them when they show up on the screen for a split second, you need to wake up and swipe the screen. Keep the Z Flip 3 open and you will see a normal Samsung Always-On screen with notification icons.

It gets worse because the deck screen isn't very responsive. It requires you to physically press the power button to wake it up, it doesn't always respond when you wake it up and then takes a few swipes too long to respond to a swipe, adding to the time it takes for notifications to appear . You can't activate the camera from the cover screen either, so you'll have to open the phone. It's disappointingly simple, and it also drives me to keep the phone open when I expect to do things on a regular basis.

camera

The Galaxy Z Flip isn't a camera superstar like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but its capabilities are similar to the Galaxy S21. There are two 12-megapixel cameras on the back, one of which is a wide-angle camera, and both have optical image stabilization (OIS). There is dual-pixel autofocus on the main camera, HDR10 + and video recording with up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, but no telephoto camera or 8K video recording. At the top center of the screen is a 10 MP camera for selfies.

The camera module of the Galaxy Z Flip 3.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's a good camera for everyday photos and, if the situation is right, it can get some outstanding shots. There is some evidence of overhaul, however, and the software-controlled portrait mode isn't as good as it should be. On the positive side, I took several insect photos on flowers (don't ask, it's just a coincidence that I took so many) and they turned out really very well, all without much intervention from me, which is exactly what I want . The autofocus system is smart and is exactly what really helped.

On sunny days the colors are too saturated for some, but I like the pop that Samsung has built into the camera and the white balance is good too. In most situations, the balance and dynamic range remain constant when switching between the main and wide-angle cameras. Photos are not as good when the light is poor and it is difficult to show details in shaded areas.

The autofocus system is intelligent and accurate.

Samsung's image processing can sometimes be seen at work. For example, look at the scene with a wire stretched across a pond and you can see tons of edge enhancements around it that really spoil the photo. Portrait mode, front or back, is also not very accurate and gets confused by even the simplest of shapes.

The hinge of the Z Flip 3 supports the screen at every angle between open and closed and serves as a mini tripod for the camera. Angle the hinge in the camera app and the viewfinder slides to the top half of the screen, where you can use Samsung's gesture controls to take a photo without tapping a button or setting the timer with an open hand to the camera. There's a button to switch to the lower half of the screen if that works better, or if you're using the rear camera, the cover screen can also be activated to preview.

However, due to its shape, the preview only provides part of the image so it can only be used as a basic guide. The picture stays in portrait orientation unless you turn the phone over to the side that is less stable and the cover screen shows even less. It's most useful when paired with Google Duo as the video call display automatically switches to the top half of the screen so you don't have to prop the phone against anything else. However, it doesn't work with other messaging apps like WhatsApp.

Performance, software and battery

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor (whether you are in the US or the UK as there is no Exynos powered model this time around) with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Android 11 with One UI 3.1.1 is installed. This makes it identical to the Galaxy S21 range and one of the highest quality smartphones you can buy today.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3's screen is in use.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The performance is excellent, all apps run smoothly, and there are no compatibility or formatting issues that sometimes occur with large-format folding smartphones. The Z Flip 3 is also a great gaming phone, although it can get quite warm. When playing Asphalt 9: Legends, the wide display really comes into its own and the stereo speakers ensure a lot of volume and punch. However, the area on the back around the camera module is where heat is generated. It's never too hot to touch, but it's definitely noticeable.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is not designed to increase productivity enormously, but it has Samsung's usual multitasking mode which is easy to use. Just slide the sidebar and drag the apps you want to the main screen where they will be stacked vertically and you can use two at the same time. The title screen gets its own Z Flip 3-specific settings menu, where you can choose between different wallpapers and change the widgets that appear when you slide across the screen.

Now we come to the other major disadvantage of the Z Flip 3 – the battery. It's a 3,300 mAh cell and just doesn't have the power to compete with its peers. Even if you stay at home and the phone is connected to Wi-Fi, the battery won't last much longer than a full day, especially if you play a few games or watch videos. Go out into the world with a 4G or 5G connection, use the phone normally, take a few pictures and you may have a hard time getting to the end of the night. I used the phone connected to a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, but even on the days I didn't, the battery was still around 25% after a normal day.

Galaxy Z Flip 3 open with charging port.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you consider yourself a heavy user, the Z Flip 3's battery will be an issue. The phone supports wired charging at 15 watts and wireless charging at 10 watts, so there is no super-fast OnePlus-like fast charging system to fall back on. After the Z Flip 3 didn't actually have to carry a battery around with it for years or suffered from battery fear on a day, the Z Flip 3 unfortunately brings some of that back and is at odds with its futuristic design.

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 costs $ 1,000 for the 128GB model and comes in cream, phantom black, green, or lavender colors. However, if you order directly from the Samsung online shop, there are three other exclusive colors: gray, white or pink. In the US, a 256GB Z Flip 3 costs $ 1,050. In the UK, the 128GB Galaxy Z Flip 3 costs £ 949 or £ 999 for the 256GB model.

Our opinion

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the first foldable smartphone with real mainstream appeal, largely due to a price point that keeps it competitive against other high-end non-foldable models. It has the power you need today, a good camera, and a nice minimalist design with the best party trick in mobile tech to top it off. It hits the spot in terms of durability too, and while it's not dustproof, the water resistance will really help overcome fears that it's too fragile for everyday use.

Durability is then no longer a serious compromise, but a new one has raised its head and that is battery life. Two days of moderate use are really achievable with most smartphones today, and most are equipped with 4,000 mAh plus cells. The battery life of the Z Flip 3 is almost from another time. The cover screen isn't as helpful as it could be either, but Samsung may address this in a future software update.

What are the thoughts on the Galaxy Z Flip 3? Samsung has taken a Galaxy S21 + in a practical way and designed it with a hinge, making it more portable and convenient to carry. If you are looking to buy the S21 + or a similar phone, then you should also pay attention to the Z Flip 3. To recommend a folding smartphone in this way consolidates the place of the Z Flip 3 in the mainstream.

Is there a better alternative?

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 stands on its own if you're specifically looking for a phone that folds in half to shrink. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 does something similar, but fulfills a different need. If you want a phone that is bigger than a "normal" phone when you open it, you should look in its direction.

His competition comes from the usual suspects. For $ 1,000, check out the OnePlus 9 Pro, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro, or with the right deal, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. All of them offer not only exceptional performance and beautiful screens, but also better and more versatile cameras and much longer battery life. But they don't fold away when you're done with them.

How long it will take?

The Armor Aluminum increases durability by 20% over other aluminum, according to Samsung, and the IPX8 rating means the phone was tested at a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The X means the phone is not dustproof, and since the water resistance is freshwater, not seawater, the phone may not be able to enjoy the beach very much. Time will tell how the screen and flexible glass will react to prolonged use, but Samsung has used a new material for the screen protector that is more resistant to fingerprints and scratches.

The foldable design of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes it as modern as phones can get.

Samsung is offering a free year of Samsung Care + with the Z Flip 3, which kicks in after the main one-year warranty and covers accidental damage from drops and offers a cracked screen repair for $ 249. After the first year, it costs $ 13 per month and can be canceled at any time. In terms of technology and software, it is now state-of-the-art, and Samsung delivers three years of Android software updates and four years of security updates.

The foldable design of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes it as modern as phones can get, and with the durability improvement and extended warranty, plus 5G and an eSIM option alongside the standard SIM, the phone will easily serve you for three years or more.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. It's the foldable smartphone that ordinary people can feel safe and confident about buying because they know that not only are they not compromising by opting not to buy a non-foldable phone, but they are embracing the future of phone design today.

Editor's recommendations



05 Aug
Blog

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Review: Slow But Really Cheap

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 sits on the tabletop.

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Review: The Ultimate Chromebook for Students?

RRP $ 330.00

"The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is not the fastest Chromebook in the world, but the price is unbeatable."

advantages

  • Inexpensive

  • Solid build quality for the price

  • Surprisingly nice display

  • Very good battery life

  • Excellent touchpad and active pen

disadvantage

  • Performance is below average

  • Keyboard is tight

  • Touch display is fussy

Sometimes a product comes along that is defined by a certain characteristic. That's the price for the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Convertible 2-in-1. The starting price of $ 330 will be extremely attractive to those looking for cheap access to the Internet. Budget laptops have their place, especially for students.

I tested the $ 330 Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 configuration with a MediaTek MT8183 CPU, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and a 12-inch IPS (1366×912) 3: 2 display . There are certainly some tradeoffs to achieve this rock bottom price. But most of the time, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 makes the right compromises for a cheap student laptop.

design

Angled view of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is a mixture of a silver lid made of an aluminum alloy and a matching plastic housing. It uses the same electroplating as the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536, which creates a ceramic-like texture on the lid. There's also the same in-mold roller process used on the C536 that gives the Chromebook Flip CM3's all-black keyboard deck a velvety feel that makes the palm rests surprisingly comfortable. This kind of technology is not expected in such an inexpensive laptop, and it gives it an attractive, if simple aesthetic that looks like it should cost quite a bit more.

