The world of notebooks is a lawless wasteland especially if you don’t know what to look for. Though the market offers an endless variety of configurations tailored to your needs, how do you know if you’re paying the best price for a new daily driver? For example, is US$ 999 a good price for a notebook with an Intel Core i9 processor?

Last month, Infinix launched the Zero Book Ultra, a new notebook that isn’t shy about packing some power beneath its lithe frame. As you’ve probably gathered, the laptop sports quite an eyebrow-raising chipset and an attractive price tag. Let’s find out if an impressive spec sheet translates well to a final product.

A familiar but welcome design

At first glance, the Zero Book Ultra’s head will turn heads but not for the reasons a new laptop might have. There’s no beating around the bush for this one. It looks like a MacBook Pro, down to the two speakers at each end of the keyboard.

Separating it from Apple’s fare, the notebook’s back panel has an illuminated Zero logo and a subtle crisscross design spread throughout. Also, right where Apple puts the “MacBook Pro” text, the Zero Book Ultra has an Infinix logo right below the screen.

For heft, the notebook doesn’t have a lot of weight to it. I carried it in my backpack for a day, and it wasn’t a pain at all. It was also pleasant sitting on my lap.

A screen that Apple can be jealous of

The Zero Book Ultra’s similarities with a MacBook go beyond the chassis. As it puts out a barrage of movies, the notebook’s screen reminds me of Apple’s Retina displays. Armed with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display, it can reproduce colors accurately, brightly, and in dazzling fashion, especially with up to 400nits of brightness. Naturally, it’s a step behind Apple; however, for what you’re paying for, it is a remarkable beast.

As an entertainment console, the Zero Book Ultra is a joy to watch movies with. Coupled with how light the entire device is, it’s so easy to whip it out during a flight or in bed to watch a few episodes or a film before landing or going to bed. Also, with a 178-degree viewing angle and capable speakers, it was a treat for watching with others.

Except for time when the sun is directly behind me, the notebook’s display worked well on sunny days. The brightness compensated enough for the shiny screen’s reflections.

Power built for the everyday user

For a lithe laptop, the Zero Book Ultra is deceptively powerful. Armed with an Intel Core i9-12900 and 32GB of RAM, the notebook packs a wallop. It’s not the top of the line, but it’s impressive, nonetheless. It can easily handle everyday use, including a session which simultaneously runs a word processor, Photoshop, and a movie in the background. Except for the switch to battery saver mode, the system barely hiccupped. It also comes with 1TB of SSD storage, a big plus for power users.

However, amid how impressive the processor is, the notebook might not be the best at unlocking the processor’s potential. Instead of a Radeon or a GeForce, it has Intel’s integrated Iris Xe GPU. Naturally, an integrated chip isn’t the best thing to pair with a powerful processor. At the very least, the Iris Xe in in Intel’s upper tier of integrated graphics.

Though you might not be able to play the new Call of Duty at a competitive pace, the combination is enough to play less demanding titles. Games which don’t need as much GPU power, such as Super Animal Royale and Hollow Knight, run well on the laptop without any performance boosters.

If you’re in it for some light gaming, attaching an external keyboard and mouse might help a lot. Though the notebook has a chiclet keyboard inspired by Apple, it isn’t as tactile as I would have hoped. With a 75 percent keyboard, it does take some getting used to, if you’re not familiar with the layout. Plus, while it’s responsive most of the time, the trackpad does skip every now and then, especially during battery saver.

If you want more out of the machine, the notebook comes with an Overboost mode, toggled with an external switch. While it’s on, it ramps up performance to 54W. The Zero Book Ultra played Overwatch 2 on high settings without problem. Unfortunately, enabling the feature puts a lot of strain on the battery. Even when plugged, Overboost mode sucked out more battery than the charger could provide. On the bright side, the ICE STORM 2.0 cooling system saved the laptop from heating up to unbearable levels.

A variable battery

Though the laptop performed well under a variety of circumstances, the battery remained a constant problem. With a 70Wh battery, the Zero Book Ultra leans more towards the lighter side of the spectrum. Under regular use, it can eke out six hours of battery life on a full charge. Battery saver only partially helped, squeezing out an extra hour before shutting down.

However, things shake up once more intensive tasks are started. For example, a light gaming session lasting half an hour sapped 20 percent of the battery. (For reference, this was tested with Super Animal Royale, a 2D battle royale with light requirements.) Meanwhile, a 2-hour Overwatch 2 Overboosted session grabbed the same amount of battery even when plugged.

For charging, the notebook uses a USB-C cable instead of the traditional adapters. The package also comes with a 100W power adapter. Though the port offers convenience, it takes around 2 hours to fully charge the machine.

Is the Zero Book Ultra your GadgetMatch?

Looks can be deceiving. While the notebook’s MacBook-inspired design can hint at an Apple copycat, the Zero Book Ultra offers more than just a wannabee. It offers exactly what it promises on paper: a powerful slate of hardware capable of almost everything, even some decent gaming. Though the battery prevents it from becoming a perfect device, it’s still more than worthy of its price tag.