Asus, whatever you did with the Zenbook S 13, I want it on my furniture, bookcase, desk, pens, walls, countertops, kitchen backsplash — you name it. Asus held a press event to showcase the Zenbook S 13, and at first glance, it looks like yet another 13-inch laptop.
However, the moment people ran their fingers over it, their eyes widened and a surprised "Ooh!" escaped their lips. Personally, I was obsessed with the notebook's chassis. It felt so good! There's a reason why the Zenbook S 13 is so fun to touch. As it turns out, Asus adorned the Zenbook S 13 with a new material called "Plasma Ceramic Aluminum."
What is Plasma Ceramic Aluminum?
Ever seen that Wolf of Wall Street GIF of Leonardo DiCaprio eliciting an orgasmic "Oh my god" before biting his fist? That's how I felt after touching the Plasma Ceramic Aluminum material on the Asus Zenbook S 13.
"So what, exactly, is Plasma Ceramic Aluminum? " you may be wondering.
Well, for the first time ever, Asus used a special process, exclusive to the company, that uses pure water and electricity (no organic compounds, strong acids, nor heavy materials). In using electricity, the color, shade, porosity, and texture are finely tuned. That being said, each Asus Zenbook S 13 lid is individually unique — no two are like.
"This environmentally low-impact method produces a physical and chemical transformation of the aluminum. This results in increased wear resistance, corrosion, protection, thermal management, hardness, and lifespan," Asus said in a press release.
I know this sounds like eco-friendly mumbo jumbo, but to put it succinctly, Asus came up with a new material-making process that uses electricity to create to make the chassis feel like tactile heaven. When Asus placed the Zenbook S 13 on display, I watched every single person yelp in awe after gripping the 13.3-inch laptop. It feels that good.
I've asked several people who touched the Zenbook S 13 to tell me how they'd describe the chassis' feel, and there's a common thread: it's smooth and rough at the same time.
Its texture feels like a beautifully polished stone: you can still pick up on its grainy, gritty texture, but it's still smooth and refined. I couldn't stop touching it! It's that addicting.
To top it all off, the Zenbook S 13 meets the latest MIL-STD-810H military grade durability standard, passing 12 rigorous test methods and 26 disciplinary test procedures. This means that you can expect your Zenbook to meet your longevity needs. Accidental drops, shocks, extreme temperatures, and other hazardous conditions will not faze the Asus notebook — within reason of course.
The Zenbook S 13 is also very thin! It's only 0.4 inches thick. However, I'd argue that the new 2.2-pound Asus notebook is not as lightweight as you'd expect it to be. It's far from heavy, but it feels quite dense.
For more information on the new Asus laptop, check out our Zenbook S 13 news announcement for a deep dive into specs and more. (You can grab the new Zenbook S 13 for only $1,399 at ABT.)