The quality of workmanship is just as impressive: the lid only bends slightly under pressure, and the keyboard bends a little under strong pressure. Here, too, the Chromebook Flip CM3 surpasses its weight class and offers a surprisingly robust workmanship. It might not be built quite as well as the Chromebook Flip C536 (which itself was a step behind the Asus standard) or the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, but both of these laptops cost around $ 600. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is another 2-in-1 that is roughly the same price as the Chromebook Flip CM3 and is made entirely of plastic but still feels solid.

This is a small laptop, although not as small as it could be. It's built around a 12-inch 3: 2 display, which should result in a tiny chassis, but the bezels are large and add to the width and depth. Even so, it's smaller than 13-inch laptops and is 0.64 inches thick and 2.51 pounds. Overall, it feels like a thin and light laptop that is easy to take with you.

Connectivity is limited to a single USB-C port, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card reader. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2, both of which are a generation behind.

Left side view of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3. Features: micro USB port, micro SD slot, USB port and headphone jack.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

perfomance

Do you remember when I asked what corners were cut? Well, the simplest answer here is: performance. The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 uses a MediaTek MT8183 ARM CPU with 2 GHz. Although this processor has been optimized for Chrome OS, there is only one way to characterize it. It's slow.

Look at the 2-in-1's Geekbench 5 scores, a low of 299 in single-core mode and 1,407 in multi-core mode. The closest comparison I could find in our database is the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 with a Core i3-1011U CPU that scored 938 and 1,653 points. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, on which the Core i3-1011U also runs, scored 975 and 1,649 points, respectively. It's clear that the MediaTek processor makes multi-threaded apps run better than single-threaded apps.

I would stick with simpler, less graphics-intensive games on the Chromebook Flip CM3.

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 also scores very poorly in the Speedometer 2.0 web browser test and only achieves 24.4. That's at the bottom of our database and less than half what you can expect from other Chromebooks. Of course, most of these cost hundreds of dollars more than the Chromebook Flip CM3. It is noteworthy that the Chromebook Flip C536 scored 158 points in this test with a Core i3-1115G4.

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 folded back, sitting on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In real use, I found the machine not as slow as these benchmarks suggest. It got choppy when I opened too many browser tabs and some Android apps were running in the background, but with a more reasonable workload, the Chromebook Flip CM3 was perfectly usable. Given the price, it's a decent second machine that is easy to move around, and for users who just need to browse the web and check email, the performance is acceptable.

However, the game did not go well. I tried Asphalt 9, my favorite Chromebook testing game, and it wasn't fun. I would stick with simpler, less graphics-intensive games on the Chromebook Flip CM3.

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Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 sits on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 has a 12-inch IPS display with a productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1366 x 912. The larger aspect ratio is another surprise with such a cheap laptop – it's a real boon for you anyone who appreciates more vertical space and less scrolling. The resolution is lower at 1366 x 912, but still sharp given the small screen size.

I liked this display at least as much as the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536 and Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The difference is barely noticeable to the naked eye, but a 13.3-inch 1080p screen technically comes in at 165 pixels per inch compared to the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3's 137 ppi.

I cannot test Chromebooks with my colorimeter and can therefore only give my subjective opinion. And in my opinion, this is – surprisingly again – a vivid display for such an inexpensive device. It's not particularly bright, but it was able to overcome all of the indoor ambient lighting that I threw on it. I couldn't use it outside in direct sunlight, but that's not uncommon. The colors were pleasant and seemed accurate when I used the Chromebook Flip CM3 side by side with other more expensive laptops. Photos and videos looked great without being too light or too dark. The contrast wasn't as high as I'd like it to be, but black text on a white background wasn't grayish like it is on many budget laptops.

I liked this display at least as much as that of the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536 and Acer Chromebook Spin 713. It doesn't rank at the top like the premium display of the Google Pixelbook Go. But even here you pay twice as much money to get this higher quality. Asus has excellently equipped the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 with a display that will delight all but the most discerning creative professionals – who won't buy this laptop anyway.

Keyboard and touchpad

The pen sits on the keyboard of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3.

The small chassis has an unfortunate byproduct and that is a very cramped keyboard. The keycaps are tiny and there isn't much space between them. If you have larger hands, you will likely have trouble typing on this keyboard. The switching mechanism offers a lot of spring travel, but is a bit boring without the click that contributes to precise typing. The floor movement is a bit abrupt, and I would definitely rate this keyboard as one of the less comfortable ones I've used. As already mentioned, the palm rest is amazingly comfortable thanks to the special coating, but the keyboard does not drag. Note that the keyboard is not backlit, which is disappointing.

The touchpad is better as it's bigger than expected thanks to the extra palm rest offered by the taller display. It's fluid and responsive, provides precise cursor control, and supports all of the usual Chrome OS multitouch gestures.

As usual with 2-in-1s, the screen is touch-enabled, and I found it finicky. Sometimes I had to tap two or three times to respond, especially when trying to activate smaller on-screen buttons. It's not outrageous, but it has detracted from the touch panel's usefulness. The Chromebook Flip CM3 supports an optional active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity that was included with my test device. I found it to be as good as any other Chromebook pen I've used and it supports the suite of Chrome OS pen tools with great precision.

Battery life

Close up of one of the hinges on the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3.

The MediaTek processor, while slow, is also efficient. The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 has a 32-watt-hour battery, which is not particularly large, even considering the low-resolution 12-inch display.

Even so, the 2-in-1 lasted almost 12.5 hours in our web browser test, which is a strong score. The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 only managed 6.75 hours in this test, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 8.45 hours. I went back a couple of years and couldn't find a Chromebook that would last longer.

In our video test, which ran through a local Full HD movie trailer, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 lasted just over 12 hours. It's not uncommon for Chrome OS computers, unlike Windows 10 laptops, to last longer in the web browser test than they did in the video test. Here, too, the Chromebook Flip CM3 outlasted the comparison laptops by a few hours.

Overall, the Chromebook Flip CM3 offers impressive battery life for such a small device. If you use it as the primary system you get a full day of work from it, and if it's a secondary laptop you get days of use.

Our opinion

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is an affordable Chrome OS 2-in-1 that exceeds expectations based on its low price. It's slower than I'd like, but it has great battery life and a solid, comfortable chassis. The keyboard could be bigger and the touchscreen a little more responsive, but the touchpad and active pen are excellent.

I wouldn't recommend buying the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 as your primary work device unless your requirements are minimal. But as a second laptop to take with you and for surfing the web and checking emails, or as an entry-level laptop for students, it's a great option.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is another Chrome OS 2-in-1 with a similar price and performance. The build quality is a bit better, but the battery life can't keep up.

You can jump up a bit in price and consider the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which costs around $ 600 but is much faster and has a sharper 3: 2 display.

Finally, as we usually recommend, Google's Pixelbook Go should be on your list if you don't need the flexibility of a 2-in-1. It's more expensive, but it also has a long battery life and a stunning display that can't be beat.

How long it will take?

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 feels solid enough to withstand years of typical use. The biggest question is how Chrome OS is performing – if at some point it needs more CPU power, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 can't keep up. The one-year warranty is fine for this price.

Should you buy it?

Yes. As a second laptop, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is a great bargain that is worth the small investment.

Editor's recommendations



03 Aug
Blog

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 Review: Flawed But Inexpensive

Two Asus Chromebook Flip C536 sit on a desk and show different folding options.

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 in the test: flawed, but the price wins

RRP $ 580.00

"The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 strikes a solid balance between premium design and affordability."

advantages

  • Attractive price

  • Nice aesthetics

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Pen support

  • Solid productivity performance

disadvantage

  • Build quality is a little below average

  • Bad battery life

  • Housing is bigger than it should be

The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 was one of the best Chromebooks you could buy. It was stylish, high quality, and extremely powerful – especially for a Chromebook.

Now the Chromebook Flip C536 has superseded that machine, and there have been some significant changes.

I have an entry-level Chromebook Flip C536 configuration with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and a 14-inch Full HD IPS -Display (1920 x 1080) tested aspect ratio 16: 9. It's available for a more attractive price of $ 580, which makes it a bargain given the components.

design

Person using a pen on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 is a handsome white laptop with a black interior, a contrast that makes for a bold look that you normally don't get at this price point. The laptop's lines are simple and streamlined and have very typical angles, but the color scheme makes all the difference and there's just enough chrome to add accents without being intrusive.

