Asus ZenBook UX330UA review: The Windows equivalent of the MacBook Air

Display

However, it’s easy to forgive the UX330UA’s minor performance flaws when it has such a gorgeous, ultra-high resolution screen. With sRGB colour gamut coverage of 90.2%, it’s a pretty remarkable 13.3in 3,200 x 1,800-resolution display, even if its matte finish does somewhat dull the overall vibrancy of the colours.

However, a matte finish is much more practical for use outside or under bright fluorescent office lights, and its high peak brightness of 304cd/m2 also provides plenty of flexibility when it comes to working in harsh lighting conditions.

It’s certainly more impressive than the MacBook Air’s 1,440 x 900 panel, and I also prefer it to the display of the Dell XPS 13, which has a higher sRGB coverage but also comes hampered with Dell’s rather irritating automatic dynamic contrast adjustment.

Keyboard and touchpad

Since the UX330UA is a 13.3in device, the keyboard can feel a little cramped at times, but Asus has made good use of the available space. Its low-profile, island-style keys don’t have a lot of travel, but they still feel wonderfully firm and comfortable over lengthy typing sessions. There are also three levels of backlight brightness available. Just don’t expect to use the arrow keys very often, as they’re so ridiculously small that it’s nigh on impossible to press a single key at speed without marksman levels of precision.

Thankfully, the large, smooth touchpad is wonderfully responsive, with reactions to inputs never lagging behind. I was also able to perform Windows 10 multi-touch gestures without any hassle.

Ports and connections

Asus includes a decent selection of ports on the UX330UA, with two USB 3 ports and one USB 3.1 Type-C. There’s also a micro-HDMI port for hooking up the laptop to an external display, an SD card reader and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Verdict

At £900, the Asus ZenBook UX330UA isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s a well-rounded device that’s perfect for use on the go. It’s one of the best Windows 10 alternatives to Apple’s MacBook Air, and it has the display, speed and build quality to go head-to-head with Dell’s XPS 13 as well.  

The UX330UA is also around £50 cheaper than the equivalent Dell specification, making it better value if you’re looking to save a bit of money. For me, the XPS 13’s longer-lasting battery makes it worth the extra investment, but Asus has still done a fantastic job with the ZenBook UX330UA, and it rightly wins a Recommended award.

Buy the Asus ZenBook UX330UA now from PC World