Key Takeaways
- Asus announced pricing for its Zenbook Sora 14 and Sora 16 laptops featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip, set to release in Japan and globally as Zenbook A14 and A16 models.
- The Zenbook A16 has a 16-inch 3K OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a lightweight Ceraluminium body, weighing 1.2 kg (2.65 pounds) and measuring between 1.38 to 1.65 cm in thickness.
- It is powered by an 18-core ARM-based Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme SoC with up to 48 GB of LPDDR5X-9523 shared memory, and offers various connectivity options, including HDMI 2.1 and USB 4 ports.
- The Zenbook Sora 14's performance is expected to be between an Apple M5 and M4 Pro, with unclear specifications regarding its core count.
- The Zenbook Sora 16 starts at 339,800 Yen ($2,170) and the Sora 14 at 259,800 Yen ($1,661), both set to launch next month, with a global release anticipated but timelines not confirmed.
Asus has made an announcement regarding the pricing for its initial laptop featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip, which are the Zenbook Sora 14 and Sora 16 models in Japan. These laptops are expected to be released worldwide under the names Zenbook A14 and A16, and they were first introduced at CES 2026.
Display and Design
The Zenbook A16 will come with a 16-inch 3K OLED screen that boasts a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is also true for the Sora 16. Its Ceraluminium body makes for a light design, weighing in at just 1.2 kg or 2.65 pounds. With a thickness ranging from 1.38 to 1.65 cm, the Zenbook Sora 16 or A16 is quite slim as well.
Performance Specifications
The laptop will be driven by an 18-core ARM-based Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme SoC, which will be coupled with up to 48 GB of LPDDR5X-9523 shared memory. Connectivity options include HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and two USB 4 ports, along with an SD 4.0 card slot and an audio combo jack. According to available benchmarks, its performance is expected to be comparable to that of a Core Ultra 9 285HX in synthetic multi-core evaluations.
Pricing and Availability
The smaller Zenbook Sora 14 or A14 laptop, powered by the X2 Elite, is expected to deliver performance that falls somewhere between an Apple M5 (currently priced at $1,449 on Amazon for the MacBook Pro 14") and an Apple M4 Pro, depending on the specific model. However, it is still uncertain whether the Zenbook Sora 14 features the 12-core or 18-core X2 Elite.
Next month, the Asus Zenbook Sora 16 will be available, with a starting price of 339,800 Yen, which is approximately $2,170. The Sora 14, weighing in at a lighter 999 grams or 2.2 pounds, will feature a 1920 x 1200 OLED display and an impressive 33-hour battery life, starting at 259,800 Yen or around $1,661. This model is also set to be released later next month. A global launch is anticipated, but the exact timeline remains unclear at this point.
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