Asus has provided the device with a series of special coatings that use a galvanic coating process on the lid and base, which creates a ceramic-like look and feel, and an in-roller process for the keyboard deck, which creates a wonderfully soft and warm surface for yours Palms. In this regard, it is similar to the Dell XPS 13, which uses a carbon fiber material to achieve the same effect. The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 isn't the most flashy laptop, but you will feel like you are carrying around a much more expensive product.

The build quality is not quite as top notch, which is not typical for Asus. The company typically makes solid laptops as boulders and subjects them all to military standards, which are tested for ruggedness, but the Chromebook Flip C536 falls a little short. The main problem lies in the lid, which bends too much and distorts the display. There is a little bit of keyboard flex and the bottom chassis only gives way a little.

Overall, it's not bad for the price, but the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a Chromebook in the same price range that is more solid. The previous model of the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 was also more robust (and a bit more expensive), which makes this version a little step backwards. I'd like to point out that the Chromebook Flip C436's hinge allowed the lid to be opened with one hand, while the Chromebook Flip C536 version is much stiffer and requires two hands. However, it moves smoothly through clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes and has the Asus ErgoLift feature that supports the back for a better typing angle and improved airflow.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 has thin bezels on the sides, but the top bezel is thicker and the lower chin is huge. That makes for a case that's not as small as many other 14-inch laptops, including the Chromebook Flip C436, which is quite a bit smaller. When I first took the Chromebook Flip C536 out of the box, I thought it was a 15-inch device. It's 0.72 inches thick and weighs 4.17 pounds compared to the C436, which is 0.54 inches thick and weighs 2.42 pounds.

Close-up of the HDMI and USB ports on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.

Close-up of the headphone jack and USB and micro-USB ports on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is even smaller with its 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. Among other things, the C536 is heavier than the C436 because it is made of an aluminum alloy compared to the lighter magnesium alloy of the previous model. It also has a 57 watt hour battery versus the 42 watt hour battery on the older model. In all fairness, it's a bit of a surprise that the Chromebook Flip C536 has gained so much weight and girth from one generation to the next.

Asus built solid connectivity into the Chromebook Flip C536. There is a USB-C 3.2 port, a USB-A 3.2 port and a 3.5mm audio jack on the left and another USB-C and USB-A port on the right for a micro -SD card reader. This is an improvement over the previous model. Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

perfomance

Two Asus Chromebook Flip C536 on a desk with video games.Asus

My test device was equipped with a Core i3-1115G4 (a Core i5-1135G7 is available), which should offer plenty of performance for Chrome OS. We can't run all of the benchmarks on Chromebooks, but the Chromebook Spin C536 only managed 1,209 single-core and 2,849 multi-core in the Android Geekbench 5 app. That's not particularly strong even for Chromebooks, which usually don't do well here. However, it is quite a bit faster than the Asus Chromebook Flip 436 with its Core i3-10110U, which scored a meager 938 and 1,653 points, respectively.

Even with this mediocre Geekbench 5 score, I found the Chromebook Flip C536 very quickly. I've been running a variety of Android apps and opening numerous Chrome tabs and never noticed any slowdown. The 8GB of RAM likely helped keep things going, and the PCIe SSD likely helped too. You can configure the Chromebook Flip C536 with up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, but our test configuration will likely be enough for most Chrome OS users.

Playing on the laptop was fine. The Core i3-1115G4 is limited to Intel UHD graphics and not to the newer Intel Iris Xe, but still plays Android games like Asphalt 9 without stuttering or frame loss. It's a great laptop for tablet mode, the most convenient way to play Android games, but it performed well.

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4 variations / ways to use the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Chromebook Flip C536 uses a 14-inch Full HD IPS display in the increasingly old-fashioned 16: 9 aspect ratio. Asus doesn't provide any information about the display, and I can't use my colorimeter with Chrome OS laptops. That limits the objective data that I can provide.

Subjectively, however, I found the display bright enough for typical indoor lighting conditions. The contrast seemed good but not great, with a touch of gray that kept black text from really showing up on a white background. The colors were bright and natural, and showed photos and videos with obvious accuracy when I compared them side by side with other laptops. Compared to some other Chromebooks, I would rate the Chromebook Flip C536 as good, but not great, with the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and Google Pixelbook Go offering more vibrant and enjoyable displays.

Even so, I enjoyed using the Asus display during my test. It won't please creatives who crave wide and accurate colors, but for productivity, web browsing, and Netflix with the display rotated in media mode, it's a display that beats its price.

The sound wasn't quite as good. The volume was sufficient for system sounds and watching YouTube videos that clearly show the mids and highs. Bass was missing as usual and there was some distortion at maximum volume. You should pull out a pair of headphones to listen to music and catch Netflix.

Keyboard and touchpad

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 backlit keyboard.Asus

One of the things that companies sometimes skimp on when making a cheap laptop is the keyboard. I've seen some great budget machines torpedoed by a bad one, and suffice it to say, Asus avoided this trap here. The Chromebook Flip C536's keyboard has a good clearance, comfortable keycaps, and a crisp mechanism that offers plenty of wiggle room and a clicking floor movement.

I found the keyboard to be precise, comfortable, and quiet during my tests, and there is even a tiny number pad if you are entering a lot of data. You can find the usual wide range of Chrome OS keyboard backlights that are effective and consistent. I liked this keyboard better than any I've used on a Chromebook lately, including the Chromebook Flip C436 and Chromebook Spin 713, and just like most Windows 10 laptops.

The touchpad has a wide format, which is a shame because Asus could have accommodated a larger, square touchpad given the available palm rests. It's a decent size, but it could have been bigger. Fortunately, it makes up for it with responsiveness and perfect control over the entire suite of Chrome OS multitouch gestures. The display is touchable, of course there is an optional active pen that you can purchase for coloring. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and is designed to provide a great handwriting and drawing experience on the display.

Asus has in no way designed to allow you to log in without a password, which is not to be expected at this price point. A fingerprint reader would have been nice though.

Battery life

Music video is played on the close-up image of the headphone jack and the USB and micro-USB ports of the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Chromebook Flip C536 has a larger battery than its predecessor, 57 watt hours versus 42 watt hours, as described above. That should have led to a significant increase in battery life.

Unfortunately, things didn't turn out that way. Again, we're limited in the tests we can run based on Chrome OS, but we have two tests we can run. The first is our web browser test, which goes through a number of popular websites. The Chromebook Flip C536 only managed 6.75 hours, well below the 10.5 hours the C436 achieved. The Chromebook Spin 713 lasted for 11 hours. In our video test, which ran through a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Chromebook Flip C536 achieved a few minutes under 10 hours, compared with the C436 with almost 13 hours and the Chromebook Spin 713 with almost exactly 10 hours.

These are disappointing results and I ran each test twice to make sure I wasn't missing a thing. Most Chromebooks will get you through a full day of work thanks to the lightweight Chrome OS, and given the Chromebook Flip C536's Full HD display, that's at least what I expected, if not more. Unfortunately, you are unlikely to make it through an 8-hour day without turning on at some point.

Our opinion

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 is a nice looking Chromebook that offers good performance and great input options. It lags a bit behind typical Asus build quality, but it's by no means a fragile machine. However, the battery life is a real buzzkill that sets this laptop back a lot.

Compared to its predecessor, the Chromebook Flip C536 is larger (with the same display) and cheaper. It would be hard to recommend for the same price, but it's a few hundred dollars cheaper. That is liberating and makes the Chromebook Flip C536 much more attractive.

Are there alternatives?

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a tough competitor that is roughly the same price but has a faster CPU and a sharper, more productive 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. It's also a bit smaller, which makes it more functional in tablet mode.

As far as it can still be purchased, the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 is itself a competitor of the successor. It's better built, has better battery life, and is a lot smaller. It is proof that new does not always mean better.

Finally, if you don't need a 2-in-1, keep Google's Pixelbook Go on your list. The battery life is better, the audio quality is superior, and it comes in a smaller package. It's a little more expensive, but not by much, and the vastly superior display will blow your mind.

How long it will take?

The Chromebook Flip C536 isn't fragile, but it's not as sturdy as some of its competitors – including most other Asus machines. It will hold you, but you will feel like you should be more careful with it. The typical one-year warranty is there, but acceptable at the price.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Chromebook Flip C536 has its weaknesses, but the price tag makes it an attractive option nonetheless.

Editor's recommendations



28 Jun
Blog

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Review: A Fast, Cheap AMD Laptop

Asus Vivobook Flip 14 review 3

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 2021

"The Asus VivoBook Flip 14 is a powerful budget laptop despite the disappointing display and build quality."

  • Outstanding productivity performance

  • Mostly attractive aesthetics

  • Affordable

  • Active pen is bundled

  • Upgradable RAM and storage

  • Mediocre build quality

  • Glossy display

  • Below average battery life

Everyone likes a good budget laptop. They may not seem as exciting as the latest and greatest, but budget-conscious laptops have their place. Not everyone has the resources or the need for a laptop that costs well over $ 1,000, but everyone deserves great things. Finding a diamond in the rough can be a lot of fun.

