Features

Zenbook S13 OLED vs Macbook Air M1

Which one has a better design for user experience?

Published

September 19, 2022

MJ Jucutan

Sleek. Understated. Incredibly lightweight.

The Zenbook S13 OLED takes the helm for ASUS’ contender when it comes to thin, stylish laptops. With its top-of-the-line specs, premium appeal, and price point — it clashes with one of the best value laptops in the market.

Taking on the Apple Macbook Air M1, the Zenbook S13 OLED positions itself as a daily driver to consider. A machine to accompany you in your everyday tasks and then some.

A thin and stylish top-of-the-line laptop

The Zenbook S13 OLED aims to capture Apple’s demographics for the Air M1: People who want to do a bit of everything while on the go.

From students that are back-and-forth to their unis to young professionals who are looking for a device that handles their everyday needs. Both machines aren’t aimed toward staunch tinkerers or incidental gamers who need demanding hardware to keep up with their activities.

Nevertheless, both machines are capable of handling everyday tasks. They’re able to multitask and perform light to moderate usage of creative software for photography, video editing, and illustration. How so?

The Zenbook S13 OLED uses up to an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor with a 512GB SSD and an option for 8GB or 16GB RAM. For an average user, the computing power provides a smooth, seamless experience.

Against the Air’s madness

Apple uses the M1 chip for the Air M1, which houses an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU. It’s insanely powerful that even with a thin design (without a fan), I was able to mass-edit photos on Lightroom, handle complex designs on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and even edit short videos for my Reels.

In fact, the Macbook Air M1 has been my daily driver for almost two years. It’s one of the best-value laptops in the market, even with the presence of the Macbook Air M2.

Switching to the Zenbook S13 OLED for a month gave me the opportunity to experience what it’s like to use a Windows laptop again, check how it fares against my current daily driver, and see how far ASUS has come.

Comparison

I’ll be upfront right away. From an Apple user’s perspective, the Zenbook S13 OLED is pretty much on par with the Air M1 when handling everyday tasks.

Streaming your favorite tunes while multitasking between 20 tabs is a total breeze.

It’s as if I was using expensive Windows machines like the higher-end Yoga and Dell XPS 13. But comparing the Zenbook S13 OLED against the Macbook Air M1 will entail a lengthy discussion.

It has different operating systems, uses different chipsets and hardware, and of course, different ecosystems. Sometimes, it boils down to user preference. What are we familiar with? What do we enjoy using?

In terms of raw power, since they’re pretty much the same, we listed down parameters that can be a factor in having a pleasant experience on a daily driver.

But if you want a full rundown of benchmarks for the Zenbook S13 OLED, GadgetMatch’s good friend Tom the TechChap spectacularly presented it in his video.

Display

The S13 prides itself on an HDR-certified OLED display. While it’s the same 13.3-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio as the Macbook Air M1, the S13 outperforms Apple’s notebook with its 2.8K resolution and vivid display.

It’s worth noting that the Air M1 uses a Liquid Retina display, which still uses IPS technology. Watching on the S13 is obviously magnificent. Like other OLED panels, the colors are vivid; the blacks are deep; the contrast is sharp; the overall picture quality is breathtaking.

When you pair it with its Dolby Atmos speakers, any video content is easily pleasurable to feast your eyes and ears on.

But if you take on creative tasks, the Macbook Air M1 presents better colors. As a designer, it’s important to work on a canvas that accurately displays colors — which will be perceived differently depending on the screen or panel you’re watching on.

Working on a device with a vibrant panel makes it difficult to manage expectations for your creative outputs.

I’ve used Windows laptops that used to parade their vibrant displays before, and it was difficult to rely on my eyes for the quality. I had to be rigid by closely relying on exact hex codes for accuracy.

But, that’s only for creative professionals who need to deal with color accuracy. For younger professionals who need to prepare reports, presentations, and documents — a vibrant display like the S13 is ideal for acing your pitch.

I used to be a gung-ho artist in an advertising agency. Trust me, clients react positively when the colors pop. Having lively and vivacious material presented on your screen will always appease your client’s senses.

