Asus Zenbook UX31 review

Is this the first real PC alternative to the MacBook Air?

Asus Zenbook UX31 review
Our in-depth Asus Zenbook UX31 review

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Power in spades Instant resume Long battery life Fast SSD Excellent sound

Cons

  • -

    Poor viewing angle Nasty trackpad buttons Derivative design No backlit keyboard

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The Asus Zenbook UX31 is one of the first laptops to conform to Intel's Ultrabook specification.

And, right away, we'll tell you - it stands toe-to-toe with Apple's MacBook Air in the fight for the title of best luxury ultraportable.

You can check out our video look at the Zenbook in our special video report:

More competition is to come, however, in the form of the Lenovo IdeaPad U300 S, Acer Aspire S3 and, potentially, others from the likes of HP and Dell.

Back to the present though and Asus has done a terrific job with the Zenbook's design - even if you have to acknowledge that the designer took more than a sneaky glance at Apple's ultraportable first.

The 13-inch Zenbook is fantastic to look at. When closed, the wedge-shaped laptop measures 17mm at its thickest point and a mere 3mm at its thinnest.

Asus zenbook ux31

The aluminium silver lid boasts a distinctive concentric circle design that catches and reflects the surrounding light. Befitting the name, the Zenbook's simple, sleek finish gives it a premium look that keeps getting better as soon as you lift the lid.

The design ethic is in evidence earlier than that, though - it's a lovely experience as you open the box while Asus has also included a mini Display Port to D-Sub adapter and a USB to Ethernet lead as well. Both are housed in their own little pouch. Better still, you even get a bespoke sleeve for your Zenbook in the box.

The same thinking even stretches to the Intel Core and Windows 7 stickers. We wonder who it was that proposed they were silver and black - Intel? Asus? - but whoever did has made a difference.

Latest in Windows Laptops
The Microsoft Surface Laptop on a blue background with text saying Lowest price next to it.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop is our best-rated model and right now it's close to half price with this massive $700 discount
Dell XPS 13 Laptop in graphite on yellow background with big savings sign
Save $400 on the top-rated Dell XPS 13 - one of the best laptops money can buy
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro on a blue background next to text saying Don't Miss.
This half-price Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is easily the best Presidents' Day laptop deal
Microsoft Surface Pro on a blue background
Best Buy has a huge $350 discount on this excellent high-end Surface Pro bundle
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15IRU9 angled with coffee
I tested the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15IRU9 and found a no-frills laptop at a decent price
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid open
I tried the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid and found it very unique - and very expensive
Latest in Reviews
Zorin OS 17 main image
I tried the latest version of Zorin OS - here's what I thought of this Linux distro
WatchGuard Firebox T45-CW main image
I tried the WatchGuard Firebox - here's what I thought of this 5G appliance
Ubuntu Desktop 23.10 main image
I tested the latest Ubuntu Desktop release - read what I thought of this popular Linux distro
Rocky Linux 9.3 main image
I tried the latest version of Rocky Linux - read how it compares to other distros
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Reskube Home Pro main image
I tried the Reskube Home Pro - see what I thought of this connectivity device for SMBs