Most manufacturers have a distinct budget lineup, and in Asus' case, that's the VivoBook. The company recently launched the updated VivoBook Flip 14, an AMD-powered 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 designed to deliver solid performance and an exciting experience at a low laptop price.

I checked the VivoBook Flip 14 configuration for $ 629 (if Asus offers it on their website, it will sell for $ 600) which has an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe -SSD and a 14-inch IPS Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display in the increasingly old-fashioned 16: 9 aspect ratio. You can also get a version with a 256GB SSD for just $ 529. Attractive features for the price, but does the VivoBook Flip 14 keep its value proposition?

design

The VivoBook Flip 14 is mostly made of plastic, with the lid lined with an aluminum alloy. You don't have to buy plastic for this price, but it's not uncommon. Unfortunately, the build quality was not up to the usual Asus standard, with a lid that bends with too little force and can cause LCD distortion, quite a bit of flex in the keyboard deck, and a case base that yields to pressure. The similarly priced Acer Swift 3 is more solidly built, and for around $ 300 you can grab the HP Envy x360 13, which is also much better built – unsurprisingly, both machines are on our list of best budget laptops . You won't find many 14-inch 2-in-1s at this price level, so I can't think of a direct comparison that we tested.

Aesthetically, the VivoBook Flip 14 is a little more impressive, if a little strange at the same time. It comes in a “Bespoke Black” color scheme that covers 99% of the chassis. There's a bright silver logo on the lid and some chrome bars around the touchpad, but that's mostly it. It is strange that the Enter key has a lime green border and lettering and stands out rather boldly – but at the same time I would say garish. And it's the only element on the laptop that bears that color, so it's not part of a theme.

If you're usually struggling to find Enter, the bold color scheme helps, but I usually don't run into this predicament so the color scheme detracts from the aesthetic for me. Still, I think the VivoBook Flip 14 looks better than the Swift 3 and is on par with the Envy x360 13. In fact, it's as attractive as a more expensive notebook like the MSI Prestige 14 Evo and has a more distinctive look than the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 2-in-1, which is also about $ 300 more expensive.

The bezels are a bit big with a screen-to-body ratio of 82%. Premium laptops tend to be 90% or better, but the VivoBook Flip 14 isn't bad for a budget device. That makes the chassis a bit bigger, and it's not the thinnest or lightest 14-inch laptop at 0.72 inches and 3.31 pounds. The Yoga 7i comes in at 0.69 inches and 3.09 pounds, while the MSI Prestige 14 is 0.63 inches thick and weighs 2.85 pounds.

The Acer Swift 5, another 14-inch clamshell, is just 0.59 inches thick and fairly light at 2.31 pounds – it's also twice as expensive. Looking at our budget competition, the Acer Swift 3 is 0.63 inches thick and weighs 2.65 pounds, and the HP Envy x360 13 is 0.65 inches thick and weighs 2.92 pounds. Obviously, the VivoBook Flip 14 doesn't win the thin and easy battle.

Asus built its ErgoLift hinge into the VivoBook Flip 14, which is a nice touch considering the overall complexity of the 360-degree hinge. It works well, raises the keyboard deck to a more comfortable typing angle, and theoretically offers additional space for air to circulate – except there are no vents on the bottom of the laptop. Rather, the air is sucked in via the keyboard, so that the usual thermal advantages are not available. Anyway, the hinge is a bit stiff and the lid takes two hands to open, but it keeps the display in place in clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes.

Asus has also built in some upgrade options. The SSD slot is easily accessible if you ever want to upgrade the memory, and of the test device's 8 GB of RAM, 4 GB is soldered to the motherboard and the other 4 GB is plugged in. So you can swap this out for an 8 GB chip if necessary and increase your RAM to 12 GB. A maximum of 16 GB is available, which of course has to be configured when ordering the laptop.

Connectivity is good, with a USB-A 2.0 port, a USB-A 3.2 port, a USB-C Gen 2 port, a full-size HDMI 1.4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card reader. A proprietary connector provides power, and given the AMD chipset, there is no Thunderbolt support. Wireless connectivity is a bit behind the times with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2.

performance

The VivoBook Flip 14 featured the first six-core Ryzen 5 5500U CPU we tested, and I was curious to see how it compares to the various Tiger Lake variants from Intel and the Ryzen 7 series. I got away impressed.

It didn't dominate Geekbench 5, with the lower single-core score typical of AMD chips and the more competitive multi-core score. It landed in third place in the comparison group, behind the Asus ZenBook 13 UM325UA with an eight-core Ryzen 7 5800U, which dominated, and the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with its four-core Intel Core i7-1185G7. In PCMark 10, the VivoBook Flip 14 took second place behind the ZenBook 13 and did particularly well in the content creation of this test. Accordingly, the Ryzen 5 5500U is competitive with Intel's Core i7 and significantly faster than the Core i5.

The VivoBook Flip 14 was particularly convincing in two particularly compute-intensive apps, Handbrake and Cinebench R23. In the Handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265, the Asus was 31 seconds faster than the Prestige 14 Evo and only seven seconds behind the ZenBook 13. The results in the demanding Cinebench R23 test were similar, where At least in multicore mode, the VivoBook Flip 14 took just second place behind the ZenBook 13 and was significantly faster than the Prestige 14 Evo. And the Ryzen 5 5500U is a real step up from the previous generation, making the VivoBook Flip 14 an impressive budget performer.

As with all current Ryzen laptops we tested, the VivoBook Flip 14 excels in CPU-intensive tasks and will go through the typical productivity workflow. It can handle creative applications too, although its Radeon Graphics doesn't offer much in the way of enhancing applications that the GPU can take advantage of. Of course, this also applies to Intel's integrated Iris Xe graphics. In this comparison group, only the HP Envy 14 with its Nvidia GeForce GTX-1650 Ti brings real added value for these applications. Everywhere else, the VivoBook Flip 14 will do exceptionally well, especially given its $ 630 price tag.

Underdog Bench 5
(Single / multiple)		 Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23
(Single / multiple)		 PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Asus VivoBook Flip 14
(Ryzen 5 5500U)		 1102/5432 131 1180/7579 5191 1099
MSI Prestige 14 Evo (Core i7-1185G7) 1593/5904 162 1479/6680 4866 1465
Acer Swift 3 2020 (Ryzen7 4700U) 1120/4831 152 N / A N / A 975
HP Envy x360 13 (Ryzen 5 4500U) 1101/4485 176 N / A N / A 902
Asus ZenBook 13 UM325UA
(Ryzen7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342
HP Envy 14 2020 (Core i5-1135G7) 1398/4741 190 1343/5028 5178 3147

One area that won't impress is gaming. The 3DMark Time Spy test result is nothing special, and the VivoBook Flip 14 performed poorly in Fortnite. It only managed 25 frames per second (fps) at 1080p and medium graphics, in line with laptops with Intel Iris Xe graphics. It reached 15 fps in epic graphics, which in turn corresponds to Intel's integrated GPU. Simply put, the VivoBook Flip 14 is not a gaming laptop at any cost.

display

Spend $ 630 on a laptop and you'll be giving up on something. There is usually a big tradeoff in display quality and the VivoBook Flip 14 is no exception.

First, it's not very bright at just 230 nits (we like to see 300 nits or more). This is almost identical to the 233 nits of the Acer Swift 3, and so the VivoBook Flip 14 is not alone among budget laptops with a weak display. The contrast is also poor at 720: 1, below the Swift 3's 770: 1 and well below our preferred threshold of 1000: 1. The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 performs even worse with 690: 1, which shows that it is not only true budget laptops that suffer from poor contrast.

Next came the VivoBook Flip 14's colors, which were incredibly narrow. The coverage of the Adobe RGB color space was only 50% and the sRGB color space was only 66%. That's well below the 70% and 95%, respectively, that we normally see minimums on mid-range and premium laptops – and the HP Envy x360 13, which is on our top budget list, scored 71% and 96%, which is much better is. I notice that the Swift 3 was in the same class as the Asus at 48% and 64%, respectively. The VivoBook Flip 14's color accuracy was better than the Swift 3's 4.76 at a Delta E of 2.62 (1.0 or less is considered excellent), while the Envy x360 13 got a lower 2.26.

Subjectively, the VivoBook Flip 14's display wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It's enough for web browsing and productivity apps, but that's about it. Viewing media on the 2-in-1 device was also not a terrible experience despite the poor colors and contrasts.