Design

The Zenbook S13 OLED and the Macbook Air M1 look stylish at a glance. With iconic symbols etched on their minimalist lid, both devices exude a premium vibe.

The key differences will be felt when you touch and hold it. The Air M1 has a smooth exterior while the S13 is slightly textured. In terms of aesthetics, the Air M1 gives a delicate air (pun intended).

Even when you carry it, the Air M1 weighs a tad heavier (1.24kg) than the S13 (1kg). While the magnesium-aluminum material used in the S13 made it lightweight, it somehow made it feel cheaper.

Although, I really enjoyed carrying the laptop wherever I work. Plus, it’s easy to slip in totes and bags. You’ll barely feel its weight on your shoulders.

Aside from being incredibly lightweight, the S13 measures 14.9mm thin as compared to the Air M1 at 16.1mm. It just so happens that the Air M1 has a wedge-like design, giving a thinner impression.

Keyboard

Typing on the S13 is as smooth as the Air M1. The most noticeable difference would be the ErgoSense design that makes it slightly elevated for a better typing feel.

And of course, the sound it produces — it’s more clickety and annoying to my liking. Some people would prefer the sounds of their keys clicking, but definitely not me.

Since Apple ditched the butterfly mechanism for its keyboards, the Air M1 now uses a scissors mechanism that allows it to have a stable key feel. It’s quieter.

And with 1mm of key travel, it can handle keyboard warriors’ insane typing speed without the annoying sound of pressing keys.

To put it simply, both keyboards perform exceptionally. It will still boil down to user preference. Which one do you like? A softer feel, or the sound of clicking keys that make you feel you’re productive and accomplishing something?

Touchpad

Personally, I prefer the Air M1’s trackpad. Even my old MacBook gives me a smooth-track experience. Forget mouse and/or pen tablets, I can use the pen tool on Photoshop with just the trackpad alone.

I can’t say the same for the S13. When it comes to Windows laptops, it’s still Dell’s XPS line that has the best trackpad that can be on par with the MacBooks.

But for what it’s worth, the S13 gives a decent track feel for its touchpad. With a soft press on the icon found on the upper right, it will activate ASUS’s proprietary NumberPad.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the NumberPad, it’s an LED-illuminated numeric keypad that makes it easy to compute numbers on your excel sheets.

It’s intelligent enough that you can still use the touchpad for cursor control even if you have the NumberPad activated. Switching it can be fairly quick: just press the icon softly again.

Battery

Onto the most important part: your machine’s everyday life. We all know how annoying it is to have your laptop die on you when you have an urgent task and you’re outdoors.

Just imagine being in a cafe without any sockets on. It should be a crime, ‘no?

But changing policies will take time, as you have to call out your lawmakers for that. Thankfully, laptops nowadays carry more power even with a slim figure.

Depending on your usage, both the Air M1 and S13 OLED can last you more than your 8-hour shift.

Although, the Air M1 is more energy-efficient despite consistently running software like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. But charging it isn’t as quick as you wanted it to be — even with a dedicated fast charger.

On the other hand, the Zenbook S13 OLED lasts about nine to 11 hours with average use. What I like about the S13 is the option to choose different modes that adjust to your usage and preference.

You can opt for Performance Mode which results in shorter battery life or even Battery Saver which makes your machine more efficient but without feeling like you’re losing speed and power.

But regardless of what you choose to do with it, the S13 will last you a good long while. Plus, it comes with a 65W USB PD charger so you can fill up your juice quickly.

Connectivity

The Zenbook S13 OLED is starting to look like a MacBook when it comes to port selection.

On the left, the Air M1 sports two USB-C ports while there’s only one on the S13.

Meanwhile, the right side has two more USB-C ports and a headphone jack for the S13 as compared to the Air M1 which only has an audio jack.

Having one more USB-C port on the S13 gives it a bit of an edge against the Air M1. The only problem here is both laptops will require the user to use more dongles for other ports needed.

