ASUS
Latest
What's next for fitness wearables?
At IFA this year, we've seen devices, like Withings' Move ECG and ASUS' VivoWatch SP, that bring more ECGs to more people -- technology that first appeared in mainstream wearables with Apple's Watch Series 4. I've been thinking about the future of wearables, and it increasingly looks like we're at the final frontier of what fitness wearables can do. Five years from the announcement of the first Apple Watch, and it looks like, soon, there's not going to be much to distinguish one wearable from another.
ASUS’ ProArt StudioBook One is a breathtakingly powerful laptop
You know a company is feeling confident when it has industry-standard benchmarking software pre-installed on its demo PCs. ASUS' new ProArt StudioBook One is the first to offer NVIDIA's class-leading Quadro RTX 6000 pro graphics. And it had Futuremark's 3D Mark 11 just sat there, practically begging us to try and see how fast thing could run. Turns out that it had a Performance score of 24,438, making this laptop faster than 98 percent of all computers it's ever benchmarked.
Watch ASUS' IFA 2019 event in under 10 minutes
ASUS hosted its IFA 2019 press event at 7AM ET this morning. We don't blame you if you were still sleeping, or on your way to work, and missed it. Lucky for you we were on the ground in Berlin and we've condensed the whole thing down to just under 10 minutes so you can catch up quickly. The company announced a new smart watch, expanded availability for its high-end ROG Phone II gaming phone, powerful new laptops for creative pros (including the first to harness NVIDIA's Quadro RTX 6000 graphics), displays and a whole lot more. Now it's time to get caught up while your boss is out for coffee.
The ASUS StudioBook One is the first laptop with NVIDIA's Quadro RTX 6000
Even with all of its might, the StudioBook Pro X that ASUS announced today isn't the most powerful StudioBook in terms of graphics. That accolade is reserved for the StudioBook One, with its Quadro RTX 6000 graphics. In fact, ASUS says this is the first (and currently only) laptop to harness the Quadro RTX 6000, and both it and NVIDIA say it's "the world's most graphically-powerful laptop." Well, at least it is for now.
ASUS' new gaming laptops push refresh rates to 300Hz
Never mind 240Hz displays in laptops -- ASUS wants to take things a step further. It's introducing updated gaming laptops with ultra-responsive 300Hz displays that cater to esports players and other ultra-competitive gamers. There's certainly a degree of bragging involved here, but ASUS contends that the faster panels are particularly good at reducing stuttering compared to rivals -- the 3.3ms time to draw a new frame at 300Hz is nearly as quick as the 3ms response time of the pixels themselves.
ASUS’ new fitness watch is more useful and better looking
ASUS may not make smartwatches anymore, but it has kept one foot in the wearables space with its line of fitness watches. A year and a bit after launching the VivoWatch BP, the company is back with a new health-tracking watch that, most importantly, looks a whole lot better than its predecessor.
ASUS’ StudioBook Pro X is a powerful laptop for creatives
ASUS is massively expanding its ProArt line here at IFA 2019, adding laptops, a desktop and a display to the series this week. Not all of it was on display ahead of the show, but the one laptop that caught our eye was the Studio Book Pro X. It's a massive machine, and the first NVIDIA Quadro-powered device to house the ASUS ScreenPad tech. If you're unfamiliar, that's the fancy touchscreen display that sits where the trackpad usually is. Now ASUS is on ScreenPad 2.0, a feature we first saw at Computex.
NVIDIA's Quadro RTX 6000 should be the most powerful laptop GPU ever
With the introduction of RTX Studio, NVIDIA put its gaming RTX GPUs on a nearly equal footing with more costly professional Quadro products. Now, it has given content creators a reason to spend the extra cash with the launch of the RTX Quadro 6000 mobile GPU, first arriving to the ASUS StudioBook. With 24GB of high-speed memory and performance nearly equal to its desktop counterpart, the mobile version should soundly thrash any GeForce RTX 2080 8GB or Quadro 5000 16GB laptop.
ASUS’ high-end gaming phone is coming to the west
ASUS' ROG Phone II has been available in Asia for some time, but it's taken a while for it to make it over this way. Thankfully, to make up for the wait, westerners will be able to buy not one, but two versions of the device, with even more ridiculous specs than the original.
GlobalFoundries lawsuit threatens sales bans against Apple, NVIDIA
The competition between semiconductor giants is getting ugly, and it could have an unfortunate impact on many of the devices you buy. GlobalFoundries has sued the Taiwanese firm TSMC for allegedly violating 16 patents tied to its chip production business, including ones for semiconductor interconnects and the common FinFET design used in newer processors. The multiple lawsuits (plus complaints at the US International Trade Commission) claim 20 tech companies are infringing on its concepts, and they're definitely names you'll recognize. Apple, ASUS, Google, Lenovo, NVIDIA, OnePlus and Qualcomm are all accused of treading on GlobalFoundries' technology, although Moor Insights' Patrick Moorhead believed their inclusion was mainly meant as leverage against TSMC.