Two downward facing speakers provide audio with Harman Kardon tuning. The speakers get loud, but also distorted, with crackling at any volume above 80%. Treble was blown out and mids muffled, which resulted in a tinny sound. Of course there was no question of bass. You'll be fine with system sounds and the occasional YouTube videos, but anything else requires headphones or a pair of bluetooth speakers.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard on the VivoBook Flip 14 is eerily reminiscent of HP's Specter keyboard, which is purposely a good choice. It offers good spacing, large keys with attractive and easy-to-read lettering and a number of Home, PgUp, PgDn, End and Fn keys on the far right. Unfortunately, although it looks like a Specter keyboard, it doesn't feel like it. There's a lot of travel and a nice click to the switches, but the ground motion is too abrupt. There's no crisp jump like HP, and the overall typing experience isn't nearly as comfortable. I would rate this keyboard a few steps behind the Specter and Dell XPS keyboards and way behind Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks. I will notice that the three-level backlight is even and useful.

To be clear, the touchpad is way too small. There's still plenty of room on the keyboard deck for a larger version, and the small size is reinforced by the fingerprint reader in the right corner. The touchpad is a Microsoft Precision version, so it works fine with good support for Windows 10 multi-touch gestures, but it's tiny.

The display is of course touch-enabled, as it is a 2-in-1, and an Asus active pen is included. It supports Windows 10 inking well, with smooth strokes and precise response.

The fingerprint reader mentioned above has Windows 10 Hello support for passwordless login. It was quick and accurate during my tests, and it was welcome on such an inexpensive laptop.

Battery life

Asus only put 42 watt hours of battery into the VivoBook Flip 14, which is not much for a 14-inch display even with Full HD resolution and a powerful CPU. I wasn't expecting great battery life.

Starting with our web browser test that ran through a number of popular websites, the VivoBook Flip 14 lasted nine hours. That's a little less than average for this class of machine, but not a terrible result. The Acer Swift 3 managed just eight hours, while the HP Envy x360 13 managed a little over nine hours. In our video test, which plays a Full HD Avengers trailer until the battery runs out, the VivoBook Flip 14 lasted 12 hours, again slightly less than average, but not too much compared to the Swift 3's 10 hours disappointing. The Envy x360 13 beats both with 13 hours.

The VivoBook Flip 14 lasted just over two hours in the PCMark 10 gaming test, which stresses the CPU and GPU, which is average for the test. The Lenovo Yoga 7i managed just over 2.5 hours, and we didn't test the Swift 3 or the Envy x360 13 with this benchmark. In the PCMark 10 Applications test, which is the best indicator of battery life, the VivoBook Flip was again below average with just over nine hours. That still beats the 8.5 hours of the Yoga 7i.

Overall, the VivoBook Flip 14 was only a hair behind the pack in terms of battery life. It will likely take a full working day if you don't put too much stress on the CPU, but it definitely suffers from the small battery. However, this is again a budget laptop, and so the results are pretty good if you keep the price in mind.

Our opinion

The VivoBook Flip 14 is really very fast for a $ 630 laptop. Its build isn't the best, its battery life is slower, and its keyboard isn't one of my favorites. But a laptop that works like this for so little money shouldn't be neglected.

If you have a demanding productivity workflow or occasionally use creative applications, the VivoBook Flip 14 will give you the performance you are looking for. And nothing else is so bad about the laptop that you shouldn't think twice about it.

Are there alternatives?

I'll start with the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA. It's not a 2-in-1, but it costs just $ 170 more for a color-accurate OLED display, a faster AMD Ryzen 7 5800U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe solid-state drive. If your budget isn't that tight and you don't really need a 2-in-1, then the ZenBook 13 is a great option.

If you need a 2-in-1 and your budget is limited, the HP Envy x360 13 is a solid alternative. It's also a little more expensive, but you get better performance, better battery life, and a better display. What do you dislike?

How long it will take?

The VivoBook Flip 14 isn't the most solid notebook we've tested, but it's not bad for a budget device. It won't withstand extreme abuse, but with normal wear and tear at home and in the office, it should last for several years. You won't be surprised by the one-year limited warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you don't need a color-accurate display and you are short of money. The outstanding performance of the VivoBook Flip 14 makes up for many of its weaknesses.

Editor's recommendations



13 May
Blog

Asus Zenfone Flip Review: The Selfie Master Returns

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip review

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review: The Selfie Master Returns

"The Zenfone 8 Flip's unique motorized camera module makes it the best selfie camera you can buy, but the rest of the phone goes unnoticed because of its sturdy body and recycled design."

  • Motorized camera means amazing selfies

  • Excellent audio

  • Ideal for playing

  • Fast, reliable software

  • No water resistance

  • No wireless charging

  • Big and heavy

If you expect the Zenfone 8 Flip to be a radical departure from the Zenfone 7 Pro, you will be disappointed as the phone is almost identical to the 2020 flagship on the outside. It's also not exactly Asus' big release for 2021, evidenced by the lack of a "Pro" suffix. This honor actually goes to the “compact flagship” Zenfone 8.

So should you even care? Yes, as some important changes have been made internally and the technically very clever motorized camera module means it's still one of the best smartphones you can buy if you really love selfies. Just don't expect the rest of the phone to delight you in the same way.

design

Give or take a few tenths of a millimeter, the Zenfone 8 Flip is exactly the same size and shape as the Zenfone 7 Pro. Asus may have kept the Zenfone 8's body less than 70mm wide to make it easy to use with one hand, but the Zenfone 8 Pro doesn't. It is 77 mm wide, 9.8 mm thick and weighs 230 grams. The back is made of glass, the body is made of metal, and the flip camera module is made of liquid metal for strength and lightness.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The flip camera is the reason you buy the Zenfone 8 Flip because it allows you to use the rear cameras for selfie tasks too. The motor – a wonderful piece of technology on a small scale – quickly flips the camera out and over the top of the phone so that the three cameras are pointed at you. It's a very mechanical experience as you can hear and feel the motors and gears working at the same time, a very unusual tactile feeling on a modern smartphone. It's fast and smooth, and Asus has upgraded the components to improve durability. Now it promises to last at least 300,000 flips compared to 200,000 on the Zenfone 7 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I like the flip camera. It's unique, works very well, and has features not available on any other smartphone. However, the entire Zenfone 8 Pro package is dated as the design hasn't changed at all from last year's phone, and it arguably isn't much different from the Zenfone 6 Flip either. The Zenfone 8 Flip is big, heavy, thick, and just not nifty or pretty enough compared to phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro, iPhone 12, and Samsung Galaxy S21. This makes the Zenfone 8 Pro more difficult to sell, despite the pull of the flip camera.

screen

The 6.67-inch AMOLED screen on the front of the Zenfone 8 Flip, made by Samsung, is not interrupted by a punch or notch, as the flip camera makes something like that irrelevant. It has a refresh rate of 90 Hz, a touch sampling rate of 200 Hz, a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits and special features such as a DCI-P3 color gamut. Asus claims the bezels are smaller than the Zenfone 7 Pro, but I don't see much of a difference.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's the popular 20: 9 aspect ratio that's shared by phones like the Galaxy S21 and OnePlus 9. As you'd expect, it's great for watching videos and games. It's an FHD + resolution, but I didn't miss the higher resolution that phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro offer under normal circumstances, and it also extends the battery life. It doesn't have an extreme curve on either side, so it's mostly flat, which can be attractive too.

For lengthy viewing sessions, the size and weight made the Zenfone 8 Flip more tiring than lighter and more compact devices, and while the screen is bright and colorful, the lack of a front-facing selfie camera cutout isn't enough to excite me about having it over one of the other really impressive phone screens like the iPhone 12 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and Galaxy S21 +.

camera

The Zenfone 8 Flip has a total of three cameras, all of which are in the same module. The main model is a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 with an aperture of f / 1.8, phase-detection autofocus and 8K video recording with electronic image stabilization. The second is a 12MP Sony IMX363 wide angle camera with f / 2.2 aperture and auto focus, and the third is an 8MP camera with 3x optical zoom.

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Mirrored CameraAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Flip Cam BackAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip review cam angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

For a rear camera, the Zenfone 8 Flip's setup is decent but not outstanding, but for a front camera setup, it's about the best you can get. All of the above features, as well as various video modes, are ready for selfies too. That means wide-angle selfies, 3x zoom selfies, and even 8K video selfies if that's what you really want, and absolutely no other phone offers the same functionality in its front-facing camera.

Even the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, with its tiny rear screen, isn't as easy to use as the Zenfone 8 Flip for high-quality selfies, as you're staring at the full 6.67-inch screen as you shoot. The Asus camera app is great too and offers plenty of speed to suit its functionality. The flip module can be set to different angles via a context menu that allows you to take photos from unusual angles. The motorized flip camera has an automatic panorama mode where it moves for you instead of moving the phone and a tracking mode.