What’s there to like about the Zenbook S13 OLED?

I’ve been a fan of Zenbook laptops, even before I switched to Macbook, and I’ve closely followed them throughout the years. Frankly, it’s incredible to see how far they’ve come.

That said, there are a few things that I like about the Zenbook S13 OLED that I can’t find in my Macbook Air M1 — and even in its successor, the Air M2.

First is the sleek polish and undertone. ASUS has a knack for making things look and feel premium even if they don’t use extravagant materials. They strike the balance between elegance and price.

Next is the ability to lay the screen flat, which makes it easy to present stuff rather than moving the laptop to face your colleagues or clients while on a table.

Not that I’m lazy, but when you’re presented with an easier option, you’re supposed to pick that one, right?

It also has AI Noise Cancellation and real-time webcam optimization that makes client calls and video meetings clear and concise.

There’s also a feature I really like — the ASUS Antibacterial Guard.

It’s a surface treatment that inhibits the growth of bacteria by more than 99% over a 24-hour period. Simply put, the S13 helps keep surfaces clean and sanitary, in addition to repelling smudges and dirt.

I just like a hygienic laptop.

Lastly, the overall experience gave me a Macbook-like speed and performance but on a Windows machine and at a price point that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Maybe, just an arm.

I’ve used Dell’s XPS and Lenovo’s high-end Yoga lineup and they’re pretty much on par with the Macbook experience, but they do cost a lot. The retail price is actually higher than my daily driver’s.

To be able to balance everything — power, design, battery, panel, and price — makes the Zenbook S13 OLED an attractive machine that’s worth your attention.

Which one is your GadgetMatch?

Between the Zenbook S13 OLED and the Macbook Air M1, it is difficult to decide which is better as both machines have advantages over the other; however, the user experience is still quite different.

The Zenbook S13 OLED is ideal for young professionals crunching numbers on their excel sheets, and working remotely and/or on the go to discuss business and manage client relations.

It’s an exemplary companion for those trying to live the fly, corporate life, or the freelancers who juggle 6-8 clients every day to make that six-digit figure.

It has the right balance for everything a young professional might need.

The Air M1, on the other hand, suits professionals who do a bit of creative work, content creators who don’t require heavy computing power, students in college or graduate school, or people who need to balance work and school.

Regardless of the machine you choose, you can never go wrong with Zenbook or Macbook. Just make sure to pick one that matches your lifestyle, personality, and needs. And of course, if it’s within your budget.

Price and availability: ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED

The price points for the ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED vary between variants, colors, and specs. Here’s how much they cost in the Philippines:

Variant	Color	Specs	SRP
UM5302TA-LV464WS	Ponder Blue	13″ 2.8K 16:10 OLED / AMD Ryzen 5 6600U / 8GB LPDDR5 / 512GB PCIE4 SSD / AMD Radeon Graphics / Windows 11 Home with Office Home & Student 2021	PHP 63,995
UM5302TA-LV532WS	Aqua Celadon
UM5302TA-LV539WS	Refined White
UM5302TA-LV540WS	Vestige Beige
UM5302TA-LV484WS	Aqua Celadon	13″ 2.8K 16:10 OLED / AMD Ryzen 7 6800U/ 16GB LPDDR5 / 512GB PCIE4 SSD / AMD Radeon Graphics / Windows 11 Home with Office Home & Student 2021	PHP 76,995

From September 15 to October 31, 2022, purchases of Zenbook S13 OLED laptops lead to a raffle entry. Get a chance to win a limited edition Zarah Juan Zen Tote worth PhP 8,500.

The ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED will also be available in Home Credit partner stores nationwide for PhP 4,533.00 per month with 0% interest and up to 12 months of flexible payment terms.

Accessories

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: From a videographer’s perspective

Better tracking, fewer buttons

Published

August 4, 2026

Deric Claveria

DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.

The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.

Freedom behind the lens

The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.

On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.

FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.

ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.

It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.

None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.

And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.

The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.

The trade-offs in touch

The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.

DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.

