Monday, February 16th 2015
ASUS Announces ZenBook UX305 Ultrabook Starting at $699
ASUS today announced the elegant and powerful ZenBook UX305, which is the world's slimmest 13.3-inch ultraportable laptop at 0.48-inch thin. The UX305 weighs 2.6lbs and features crisp and vibrant in-plane switching (IPS) anti-glare displays. Powered by the all-new Intel Core M processor for seamless multitasking and standard solid state storage, the UX305 is the ultimate ultraportable laptop for discerning users. Up to 10 hours of battery life gives users true all-day computing.
A wedge-shaped design crafted from solid aluminum and enhanced with diamond-cut highlights gives the ZenBook UX305 a sleek look while a new obsidian stone color finishes the elegant design. The award winning ZenBook UX305 is the recipient of a 2014 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) and also included in the Good Design Best 100 list, which is a selection of products receiving special recognition from the jury of industry experts for their exceptional and forward-looking designs.
The ZenBook UX305 also recently received the prestigious 2015 iF Design Award, an award globally recognized as a seal of quality for products that excel in specific criteria including design quality, degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics and more. An independent jury of 50 experts from all around the world assesses products and selects the most notable ones as the winner.
Super-slim elegance with gorgeous new color
A refined new shape that incorporates the DNA of the classic ZenBook gives the UX305 a subtle new wedge design with elegantly-tapered and smooth diamond-cut edges that emphasize the sleek ultra-thin chassis. The full-size ergonomic keyboard features an improved layout for comfortable and accurate typing coupled with a large responsive touchpad that supports Smart Gestures for precise control of Windows 8.1.
Continuing the long-established ZenBook tradition of combining performance with luxury, the gorgeous UX305 ultraportable, which weighs only 2.6lbs, is available in a sophisticated new Obsidian Stone color with ZenBook's signature spun-metal finish with its Zen-inspired concentric circle pattern.
Powerful productivity with all-day battery life and full connectivity
The ZenBook UX305 is powered by the all-new Intel Core M processor, a remarkably power-efficient processor that effortlessly delivers smooth performance for any task. Combined with 8GB of RAM and an ultra-fast 256GB SSD, the UX305 delivers impressive all-around performance. The screaming-fast SATA 6.0Gb/s SSD - which is up to six times faster than a traditional hard disk drive - tears through file-intensive office productivity tasks with ease. Applications instantly load while boot time is significantly reduced on the ZenBook UX305.
The advanced ASUS thermal management design removes the need for cooling fans to make the UX305 fast yet completely silent while remaining cool at all times. ASUS IceCool technology ensures the palm-rest area remains below body temperature at all times for maximum user comfort.
A lithium-polymer battery and power-efficient components makes the UX305 perfect for busy on-the-go professionals with up to 10 hours of battery life.
Despite its slim design, the UX305 offers full connectivity options with three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, offering data transfers that are up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. One of the USB 3.0 ports supports ASUS Charger+ technology for rapid recharging of mobile devices. A USB Ethernet adapter is bundled with the UX305 for simple wired network connectivity when wireless is unavailable.
Stunningly displays
The stunning ZenBook UX305 features two 13.3-inch in-plane switching (IPS) display options for wide viewing angles, including a matte Full HD (1920x1080) that provides amazing images and an optional QHD+ (3200x1800) multi-touch display for extremely sharp visuals. QHD+ offers five times the resolution of standard HD displays for an extraordinary pixel density of 275ppi for crisp, vivid and life-like images and video.
Incredible Sound
Incredible sound has always been a highlight of the ZenBook family and the UX305 is no exception. ASUS SonicMaster audio with ICEpower technology from Bang & Olufsen produces deep bass, rich mids and crystal-clear highs. The easy-to-use AudioWizard software has five presets optimized for different audio sources to always enjoy the ultimate listening experience.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
ASUS ZenBook UX305 (Model: UX305FA-ASM1) with matte Full HD display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD is available immediately in the US at MSRP $699. The UX305 with QHD+ display will be available at a later date. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.
A wedge-shaped design crafted from solid aluminum and enhanced with diamond-cut highlights gives the ZenBook UX305 a sleek look while a new obsidian stone color finishes the elegant design. The award winning ZenBook UX305 is the recipient of a 2014 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) and also included in the Good Design Best 100 list, which is a selection of products receiving special recognition from the jury of industry experts for their exceptional and forward-looking designs.