All of this is very good, but does the camera take good photos? It's technically very similar to the Zenfone 8's camera, which means the photos are very easy to share due to the strong HDR effect and bright, eye-catching colors. I think they look great, and I prefer this to an underexposed shot that I have to edit before I want to share it. It's not very consistent, however, and the wide-angle camera struggles with difficult lighting. I stuck to using the main camera and 3x optical zoom, which adds to the versatility of the Zenfone 8 Flip's camera.

You can choose different angles for the flip module with the push of a button, but I'm having trouble finding a scenario where this makes a lot of sense. The auto panorama mode is effective and improves sewing because there is no camera shake when panning. The motion tracking also uses the motorized module and keeps up very well, provided the subject isn't moving too fast. While all of these fun little features work well, they are a little tricky and probably won't get used very often.

The Zenfone 8 Flip has a good rear camera that takes photos that you love to share without messing around with a lot of editing and an amazing front camera that takes better selfies than any other phone. It's a strange statement when you know the back and the selfie camera are one and the same. Compared to other phones like this one, the Zenfone 8 Flip's unique camera feature ensures that it stands out from the selfie crowd.

Performance and software

Asus' ZenUI interface is based on Android 11 and roughly corresponds to the experience you get with a Google Pixel phone. It is therefore relatively free of unnecessary apps, functions and functions. It's clean, easy-to-use software with a lot of Android features that I like, including a great dark theme, simple settings menu, standard notifications without changing the notification shade, and an easy turn-off screen when you hold down the power button. It may sound silly, but these make the phone logical and pleasant to live with on a daily basis. It was completely reliable too.

asus zenfone 8 flip review appsAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review AngleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Refresh RateAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Screen HandheldAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

I really enjoyed playing on the Zenfone 8 Flip thanks to a combination of the monster performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, the 20: 9 aspect ratio screen, and the superb audio I'm used to from Asus. It's not quite on par with the ROG Phone 5, but it's pretty close with a deep, melodic, and distortion-free sound at almost any volume. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends for more than an hour in one session (shhh, don't tell my editor) on the Zenfone 8 Flip, and this is where the weight and size can give the phone an edge as the weight makes it easy to grip.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 5,000 mAh battery is much better than the cell in the Zenfone 8. It took up to two days with moderate use with Wi-Fi, and is slightly longer than a day even with some lengthy gaming sessions and WhatsApp video calls. The phone supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 and Asus' 30 W HyperCharge with the included network block. Wireless charging is not possible.

Price and availability

The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip has 8 GB of RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage space and costs $ 972 from 799 euros. US price and availability have not been confirmed at the time of writing. The Asus Zenfone 7 Pro sold for around $ 800 in the US. So if the Zenfone 8 Flip makes it too, we're assuming it will be somewhere near that cost.

Our opinion

Living with the Zenfone 8 Flip was like going back to early 2020. The design wasn't really a winner before, it's just too heavy, and seeing it again in 2021 is unhappy and makes the phone look and dated feel. The size and weight will put some people off, but I found it works in favor of the phone when gaming, especially when combined with the excellent sound. However, you definitely know you have a 230 gram phone in your pocket.

The Zenfone 8 Flip lives and dies from how badly you want the flip camera. If you take a lot of selfies, the features and specs on paper are second to none, and you'll get great results compared to any phone with a single front camera. However, if you are serious about mobile photography in general, better phone cameras are not available for much more money.

It might be an impressive piece of technology, but the flip module means the Zenfone 8 Flip is not water-resistant, nor can the phone be charged wirelessly. Asus makes a good case for not including wireless charging. It helps control the battery life with wired charging and special modes. Sometimes it helps, and both it and an IP68 rating are generally considered a basic data sheet these days.

Where's the Zenfone 8 Flip? It's typical of Asus: a well-made, well-designed and well-equipped device that serves a niche with a unique function. It's the same offering as the ROG Phone 5 for gamers and the Zenfone 8 with its compact flagship design. You'll know right away if you are going to love the versatility of the Zenfone 8 Flip's flip camera, but if the selfie skills don't excite you, there are better phones for you.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. Based on the Zenfone 8 Flip for around $ 900 (we don't yet know the official US price), the OnePlus 9 Pro for $ 969 or the Apple iPhone 12 Pro for $ 1,000 are our top recommendations. Both have a lot of power to play with, beautiful screens, and very powerful cameras. They're generally better all-rounders than the Zenfone 8 Flip, with helpful everyday features like very fast wired charging, wireless charging, and more attractive, lighter designs.

When you shop for everything to do with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, sometimes it still can be found for around $ 1,000and it's an amazing value for that. Usually it wouldn't be an alternative to a phone that costs less than $ 1,000. If you're looking to spend less than $ 980, both the $ 699 Google Pixel 5 and the $ 830 Apple iPhone 12 are great.

How long it will take?

Asus includes a special case for the Zenfone 8 Flip, which can be used to lock the flip module so that it is not activated unexpectedly. The company says the mechanism is stronger than before and capable of at least 300,000 flips. It is also automatically retracted if a fall is detected. The module makes any kind of water resistance impossible. So you need to be careful if you want the phone to last a long time.

Asus promises two Android system updates as well as 5G on board if you use the fast network now or plan in the future. There are several battery charging modes, including a scheduler, to keep the battery performing for years to come. The only thing preventing the hardware of the Zenfone 8 Flip from feeling fresh in two years is the design, which is already a year old.

Should you buy it?

No. Unless you're really into selfies and can envision a scenario where you might want an 8K video selfie, the Zenfone 8 Flip doesn't have the general appeal of many of its competitors.

Editor's recommendations




06 Oct
Blog

Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 Review: Tiger Lake Doesn’t Roar

asus zenbook flip s ux371 review olympus digital camera

Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371

"The ZenBook Flip S UX371 is one of the first Tiger Lake laptops, but it does not make optimal use of Intel's new processor technology."

  • Very solid build quality

  • Spectacular display

  • Excellent keyboard and useful NumberPad touchpad

  • Very good port selection

  • Disappointing processor performance

  • The gaming falls short of expectations

Intel has released its latest architecture, Tiger Lake, which promises higher performance for both the CPU and the GPU. We've already looked at an Intel Tiger Lake prototype and were impressed with the performance of the platform. Now we had time with our first full Tiger Lake system, the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371.

This 2-in-1 laptop is priced at $ 1,500 and comes with an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe solid state drive (SSD), and a 4K OLED display. It looks strong on paper, but does it meet our high expectations?

performance

It is risky to be one of the first companies to bring out a laptop based on a brand new platform. Asus may have run counter to this risk with the ZenBook Flip S, as its benchmark results don't live up to Tiger Lake's promise. I blame the CPU's overly conservative vote. During all of my CPU tests, the fans barely spun even under the heaviest loads. I had to listen carefully to the bottom of the case to hear they were running at all. That tells me the laptop isn't working hard enough to keep the fans busy. I tried setting the Asus fan speed utility to performance mode but it made no difference.

In Geekbench 5, the ZenBook Flip S was faster than laptops with the 10th generation Core i7-1065G7, but not by much, mostly in single-core mode. It scored 1,535 single-core and 4,913 in multi-core mode. Compare this to the Microsoft Surface Book 3 13, which runs the Core i7-1065G7 at 1,316 and 4,825 points. The Samsung Galaxy Flex with the same 10th generation CPU scored 1,264 and 4,583 points. We didn't expect that from Tiger Lake.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In our handbrake test, which converts a 420MB video to H.265, the ZenBook Flip S lasted one second less than four minutes, identical to the Surface Book 3 13. In the older version of the same test, the ZenBook Flip S lasted two seconds under four minutes and hit the Galaxy Flex by just 16 seconds. Again, this is not the expected performance.

I ran Cinebench 20 and the results were even worse. The ZenBook Flip S achieved 482 points in single-core mode and 1,254 points in multi-core mode. The surface book 3 13 managed scores of 429 and 1,433.

The benchmark results don't live up to Tiger Lake's promise.

Note that the Intel Tiger Lake reference laptop we tested with a Core i7-1185G7 performed much better on all of these benchmarks – even better than the clock speed increase would indicate. Geekbench 5 scored 1,563 and 5,995 points, respectively, and the handbrake test was completed in less than three minutes. The Cinebench 20 scores were 463 and 2092. These scores (with the exception of the single-core Cinebench score) represent bigger differences than I would have expected between the two Tiger Lake CPUs.

I contacted Asus and I am confident that they will run their own tests and set the thermal profile to allow the laptop to reach its full potential. If I get better results with a firmware update, I will revise this review accordingly.

Play

It's hard to tell if the ZenBook Flip S is realizing its gaming potential as we don't have any other laptops with the exact same CPU and GPU combo. The closest is the Intel reference notebook. So here I am primarily comparing it, although we have to consider the CPU differential.