You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.

Finding your ideal workflow

The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.

If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.

Price, availability

DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.

Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.

Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.

If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.

Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.

Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.

And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.

Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.

Features

GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey

A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

Published

August 4, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.

It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.

Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.

While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.

All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.

Features

The Death of BMI: Why the world’s most popular health metric is lying to you

Muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat tell you more about your health than BMI ever could, and your watch can finally measure them.

Published

August 3, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Step on a scale at a doctor’s office and your health usually gets summed up in one number. Weight divided by height squared. That’s your BMI, and it’s been the default health metric for almost 200 years.

It was never built for that job. BMI was invented in the 1830s as a statistical shortcut for studying populations, not for telling an individual person anything meaningful about their body. It can’t tell the difference between a muscular athlete and someone who’s out of shape but happens to weigh the same. It ignores bone density, body water, and where fat actually sits in the body, which matters more than most people realize.

The metrics that actually matter are the ones BMI was never designed to catch: how much of your body is muscle, how much is fat, and where that fat is sitting.

The muscle question BMI can’t answer

Skeletal muscle is the body’s metabolic engine. It’s what keeps your resting metabolic rate up, what protects your joints, and what determines how well you move as you get older. Losing it quietly, without knowing, is one of the bigger blind spots in how people track their own health.

Fat isn’t one thing either. Subcutaneous fat, the kind just under the skin, carries far less risk than visceral fat, which wraps around internal organs and is directly linked to cardiovascular problems. A person can lose weight and still be carrying dangerous levels of visceral fat. BMI has no way of showing that.

This is also why short-term weight drops can be misleading. A lot of what shows up on the scale in the first week or two of any diet is water loss, not real change in body composition. The number moves, but it doesn’t mean much yet.

Why this is showing up in headlines right now?

Part of why this conversation is happening now, rather than five years ago, comes down to the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound.

GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a natural gut hormone that signals fullness to the brain. These medications mimic it, slowing digestion and dulling appetite, which lets people eat significantly less and lose weight fast.

That speed is exactly what exposed the problem. Rapid weight loss burns fat and muscle together, not just fat. Lose 20 pounds on a GLP-1 drug, and both the scale and a BMI calculator will call it a clean win.

If a meaningful chunk of that was skeletal muscle, metabolic rate drops, joint support weakens, and the risk of physical frailty goes up, none of which shows up in that one number.

Dr. Hon Pak, Head of Digital Health Globally at Samsung Electronics, has pointed out that with GLP-1 therapies in the picture, raw weight lost can’t be the metric that defines success anymore. The focus has to shift to what kind of weight is being lost.

Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFit, has made a similar point: BMI stuck around because it’s easy to calculate from just height and weight, not because it’s the right thing to track. Muscle mass and body fat percentage matter far more, they’ve just historically been hard to measure outside a lab.

What your watch can measure now

Getting real numbers on muscle mass and visceral fat used to mean an expensive clinical scan. That’s the part that’s changed.

Samsung has built Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis sensors into the Galaxy Watch, sending a low-level microcurrent through the body to estimate skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, body water, and basal metabolic rate, all from your wrist.

For anyone losing weight, whether through a GLP-1 medication or a more traditional route, that gives real visibility into whether the weight coming off is fat or muscle.

It’s the kind of feedback that lets someone actually adjust, adding resistance training or upping protein intake, instead of finding out the hard way months later.

Samsung pairs this with Samsung Food, which uses AI to look at what’s actually in someone’s kitchen and suggest protein-forward meals that support muscle retention.

Karthik Poriya, Head of Product at Samsung Food, has noted that people tend to fixate on small day-to-day food decisions when what actually moves the needle is the trend over weeks and months. AI is what makes it possible to zoom out and see that trend instead of getting lost in it.

Combine body composition data with sleep tracking, activity monitoring, and a broader Energy Score, and the whole framework shifts. It’s no longer about getting lighter.

It’s about getting stronger, protecting muscle, and extending healthspan rather than chasing a number that was never built to measure any of that in the first place.