Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Which is better

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: The word evolution should be best used with regard to the transition and advancement of technology. Foldable phones are awesome but a foldable laptop is even cooler. And while Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, vivo, and the likes are doing their best in the foldable phone market, Asus and Lenovo are making the future of foldable laptops look really promising.

Both Asus and Lenovo have showcased their next foldable laptops. Asus has showcased the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold while Lenovo also showcased its new foldable laptop called the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2. The working mechanism of both foldable laptops is very similar but there are some differences. So in this Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2, I’ll e sharing with you the similarities and differences between these devices.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2

Zenbook 17 Fold vs Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Display

The display of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 is an OLED panel. Both laptops also have the same 60Hz refresh rate. But, the display of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold is bigger. The display of the Zenbook 17 Fold is 17-inches and this is bigger than the 16.3-inches display of the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2. This is also true when the devices are half-closed or folded.

When half closed or folded, the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 becomes a 12-inches PC while the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold becomes a 13.5-inches PC. The Zenbook 17 Fold will give you more screen to multitask but this also means it’s heavier and bigger. So, if you need a more portable foldable laptop, the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 might be the one you’ll consider. The display of the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 also has support for an S PEN. In fact, Lenovo includes the S PEN as part of its accessories when you purchase the device.

The crease on the display of both laptops is pretty much the same. The crease is visible but does not intrude on the use of the screens in any way. Overall, the displays of both devices are good but if you love big screens then you won’t mind the weight (1.50 kg (3.31 lbs)) and size of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold. However, if you need something more portable, then you can sacrifice the extra screen and buy the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 (which weighs 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)).

Zenbook 17 Fold vs Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: CPU and GPU

The CPU/Processor inside the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 is the 12th Generation Intel processor. The Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 has models that feature the Core i5 or the Core i7. But the Zenbook 17 Fold only has a Core i7 processor. And the same is true for the graphics or GPU that is paired with the CPU of these devices.

The GPU inside both laptops is the Intel® Iris Xe Graphics. As far as performance goes, the Zenbook 17 Fold and Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 are very similar. If performance is the metric you’re looking for before you decide on which is better, well, both devices have more similarities than differences when it comes to their CPU and GPU.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: RAM & Storage

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold comes with 16GB of RAM installed. And you can’t expand the RAM and this means the total or maximum RAM for the Zenbook 17 Fold is 16GB. In comparison, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 comes with 16GB of RAM that is upgradeable to 32GB. So, you’ll get more RAM in the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 because you can expand the RAM.

The maximum internal storage on both laptops is 1TB. Both devices come with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage. The RAM type/technology on both devices is LPDDR5 while the storage is SSD storage.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Software

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 boots Windows 11 out of the box. This software allows both devices to multitask using the foldable screen. When the keyboard of these laptops is placed on one half of the screen, the windows automatically adjust by disabling the lower part of the screen and allowing users to use the upper part of the screen.

Windows 11 on both laptops allows users to multitask with ease. For the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2, you also get to use the S PEN with windows 11. The user experience is smooth, navigation, and opening of apps are fast and very responsive.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Battery & Ports

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold is powered by a 75WHrs battery while the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 is powered by a total of 64WHrs battery (48WHrs battery plus an additional 16WHrs battery). Both devices have USB Type-C charging ports and can support 65W fast charging.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold teardown — *Inside the Zenbook 17 Fold*

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 teardown — *Inside the Zenbook 17 Fold*

The available ports in the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold are 2x Thunderbolt™ 4 support display/power delivery
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack while the available ports in the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 are 2 Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and a Nano-SIM card slot (optional).

Zenbook 17 Fold vs Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Camera & Connectivity

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 have a 5MP front camera. The 5MP cameras on both devices have an IR function. But only the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 has the optional Intel Visual Sense controller.

The network and connectivity options available in the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold are Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth 5. In comparison, the network and connectivity options available in the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 are Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and an optional 5G sub-6GHz. The camera sensor on both devices might be the same but only the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 gives users an optional 5G network connectivity.

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Price & Availability

The price of the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 is expected to start from $3,500 for the base models. Both devices will ship with a charger in the box but the Thinkpad will also include an S PEN and an extra stand for the laptop (the stand of the Zenbook 17 Fold is built into the device).

The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 are expected to e available in the last quarter of the year. These foldable laptops might be available for purchase maybe in November or December of 2022.

Specs	Asus Zenbook 17 Fold	Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2
Display(Unfold)	17.3-inches, OLED	16.3-inches, OLED
Display(fold)	13-inches, OLED	12-inches, OLED
RAM	Up to 16GB	Up to 32GB
Storage	Up to 1TB	Up to 1TB
Camera	5MP with IR Function	5MP with IR Function
Chipset	Intel Core i17 12th Gen	Intel Core i15 & i7 12th Gen
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe	Intel Iris Xe
Software	Windows 11	Windows 11
Battery	72WHrs (65W)	68WHrs (65W)
S PEN	N/A	YES
Keyboard	YES	YES

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold vs Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2: Conlusion

So, between the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 which is better? Well, both are very good laptops. You get basically the same features on both laptops. Both devices have the same OELD panel, the same folding mechanism, the same software, the same processor, the same graphics, and the same camera sensors.

But, the Zenbook 17 Fold has a bigger screen and will be suitable for those who prefer big-screen laptops. While if you need something more compact with extra features such as support for S PEN, fingerprint scanner, and expandable storage, then the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 1 will be more suitable for you. Although the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold and Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 have a similar price tag, the Thinkpad X1 Fold Gen 2 offers more features.

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