Asus VivoBook Flip 14 (Intel) Review: The “everyday laptop” you can rely on

Asus’ new VivoBook Flip 14 is a strange laptop, but strange in the right way. It’s not difficult to see why the VivoBook Flip 14 is an unusual take from Asus. The VivoBook Flip 14 is not a flagship laptop, but it is no less a premium experience. Does the VivoBook Flip 14 match the iPhone XR of the laptop world? Probably yes. Regardless of how you look at it, the VivoBook Flip 14 tries to keep the concept of the “everyday laptop” alive, albeit with a few flaws. However, the convertible has everything a user would want to do with a laptop at a low cost. Here is my full review of the Asus VivoBook Flip 14.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Price In India: Rs 67,990 (Intel Core i5 Version)

Technical data of the Asus VivoBook Flip 14: 14-inch Full HD 16: 9 LED display (1920 × 1080) | 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | 8 GB LPDDR4X 4266 RAM | 512 GB PCIe SSD | Thunderbolt 4 USB-C | 720p HD webcam | 42 Wh 3-cell lithium polymer battery | Windows 10

Intel is confident Apple does not yet have the ammunition to score in the corporate market

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Review: What’s New?

Visually, the VivoBook Flip 14 looks fantastic. While the case is made of metal, the classic style of the notebook immediately made me a fan. It’s also very light and comfortable, measuring 12.75 x 8.66 x 0.73 inches and weighing just 1.5 kg. With two hinges you can fold the display into laptop, tablet or tent mode. The hinges are secure and the laptop folds up easily. Obviously, the convertible design has some advantages over the traditional looking notebooks. Although I found the tablet mode a bit silly, I loved using the tablet tent mode for watching movies.

Although I found the tablet mode a bit silly, I loved using the tablet tent mode for watching movies. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)

Since the VivoBook Flip 14 is portable and easily fits in a backpack, this 14-inch notebook is ideal for students and travelers. Despite its small footprint, Asus was able to push a number of ports into the case. On the right side is a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port that doubles as a charging port, a USB-A 3.2 port, a headphone jack, a microSD card reader and an HDMI port. On the left there is a USB 2.0 port and a Kensington lock.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Review: What is Good?

The 14-inch touchscreen uses Full HD resolution and the bezels are quite narrow, especially on the right and left sides. The screen is adequate and will be bright enough for viewing indoors. Personally, I prefer this type of screen on a laptop. The colors aren’t overly saturated and the viewing angles are great too. I did a lot of photo editing on the device and I had no problem identifying different colors.

The Enter key is outlined in yellow, which is a nice design touch. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)

I was pleasantly surprised to use the keyboard. It has a good amount of feedback and the keyboard is backlit with white LEDs too. The Enter key is outlined in yellow, which is a nice design touch. Sure, this isn’t the best keyboard I’ve used, but it’s pretty good for a laptop. The touchpad is a bit small in my opinion, although it’s responsive and reliable. There is a fingerprint reader in the top right corner that is convenient for securely logging into Windows.

If I had to pick one feature that really stood out on the VivoBook Flip 14, it would be the speakers. I see … most users these days wear headphones while watching movies or listening to the occasional music, but I think the speakers on the VivoBook Flip 14 are exceptionally loud. Audio from the speakers powered by Harman / Kardon can easily fill a small room. I found the notebook’s speakers so helpful when participating in video calls with Zoom.

While the case is made of metal, the classic style of the notebook immediately made me a fan. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)

Inside the VivoBook Flip 14 is the Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, the latest Tiger Lake 10nm CPU and Xe graphics. The version I tested had 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD version. The notebook is also available with an Intel Core i3 processor. Of course, you can’t update the internals. Select the model accordingly.

I’ve spent a lot of time with the VivoBook Flip 14 and haven’t had any performance issues. The notebook can handle productivity apps like MS Office and it is even possible to edit light videos on the VivoBook Flip 14. Intel has pushed gaming with built-in Xe graphics a lot, although you can get frame rates in the 40 fps range on certain games, 8GB of RAM just isn’t enough for AAA gaming. Although I have to admit that the Tiger Lake CPUs offer significant improvements in gaming performance compared to the 10th generation CPU with UHD graphics. If you are planning on buying this notebook for educational purposes or running a small to medium-sized business, the VivoBook Flip 14 will not disappoint.

The screen is adequate and will be bright enough for viewing indoors. (Photo credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)

The VivoBook Flip 14 has fans. I could hear them running – but only during a long gaming session or after prolonged use.

What about the battery life? Well, I have anywhere from five to six hours of battery life depending on the type of work I usually do on a laptop. I actually use a laptop to surf the Internet, write and edit copies, listen to music on Apple Music, watch videos on YouTube, and edit photos. I also use Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp Web excessively. Fortunately, charging the laptop is a quick affair with the included 45W adapter.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 review: what is bad?

Not everything is perfect. The webcam still has a resolution of 720p and is very average. I’m not particularly blaming Asus, it’s an industry-wide problem.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Review: Should You Buy It?

Is the Asus VivoBook Flip 14 the perfect notebook? No. But it’s a compelling option for college students or someone who needs light but a powerful 14-inch laptop. It’s light, comfortable, and has a great build quality. I particularly like the design, performance, keyboard, and speaker quality. The battery life could have been better. I didn’t like the webcam though. Well worth paying Rs 67,990 For the Asus VivoBook Flip 14, if you want a hybrid laptop to just consume content, do school assignments, and make presentations. I think the VivoBook Flip 14 works well as an everyday computer.