The ZenBook Flip S scored 3,947 points in Fire Strike, while the Intel reference laptop scored 5,181 points. The Asus performed much better than the older Acer Swift 5 with Intel Iris Plus graphics, resulting in a score of 2,120. However, I can't help but think that, given the reference laptop's score, there should be a bigger difference.

Next, I ran Civilization VI, where the ZenBook Flip S reached 31 frames per second (fps) at 1080p and medium graphics. That is much less than the 45 fps of the Intel reference laptop. The Asus switched to ultra graphics and managed 17 fps, while the Intel reference laptop ran at 26 fps. The Asus also seems to underperform here. Note that the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 with the integrated Radeon graphics from Ryzen 4000 achieves 45 fps in 1080p at medium details.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Next, I tested Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The ZenBook Flip S has a 4K display, but I've limited my testing to 1080p for reasons that will become immediately apparent. The ZenBook Flip S managed 11 fps in 1080p with the high graphics preset. While this title is well beyond the capabilities of the GPU, it's disappointing that the HP Specter x360 13 with Intel Iris Plus graphics, which averaged 12 fps, essentially tied the ZenBook powered by Tiger Lake

In Fortnite, the ZenBook Flip S only managed 13 fps in 1080p and high graphics. The Intel reference laptop achieved 34 fps and the Specter x360 13 with Intel Iris Plus ran at 12 fps. Again, this is not what I expected.

That's all of the gaming benchmarks I've run given the disappointing results. As with the CPU test, if I get a firmware upgrade that affects these results, I'll get back to me.

Battery life

The ZenBook Flip S has a battery capacity of 67 watt hours in its thin and light frame, which is impressive for a laptop of this size. At the same time there is the power-hungry 4K OLED display and a new generation of Core i7, which I have not yet passed through our official battery tests. I wasn't sure what to expect.

Unfortunately, the ZenBook Flip S decided to throw us a curveball again. Our most demanding Basemark web benchmark test, which is supposed to show how long the laptop lasted when you hit the CPU and GPU, wouldn't end its test loop. I've tried several times and been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot report on the longevity under load.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook Flip S lasted almost seven hours in our web browsing test, which gives a good idea of ​​life in moderate everyday life. Given the 4K OLED display, this isn't a terrible score, although it is pretty weak compared to the Full HD-equipped Dell XPS 13 that lasted for around 12 hours. Note that the ZenBook Flip S lasted more than an hour longer than the HP Specter x360 13, another popular notebook with an OLED display. Even so, you will likely struggle to work a full day without joining.

In our video test of a Full HD Avengers trailer, the ZenBook Flip S lasted 12.25 hours, which is almost three hours longer than the Specter x360 13. I would have expected this test to be most affected by the display. but the ZenBook Flip S did pretty well. The XPS 13 lasted two hours longer, but that's less of a difference than I expected.

Overall, the ZenBook Flip S offers good battery life for a laptop with a 4K OLED screen. If you plan to be out of the office for eight hours or more, consider taking your charger with you, but the battery will last long enough that you don't need to bring a charger for everyone but the longest of meetings.

design

The ZenBook Flip S is a good-looking laptop with a black aluminum case that is complemented by diamond-cut edges made of red copper (Asus). The usual Asus concentric vortices decorate the lid. It all adds up to an elegant design that works in both a coffee house and a conference room.

The laptop is built robustly. The lid, the keyboard deck or the bottom of the case are not bent, bent or twisted. The 2-in-1 hinge is a little too stiff to open with one hand, but it does an excellent job of holding the display in place in clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes. It's at least as big as laptops like the HP Specter x360 13 and Dell XPS 13, which makes sense given the premium price.

The ZenBook Flip S doesn't have the thinnest bezels, which is a departure from other newer ZenBook models. The side bezels are thin and the top bezel is adequate, but the lower chin is quite large, adding to the overall footprint that is required. The Specter x360 13 is about the same size, but significantly less deep. However, the ZenBook Flip S is thin at 0.54 inches and light at 2.65 pounds. This is comparable to the Specter x360 13, which weighs 0.67 inches and 2.88 pounds. With thinner bezels, the Asus is more convenient to transport.

Connectivity is strong for a laptop this thin and light with two exceptions. On the left is a full-size HDMI 2.0 port and two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 ports. There is a USB-A 3.1 port on the right. Unfortunately there is no SD card reader, which is a disappointment, and Asus made the strange decision to ditch the 3.5mm audio jack and instead switch to an included USB-C to 3.5mm dongle to leave.

Apparently, Asus customers preferred the HDMI port, so the company decided to remove the 3.5mm jack instead – which is an unfortunate choice as you now have to forego a USB-C port to get some Connect headphones. Wireless connectivity is through the latest features available, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, and I saw excellent performance during my review tests.

display

The ZenBook Flip S is one of a growing number of laptops that come with OLED displays, which I find very good. The other OLED laptops we tested consistently deliver great viewing experiences, and I was excited to see if Asus picked a panel as good as other manufacturers.

As I found out when I tested the display with my colorimeter, Asus opted for a spectacular display that has practically no weaknesses.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

First, it's incredibly bright at 492 nits, more than most of the OLED panels we tested. For example, the version of the HP Specter x360 13 has 405 nits, which is still very bright but is not in the same stadium. As usual with OLED, the contrast of the ZenBook Flip S display is extraordinarily high at 491,630: 1 (the Specter x360 13 at 405,210: 1). Compare that to the Dell XPS 15's excellent 1480: 1 IPS display, which is tall for an IPS display but nowhere near as jet black as the Asus'. These numbers exaggerate the difference in the real world, but OLED's contrast offers an obvious advantage in movies, games, and high-resolution photos.

The color gamut with 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB is another strength of the ZenBook Flip S display. The XPS 15 barely beats either of them at 100%, but few displays we've tested recently come this close to maximizing both color spaces. And the ZenBook Flip S is also color-accurate with 0.88 – anything below 1.0 cannot be seen by the human eye and is considered excellent. The Specter x360 13 was less accurate at 1.29. The gamma of the ZenBook Flip S display was also spot on with the ideal gamma curve of 2.2.

Asus opted for a spectacular display that has practically no weaknesses.

Put simply, this is a bright, high-contrast display. I love it as a writer because black stands out against white backgrounds and incredibly wide and precise colors. This is a display that would make any creative professional happy. Whether you're looking at it objectively through a colorimeter or subjectively for any task you want – including bingeing video, which is a real treat – this is a superior display.

The sound from the two downward facing speakers was clear with little distortion at the highest volume. The speakers could get pretty loud with nice highs and mids even though the bass was missing (not surprising). You want to use headphones for music and serious seizures, but the sound is more than good enough for the occasional YouTube and Netflix.

Keyboard and touchpad

The ZenBook Flip S inherits the same keyboard as Asus in the ZenBook 14 UX425 and is a good choice. There is a lot of spring travel, a lot of key spacing and size, and a lighting mechanism with a floor effect that is clear and precise. My favorite keyboards remain the Magic keyboard on the MacBook and the ones that HP uses in the Specter lineup (and the latest Envy 15), but the ZenBook Flip S comes close.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The touchpad is large and wide and contains Asus' NumberPad 2.0, which transforms the touchpad into an LED-illuminated numeric keypad. You turn it on with a long press of a button in the right corner and change the brightness with a button in the left corner. It works fine, and turning on the NumberPad doesn't interfere with using the touchpad as a touchpad. If you enter a lot of numbers, you will appreciate the function.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The touch display is responsive and an active pen that supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity is in the box when the laptop ships. However, one didn't come in my box so I couldn't test the pen.

Finally, Windows 10 Hello support is provided by an infrared camera and facial recognition. It was quick and accurate during my tests, and while I prefer a fingerprint reader, it offers an easy sign-in option.

Our opinion

At $ 1,500, the ZenBook Flip S is firmly in the premium segment. And part of what might justify that price tag – on top of the exquisite OLED display – is that it's one of the first laptops to come with Intel's Tiger Lake platform. Unfortunately, Asus has some work to do in order to take advantage of the new platform. The ZenBook Flip S behaves more like a last-generation laptop. This directly reflects how Asus has optimized the laptop's performance.

Otherwise, the ZenBook Flip S is a well-built and attractive 2-in-1 device that can hold its own against other laptops with similar prices and features. It's just such a disappointment that we didn't see Tiger Lake at its best.

Is there a better alternative?

The main competitor of the ZenBook Flip S is probably the HP Specter X360 13, which still runs 10th generation CPUs. It has an equally beautiful OLED display, is a bit smaller, and works just as well. You also spend a few hundred dollars less to configure a similar computer.

If you don't need a 2-in-1, the Dell XPS 13 is a very compelling option. It was recently announced that it is joining the Tiger Lake Club. Once it does, I'm sure it will perform well. It's the best 13-inch clamshell notebook out there, making it a viable competitor to almost every other 13-inch machine.