What to expect at IFA 2019
There's just one big technology show before the end of the year, IFA, where we'll see the last goodies revealed before everyone goes into buying mode. As usual, a team of Engadget's finest will descend upon Berlin in the first week of September to uncover all of the best things being shown off. Before we do, however, you can whet your appetite with what we're expecting, or at least hoping, to see when we land.
ASUS' camera-flipping ZenFone 6 goes on sale in the US
ASUS' ZenFone 6 is now available in the US, a few months after the phone went on sale in Europe. The device starts at a fairly competitive $499.99 and you can pick it up from the ASUS Store, Amazon, B&H and Mobile Advance.
The best desktops for students
We'll be honest, we realize most students will buy a laptop to use at school and call it a day. But opting for a desktop instead isn't the craziest idea, especially if your needs extend beyond standard email-and-Netflixing. Having a more robust machine with a desktop-class processor and possibly more RAM and storage could make sense for both serious gamers as well students with creative hobbies, like photography, filmmaking or audio production. Depending on your budget, of course, you could still buy a laptop for taking notes in class, but you might even be able to get away with a cheaper device like a tablet and keyboard folio. For the purposes of this back-to-school guide, we selected five machines -- two Macs and three PCs -- including two systems built for gaming. Here's what we recommend.
ASUS' ROG Phone II combines high-spec power with accessory spectacle (updated)
Gaming phones are a rare breed, and the nascent category has already proved to be too much of a challenge for Razer. Some companies still see it as an opportunity to tap into the ever-growing esports market, however. Devices land with gimmicks like detachable controllers on Xiaomi's Black Shark 2, or a built-in cooling fan on the Nubia Red Magic 3. Neither could top last year's ASUS ROG Phone though when it comes to accessories: It offered a clip-on fan, a WiGig screen-casting dock, a clamp-on controller pad, a mobile desktop dock and a bizarre dual-screen dock. ASUS never shared sales figures for the ROG Phone, but it must have done well enough to warrant a sequel packed with many upgrades. The ROG Phone II is the world's first smartphone with a 120Hz AMOLED display, and it's also the first to feature the more powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset. Another first here is the integration of two vibration motors, just, it hopes. to make gaming a tad more immersive.
The best gaming PCs and accessories for students
PC gaming is serious business. This is where video game fans go when they want the highest resolution, lowest latency and most precise experiences available, from first-person shooters to top-down team-based strategy titles and beyond. In a word, PC games are slick -- and so is the gear. It's easy to break the bank in this world, especially for a student on a budget. With gaming laptops starting at $1,000 and towers priced even higher, it's important to get equipment that's durable, high-quality and as affordable as possible. That's why we've compiled the following list of laptops, PCs and accessories that make the most sense for students in 2019. PC gaming is perfect for streaming, marathon play sessions or making new friends (dorm-wide tournaments, anyone?). To accomplish all of these things, you'll need more than just a laptop. On top of processing power and graphics cards, there are mice to consider, headsets to mull over, keyboards to test and streaming boxes to put through their paces. And if you need to justify the cost to anyone (ahem, mom), simply put it this way: You'll be able to use most of these things for homework, too.
The best laptops for students in 2019
Each year, laptops are one of the most well-represented categories in our back-to-school gear guide. And for good reason! With the exception of the relative few who prefer desktops, for almost every other student setting foot on campus this fall, a notebook is going to be the most important tool at their disposal. And it's no minor purchase either. Our favorite ultraportables cost north of $1,000, and even a decent budget model will set you back at least $500. And once you do make the investment, it's something you're not likely to replace for three, four, who knows how many years. For the purposes of this guide, we're going to focus on what Engadget considers the best of the best. Our philosophy is: A laptop is one of the most critical pieces of gear a student needs, and it's worth investing in build quality, performance and battery life that will stand the test of time. Oh, and don't worry, we have lots of picks for gaming laptops specifically -- you'll want to check out the gaming section of our back-to-school guide for that. Right now, we're just thinking about the best all-around laptops; the best for most people, in most use cases. Here's what we would buy if we were spending our own money.
The best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals: Best of the rest
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of Amazon Prime Day deals here.
The best Prime Day 2019 deals so far: PM edition
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of Amazon Prime Day deals here.
ASUS calls on tinkerers to make custom ZenFone 6 firmware
While many Android phone makers are locking their devices down in the name of security, there are a few vendors courting enthusiasts who want to install their own firmware -- and ASUS is one of them. The company has teamed up with XDA to help seed ROM development teams with ZenFone 6 units, including LineageOS, CarbonROM, OmniROM and TWRP. They're also reaching out to individuals developers behind projects like the unofficial Google Camera port.
The biggest news at Computex 2019
Our week in Taiwan is coming to a close, and as Team Engadget bids goodbye to the dumplings and beef noodles, it's time to look back on all the news we saw this week. As always, ASUS was the star of the show in its home turf, and this year was especially significant as the company celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It unveiled attractive new special editions of the ZenBook and ZenFone, as well as a dual-screen laptop.
