ASUS Quietly Hikes Zenbook Prices After Reviews Go Live

A post-review price adjustment on several Zenbook models has sparked debate about Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite ecosystem and the future of Windows on ARM.

ASUS has increased the prices of several Zenbook laptop models after initial reviews were published, drawing attention from the technology community and sparking wider discussion about the adoption and ecosystem of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite processor. The Zenbook A16, featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite, saw a $100 price increase, while other models experienced more substantial hikes.

Price Adjustments

ASUS raised the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on a range of Zenbook laptops. The changes were documented by technology reviewers, including Hardware Canucks, after their evaluations were published.

Hardware Canucks stated that its review of the Zenbook A16 was based on the laptop's original $1,599.99 price.

The source of these price adjustments has not been officially confirmed.

Zenbook A16 Specifications and Performance

The ASUS Zenbook A16 is a 16-inch Windows laptop. Its key specifications include:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-94-100)
• Memory: 48GB RAM
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 16-inch, 2880 x 1800 / 120Hz OLED touchscreen, up to 1,100 nits peak brightness (HDR)
• Weight: 2.87 pounds (1.3 kg) for Windows 11 Home; 2.65 pounds (1.2 kg) for Windows 11 Pro
• Ports: 2x USB 4 (Type-C), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), HDMI 2.1, SD 4.0 card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack
• Battery: 70Wh

Initial testing indicated the A16 demonstrates strong multi-threaded CPU performance, performing competitively with the 15-inch M5 MacBook Air in some tests but generally trailing in single-core performance. The laptop provided a smooth experience for editing 50-megapixel RAW files.

The primary limitation noted is gaming support, which is consistent with other Arm-based Windows laptops. While Qualcomm has increased the number of supported titles to 2,400, this remains less than x86 Windows.

Market Discussion on Snapdragon X2 Elite Adoption

A separate discussion on the social media platform Reddit, reported by Wccftech, raised concerns regarding the broader adoption of the Snapdragon X2 Elite chipset and the Windows on ARM platform.

Reported Concerns

• Reddit user Large_Bear_6962 stated that OEMs using the Snapdragon X2 Elite are prioritizing short-term gains over collaborative efforts to expand the software ecosystem.
• The user stated that pricing laptops as premium products creates a barrier to entry, limiting user adoption and potentially discouraging developer investment in the architecture.
• The Reddit user noted that despite the technical potential of the Windows on ARM platform, a lack of adoption could lead developers to invest elsewhere.

Additional Perspectives

• Other participants in the discussion attributed some responsibility to Qualcomm.
• Some stated Qualcomm charges high premiums for its chipsets and, as the sole supplier for Windows on ARM notebooks, does not subsidize prices to compete with alternatives.
• Qualcomm was also described as not actively pushing partners to release timely software updates, which some linked to bugs and user experience issues.

The discussion noted that some Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme notebooks are priced comparably to Apple's M5 and M5 Pro MacBooks.