ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 16 OLED

LAPTOP | The laptop remains one of the most versatile tools in one’s tech arsenal. The ability to crack it open and work anywhere the moment something needs doing just can’t be understated. Few manufacturers know the power of the modern laptop like ASUS. They’ve been at this a long time and have always delivered some of the best mobile computing devices in whatever market they put themselves in. Can they continue this trend with the content creator-centric Vivobook Pro 16 OLED (K6602)? We’re lucky enough to get to find out.

DESIGN

ASUS has chosen to equip this model of the Vivobook with a rightly massive 16-inch display, so there’s no getting around the fact that it’s a little on the large side, but it’s thin. 19.9mm is a feat, particularly considering the rest of the hardware they managed to get into such little space.

The lid is a sturdy aluminum alloy made to take a few bumps, letting you take it everywhere. There’s a pair of little raised plates that gives this Vivobook a little more character than your average laptop, and the outside is finished in what ASUS has called “Quiet Blue” that looks more like a fetching deep gray in all but the brightest of light.

Open the lid, and you’re greeted with an appropriately massive touchpad and a large keyboard complete with a separate number pad.

There are details to add visual interest, such as some stripey accents to the “Enter” key, some painted bits atop the function keys, and an orange “Escape” key, just to break up what would otherwise be a monotonous view. They went out of their way to keep things interesting, and I do feel they managed to pull it off without being too cluttered.

HARDWARE

This is where things get interesting. The star of the show is undoubtedly that massive 16-inch Pantone-validated OLED display and its 120Hz refresh rate. It’s the most beautiful screen I have ever had the pleasure of using on a mobile device and it has honestly spoiled me rotten.