Super-slim elegance with gorgeous new color
A refined new shape that incorporates the DNA of the classic ZenBook gives the UX305 a subtle new wedge design with elegantly-tapered and smooth diamond-cut edges that emphasize the sleek ultra-thin chassis. The full-size ergonomic keyboard features an improved layout for comfortable and accurate typing coupled with a large responsive touchpad that supports Smart Gestures for precise control of Windows 8.1.
Continuing the long-established ZenBook tradition of combining performance with luxury, the gorgeous UX305 ultraportable, which weighs only 2.6lbs, is available in a sophisticated new Obsidian Stone color with ZenBook's signature spun-metal finish with its Zen-inspired concentric circle pattern.
Powerful productivity with all-day battery life and full connectivity
The ZenBook UX305 is powered by the all-new Intel Core M processor, a remarkably power-efficient processor that effortlessly delivers smooth performance for any task. Combined with 8GB of RAM and an ultra-fast 256GB SSD, the UX305 delivers impressive all-around performance. The screaming-fast SATA 6.0Gb/s SSD - which is up to six times faster than a traditional hard disk drive - tears through file-intensive office productivity tasks with ease. Applications instantly load while boot time is significantly reduced on the ZenBook UX305.
The advanced ASUS thermal management design removes the need for cooling fans to make the UX305 fast yet completely silent while remaining cool at all times. ASUS IceCool technology ensures the palm-rest area remains below body temperature at all times for maximum user comfort.
A lithium-polymer battery and power-efficient components makes the UX305 perfect for busy on-the-go professionals with up to 10 hours of battery life.
Despite its slim design, the UX305 offers full connectivity options with three SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, offering data transfers that are up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. One of the USB 3.0 ports supports ASUS Charger+ technology for rapid recharging of mobile devices. A USB Ethernet adapter is bundled with the UX305 for simple wired network connectivity when wireless is unavailable.
Stunningly displays
The stunning ZenBook UX305 features two 13.3-inch in-plane switching (IPS) display options for wide viewing angles, including a matte Full HD (1920x1080) that provides amazing images and an optional QHD+ (3200x1800) multi-touch display for extremely sharp visuals. QHD+ offers five times the resolution of standard HD displays for an extraordinary pixel density of 275ppi for crisp, vivid and life-like images and video.
Incredible Sound
Incredible sound has always been a highlight of the ZenBook family and the UX305 is no exception. ASUS SonicMaster audio with ICEpower technology from Bang & Olufsen produces deep bass, rich mids and crystal-clear highs. The easy-to-use AudioWizard software has five presets optimized for different audio sources to always enjoy the ultimate listening experience.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
ASUS ZenBook UX305 (Model: UX305FA-ASM1) with matte Full HD display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD is available immediately in the US at MSRP $699. The UX305 with QHD+ display will be available at a later date. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.
22 Comments on ASUS Announces ZenBook UX305 Ultrabook Starting at $699
Intel® Core™ M-5Y10c Processor
(4M Cache, up to 2.00 GHz)
HD Graphics 5300
Possibly up to
Intel® Core™ M-5Y71 Processor
(4M Cache, up to 2.90 GHz)
It is possible though depending on existing stock levels.
I also highly doubt it will have anything but an intel gpu built into the cpu die.
I'd also like to see substantial cooling on the Core M to enable sustained boost clocks when the extra power is needed, and silent operation when it's not. Is this too much to ask?
Give me a reason to replace my circa 2009 ASUS UL30VT. The factory overclocked C2D SU7300 CPU was brilliant. Switchable graphics was a plus. I still get more than 12 hours of battery life on it. The kicker? Sustained load single threaded performance is in Core M territory. All we get now is "thin".
:(
Completely agree on the cooling front though. I want to be able to not have to worry about throttling, so a switchable active cooling solution would be nice. My only experience with a fanless design is with the Dell Venue 8 Pro's BayTrail SoC, and heat does become a factor.
Right now I need something extremely portable and something like this or even the T300 Chi is what I am looking to buy next.
Notebookcheck.net has a review of the model with a 3200 x 1800 panel. Costs 999 euro. Check it out, for those who are interested.
Personally, I want something that is at least reasonably portable. It sounds like you want a "portable" workstation, they do make those.
I don't want a bulky portable workstation.