Asus Unveils Beast-Level Laptops Coming to South Africa

Asus has revealed a number of new devices at the IFA 2024 tech expo in Berlin, showcasing what the brand will be releasing in the coming months.

Among the reveals are new Zenbook, Vivobook, and ExpertBook laptops, along with a NUC Mini PC, all powered by Intel’s Series 2 Ultra processors.

“Together with Asus, we’re elevating the consumer and commercial product experience. Asus laptops that are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) deliver unmatched performance, extended battery life, extensive security features, and cutting-edge AI capabilities. From productivity to creativity, these products deliver a new standard for user experiences across all sectors,” said Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel’s executive vice president and general manager, of Client Computing Group.

The Zenbook S 14 and Zenbook S 16 stood out as key highlights. These ultra-slim and flawlessly combine advanced technology with elegant design, delivering both exceptional style and efficiency. The new Zenbook S series features a premium chassis made from exclusive Ceraluminum — a high-tech ceramic material available in a range of nature-inspired colours. Asus also showcased the Vivobook S 14, crafted for those who demand extraordinary performance in a sleek and lightweight design, as well as the versatile Vivobook 14 Flip and Vivobook 16 Flip, featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2) in convertible form factor laptops that elevate AI-driven productivity.

• Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)
• Zenbook S 16 (UX5606) – you can find out more about the Zenbook S 16 here.
• Vivobook S 14 (S5406SA)
• Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407)
• Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607)
• ExpertBook P5 (P5405)
  • The series includes the ExpertBook P3 (P3405/P3605) and ExpertBook P1 (P1403/P1503), delivering reliable performance and durability for small businesses and professionals.

All the new Zenbook and Vivobook models will come with the Asus-exclusive StoryCube application, a smart AI-powered digital asset manager leveraging the laptops’ local AI capabilities to streamline creative workflows with features like scene categorisation and clip generation.

Asus also unveiled the ExpertBook P series, which marks a significant advancement in AI PCs for entrepreneurs, prosumers, and small businesses. The flagship next-gen ExpertBook P5 delivers unmatched productivity with cutting-edge AI capabilities, featuring up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processor (Series 2) with up to 48 NPU TOPS. The Asus AI ExpertMeet tools further enhance the experience with advanced features like AI translation, AI subtitles, assisted meeting summaries, AI noise cancelling, and business watermarks. The P series also includes the ExpertBook P3 and ExpertBook P1, offering exceptional reliability, durability, and security for diverse work environments and professional needs.

Additionally, Asus introduced the high-performance Asus NUC 14 Pro AI mini PC, powered by up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor (Series 2). This compact system delivers up to 120 total platform TOPS of performance, making it ideal for commercial use and edge computing applications that demand next-level AI capabilities in a small form factor.

Local Availability

Asus will bring the UX5406 Zenbook S 14 to South Africa, with preorders opening on 5 September and an on-shelf launch on 24 September. It will retail for R35,999. 

Then it will also bring the P5405 range to South Africa, with the Intel Core Ultra 5 variant at R19,999 and the Ultra 7 variant at R25,999. Preorders for these will open on 16 September, and they’ll be on-shelf on 1 October. 

Asus also plans to bring the S5406 to the region later in Q4.