Hands-On

ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 UX482: Your next-level productivity companion

ASUS reinvents how we get things done

Published

March 23, 2021

Andre Ibarle

ASUS is known to be one that makes bold moves when it comes to introducing features to their devices. As the search for incredible continues, ASUS pushes our multitasking boundaries further than we normally would with the ZenBook Duo line.

Productivity is the name of the game and ASUS again reinvents how we get things done and truly brings into play our cognitive functions with the new ZenBook Duo 14 UX482.

Dual display

Like the others in the ZenBook Duo line, the UX482 sports two displays. Boasting the new and improved secondary display, the ScreenPad Plus. This 12.6-inch screen now has 400 nits of brightness and a feature-packed user interface. Smartphone-like is how the interface is best described and has drastically minimized the learning curve of its usability.

Among the many notable features of the ScreenPad Plus software are the Windows Flick, View Max, Task Swap and the ASUS Control Panel.

Windows Flick sends windows onto the other screen with a simple drag and flick for a faster multitasking experience.

View Max lets users maximize both displays simulating one large display for a more seamless single task view across both displays. Task Swap is a button that instantly swaps windows from the ScreenPad Plus onto the main display area and vice versa.

There’s also the Keyboard Lock that lets you lock the keyboard to avoid accidental presses for drawing since both displays are compatible with the ASUS stylus pen.

And as for my favorite, the ASUS Control Panel. The ScreenPad Plus has software integration with programs such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects. With this enabled, the ScreenPad Plus shifts into a fully customizable control panel with touch based toggles, knobs and sliders. This gives users easy access to settings like exposure, adjusting brush sizes, and other aspects inside your creative software. A neat feature that really eases up the creative workflow.

Main display, more than just eye candy

For the main display, we have a 14-inch full HD IPS panel also with 400 nits of brightness, rated 100% sRGB color gamut and has Pantone validation certification. If you’ve tried doing photo and video work on inaccurate display monitors, you’ll know that matching colors across different devices is just daunting. Pantone validation simply means industry grade color accuracy meaning these displays are designed to get real work done and not just fancy multitasking.

Superhero performance

Expect to breeze through your tasks with the Duo UX482 as it is powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. No, great power doesn’t come with great responsibilities this time as the UX482 uses the ultra-low power variant of Intel chips. Low power equates to longer battery life and a much cooler thermal operation. There is also the option between an Nvidia GeForce MX450 or the integrated Intel Iris XE for its graphics processor.

ErgoLift hinge

The ErgoLift hinge by ASUS Design as the name suggests, lifts the bottom half of the device as the lid is pushed farther back. This adds a slight angle for a more comfortable typing experience. Two “arms” also pop up below the ScreenPad Plus adding a little bit more angle to the already angled bottom half for an easier view of the second display.

This lift also gives the device room for ventilation at both its bottom and upper part and also adds resonance to the sound coming from its speakers making the Harman Kardon driver sound fuller.

Talk about genius design engineering. A simple design improvement from the standard laptop but one that brings so much impact on different aspects of the device.

Keep calm, battery life goes on

Up to 17 hours of battery life is claimed on the ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 and that’s with the ScreenPad Plus and some hardware powered down. That’s probably more than enough for a day at a coffee shop. If by any chance that it isn’t, you can easily charge the UX482 via USB-C as its Easy charge feature makes it compatible with a USB-C smartphone charger or a power bank.

Shockingly compact

Even thinner than its predecessor, the UX482 measures 16.9mm thin and weighs only 1.6kg. A shockingly compact little device considering you get two screens in a very small footprint.

Tough quality

US Military Grade MIL-STD-810H. So I dug into some research to understand what this really meant. I was surprised to know that this design had undergone a series of compliance tests that simulates various environments of which the device could possibly be exposed to and having this certification simply means it is tough. The build quality speaks for itself on this one as it feels very solid to hold with its mostly metal construction.

Is the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 your GadgetMatch?

The secondary display is no gimmick. It really adds another dimension to productivity and ASUS has made sure that the experience is made easier for us to grasp.

A fabulous main display, an even more stellar secondary display, steadfast performance, rock solid build quality and a brilliant design.

Hats off to ASUS for genuinely trying to innovate on what had seemed to be a stagnant competition between brands and giving us a slice of the future with the ZenBook Duo.

The ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 is undeniably a main laptop type of device and is easily my favorite ZenBook so far.

More details on the ASUS ZenBook Duo 14 UX482 here.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and ASUS Philippines.

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

@manilaconnoisseur

Naka 99 pesos pala ‘yung large Golden Milk Tea ni @highlandscoffeeph until February 28! Oolong base, cream, and okay pala ang chickpeas as sinker along with red jelly. #highlandscoffee #goldenmilktea #oolongmilktea #freeupsize

♬ Kìa Bóng Dáng Ai – Pháo

@manilaconnoisseur

Laging sold out ‘yung fun run? Try The Conqueror Virtual Challenges. Stay motivated in your running era, make every run count, and get cool medals after every completed challenge. You can even get a free run or discounted bundles! @theconquerorchallenges #virtualrun #funrun #runningera #staymotivated

♬ original sound – Manila Connoisseur – Manila Connoisseur

But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

View this post on Instagram

The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

oplus_16

The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.