How long it will take?

The ZenBook Flip S is a rugged laptop that will last forever. It's well built and configured with the latest technology so you can be productive for years. As always, we'd love to see more than a year warranty, but Asus offers one year accident protection.

Should you buy it?

No not yet. When Asus fixes the performance issues, the ZenBook Flip S suddenly becomes a very compelling 2-in-1 device. Until then, I would hold back.

Editor's recommendations




06 Apr
Blog

Asus Chromebook Flip C436 Review: Chromebooks Have Grown Up

Asus Chromebook Flip

Asus Chromebook Flip C436

"The Asus Flip C436 is a newer, faster, and more expensive generation of Chromebooks."

  • Solid build quality

  • Excellent performance

  • Fast SSD storage

  • The battery life is mediocre

  • Too expensive

Chromebooks were once cheap laptops and nothing else.

Now the next generation of Chromebooks has arrived and they are targeting medium-sized Windows laptops. The $ 800 Asus Chromebook Flip C436 is the first in this new class and doesn't mess around.

Think about it before you spend $ 800 on a Chromebook. A Core i3-1011U CPU, 8 GB RAM, a 128 GB PCIe solid state drive (SSD) and a 1080p screen. It's such a healthy spec list as on a Chromebook. Is Flip C436 the best Chromebook you can buy?

Design and build quality

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Many early Chromebooks were budget options with the right build quality. This has changed over the years as more and more premium Chromebooks match the best available on other platforms. The Chromebook Flip C436 is such a laptop with an aluminum case that feels great in the hand. No bending, bending or twisting here. It's as solid as any Windows 10 laptop, some cost hundreds of dollars more.

In contrast to the previous Chromebook clip C434, the hinge of the C436 can be easily opened with one hand. However, it is not shaky. The display does not wobble in clamshell, presentation, tent or tablet mode.

It is also relatively modern in its aesthetics. The bezel is relatively small except for the large chin at the bottom of the display and has a screen-to-body ratio of 85%. This doesn't match Asus' ZenBook line, which reaches up to 97%, but is much better than the Google Pixelbook Go and many other Chromebooks that are slow to follow the trend.

The silver color is conservative but attractive, with the exception of the chrome hinges and the Asus logo on the lid. If you want more panache, Asus also sells an "Airgel White" option with a rainbow effect on the lid.

If you covered the Chrome label, you'd never know it was a Chromebook. This also applies to other newer Chromebooks. This shows that Chrome OS laptops have grown up – they look just as good and are well built like all but the highest quality Windows 10 laptops and MacBooks.

The Chromebook Flip C436 is light at around 2.5 pounds and thanks to the small bezel fits back into a rather small case for a 14-inch laptop, which is also thin at 0.54 inches. The Google Pixelbook Go is smaller, a little lighter and a bit thinner at 0.5 inches, but the difference is not profound.

Keyboard and port selection

Connectivity is an area where Chromebooks have been limited in the past. For the first time, Chromebooks offer the latest standards like Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. This contributes significantly to the fact that the Flip C436 is a legitimate Windows replacement.

Things are still somewhat limited in terms of ports. USB-C 3.1 has become universal in laptops, and the Flip C436 has two. However, Chrome OS still doesn't support faster and more powerful technologies like Thunderbolt 3. At $ 800, Thunderbolt 3 shows up on Windows laptops.

There are no USB-A or HDMI ports. This means you only rely on dongles and connectivity is limited to only the two ports unless you use a USB hub. However, the Flip C436 has a microSD card reader and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The keyboard uses a standard Chromebook layout, but the typing experience itself is outstanding. The Flip C436 has oversized keycaps and 1.2mm travel, a snappy feel, and a smooth ground movement that makes typing comfortable.

Next, the large format touchpad responds and supports the full range of Chrome OS multi-touch gestures. It's glass where the previous version was made of plastic, which gives it a smoother feel. There's also a touch display that allows you to scroll long websites with your thumb and tap pop-up buttons.

Finally, I didn't get a chance to check the active stylus available for the Chromebook Flip C436 – an add-on option that wasn't available on my review sample. However, the availability of an active pen is essential for 2-in-1 devices, and it's great that Asus at least offers it as an option.

display

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Display quality is another key performance factor, and the Chromebook Flip C436 meets these requirements. I was unable to use my colorimeter to test the display because Chrome OS is not supported. However, I found it bright enough for indoor use. It will fight under direct sunlight, but also most screens that reach a maximum of 300 nits.

The contrast also seemed to be sufficient, with black text and a white background that made my typing a breeze. It's a full HD display that's just sharp enough on the 14-inch panel, but not as good as some other newer Chromebooks. For example, the display on the Google Pixelbook Go is much nicer.

The advantage of the Flip C436 is of course a 2-in-1. It's a pleasure to put it in media mode and watch Netflix. The speakers won't blow your mind, but they're loud enough for a medium-sized room and won't distort at full volume. The bass is of course almost completely missing, as is the case with many laptops.

performance

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Chrome OS is a very efficient operating system and doesn't burden processors nearly like Windows 10 and MacOS. Only a very anemic CPU with low power consumption like an older Intel Celeron can slow it down.

The Chromebook Flip C436 doesn't have that. The 10th generation dual-core core i3-10110U would not be the fastest for Windows or Mac, but it offers sufficient performance for Chromebooks. If you use 8 GB RAM and a 128 GB PCIe SSD – no slower eMMC storage here – you have a Chromebook that can keep up theoretically at least.

You can even add a quad-core processor to the mix for an additional $ 200.

The Chromebook Flip C436 definitely keeps up with everything you want to throw at it. I opened a bunch of tabs in Google Chrome and couldn't slow them down no matter how many apps I loaded in the background. I'm sure I could have found a combination that would have raised some concerns, but to put it simply, you won't just tax the system.

It's the fastest Chromebook we've seen with 97 in the Tachometer 2.0 benchmark. And imagine: For an additional $ 200, you can get a quad-core i5-10210U and configure up to 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. Yes, this very fast Chromebook can be even faster if you want to throw a little more money on it.

However, this investment may not be worth it unless you need tons of storage. You would have to open a lot of apps and tabs to exceed 8 GB of RAM, and a quad-core i5 is likely to be an overkill for everyone except programmers and developers.

Speaking of which, you can run modern Android games on the Chromebook Flip C436. The Intel UHD graphics can keep up, and the ones I tried – like Asphalt 9 – were fluid and entertaining. Switch to tablet mode and use the touch display. Even though it's a little hard, you can play games like on an Android tablet.

Battery life

Battery life is the biggest disadvantage of this Chromebook. The Flip C436 only has 42 watt hours of battery life – compared to 48 watt hours in the C434. In addition, it runs very fast and therefore burns the battery at an unfortunate speed.

Chromebooks usually have excellent battery life, but the Asus falls behind. In our demanding Basemark web benchmark test, in which other Chromebooks achieved double or more, it was only an hour and 44 minutes. For example, the Google Pixelbook Go ran for more than four hours.

The processor was connected at full speed during our battery tests, with the fans running constantly.

In our web browser test, the Chromebook Flip C436 again fell behind the package with 7 hours and 19 minutes. The Pixelbook Go ran approximately 13.5 hours and the Chromebook Flip C434 over 11.5 hours.

The reason for the mediocre battery life seems to be that the Core i3 was attached at full speed during our tests and the fans ran fairly consistently. I would add that hearing fans when using a Chromebook is a little strange – most of them are fanless, which is simply not possible with this processor caliber.

Our opinion

The Chromebook Flip C436 isn't cheap at $ 800, and it shouldn't be either. There are many cheap Chromebooks out there, but only a few offer this level of performance and build quality. However, the battery life keeps the Flip C436 from its true size. It's a traditional strength of Chromebooks, but it can't keep up with the competition here.

Is there a better alternative?

It has some advantages over the Pixelbook Go, but the $ 150 price difference between the base models is difficult to justify. They give up the 2-in-1 flexibility, but get a better display, a more attractive design and an excellent battery life.

Another competitor is the Acer Chromebook 13. They don't get the same build quality, but they do have a 13.5-inch screen with a higher resolution at 2,256 x 1,504. They spend $ 700 on a dual-core processor, but the storage space drops to just 32 GB.

If Windows 10 is more of your bag, consider the $ 850 Asus ZenBook 13 UX333 with an 8th generation Core i5 and better display. And Asus' build quality is there too, along with even smaller bezels and a nifty LCD numeric keypad built into the touchpad.

How long it will take?

The Chromebook Flip C436 is solidly built and seems to last forever. Its components should keep pace with years of Chrome OS updates. The one-year warranty is also disappointing, but Asus offers its usual protection against accidental coverage for 12 months.

Should you buy it

Yes. The Chromebook Flip C436 is fast, well built, and deserves its premium price.

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