Those who are looking out for an affordable laptop in India will be spoilt for choice, as there is no shortage of budget laptops out there. However, most of these laptops look almost the same and come with a similar set of specifications. ASUS has been making a difference in the laptop market segment with its unique offerings.
One of the latest laptops from the brand is the ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED, which is priced starting from Rs. 46,990. It carries the highlight of being the most affordable laptop in India with a 1080p OLED display. Here is the review of the ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED laptop
Specifications
- Processor: Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7
- Operating Systems: Windows 10 (Upgradeable to Windows 11)
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
- Display: 15.6-inch OLED FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
- Memory: 8GB DDR4
- Hard Drive: 256GB PCIe SSD
- Ports: 1 HDMI, 2 USB Type-A ports, 2 USB 2.0, 1 DC-in, microSD card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
- Dimensions and Weight: 23.5 x 35.9 x 1.8cm, 1.8 kg
- Primary Battery: 42 WHr, 3-cell battery
Design, Build Quality and Display
The Asus Vivobook K15 OLED looks like any other model in the Vivobook series with a slim profile and lightweight design, given that it has a 15-inch display tough it is not the lightest model out there. The VivoBook K15 OLED is not too unique in terms of looks, but it features an aluminum alloy and plastic build that feel decent. It does not offer a premium feel, but it is durable for everyday use. Even the lid is easy to open and close without any glitch, unlike some budget laptops out there.
The laptop comes with a full-sized HDMI port, a microSD card slot, a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a couple of USB-A ports. Given the size of the laptop, I would have appreciated a full-sized SD card.
The looks and feel of the Asus Vivobook K15 OLED are in parity with rivals and will definitely meet the expectation of buyers who want a large screen laptop that is affordable. There are thick bezels surrounding the display, which gives it a relatively dated look. Apparently, the laptop has an 84 percent screen-to-body ratio and the screen comes with a viewing angle of 178 degrees.
During my review, the display of the laptop turned out to alleviate a major pain point of budget laptop buyers. Usually, most large-screen laptops use a low-cost IPS LCD panel with minimal brightness, but the Asus offering features a 15.6-inch OLED display with 1080p resolution. Moreover, the company is not using any cheap OLED panel, as the screen can deliver a brightness of up to 600 nits. Furthermore, the laptop is DisplayHDR 600 certified and meets standards such as 100 percent DIC-P3 color coverage, up to 1.07 billion colors, and 0.2ms response time.
In terms of color accuracy, the Asus Vivobook K15 OLED is ideal for both professional and personal usage. It can be used for editing videos and photos. However, if you need the laptop for intense tasks, then you can opt for a Core i5 or Core i7 variant. Notably, the screen provides richer and more vivid colors. Besides images, even text appears crisp on this laptop’s screen. The company claims that the laptop features a cinema-grade industry-standard display and I don’t have any doubts about it.
Watching movies on the Asus Vivobook K15 OLED was impressive, as it comes with a high refresh rate. However, this laptop is not suitable for competitive or fps gaming. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the USP of this laptop is its OLED panel despite its affordable price point.
As per the company, the company’s display gets the TUV Rheinland certification. Eventually, it will have reduced blue light and will not cause any visual discomfort and spoil sleep quality. The one aspect that the VivoBook K15 OLED misses out is the touch screen support.
Performance
The Asus Vivobook K15 OLED’s high-end variant makes use of an 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor with a dedicated GPU. Also, there is 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB PCIe Gen3 SSD. Furthermore, there is a kit to install additional storage in the laptop. The processor can handle everyday tasks such as editing documents, browsing the web, attend online classes and stream videos pretty well. For my usage, the ASUS laptop offers impressive performance.
During the review, this laptop was a silent operator in most cases. One thing I was impressed about is the ability to choose modes based on the task it is used for. There are Performance, Balanced and Whisper modes. The Performance mode maximizes the laptop’s performance and thermal parameters, while the Balanced mode optimizes performance and thermal parameters intelligently. Finally, the Whisper mode is meant for the quiet power-saving fan operation.
The next thing that comes to my mind in terms of performance is the 720p web camera, which does its task as intended. The camera has nothing special, but it should be sufficient to attend normal video calls, video conferences and online classes. For connectivity, the ASUS laptop comes with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
Keyboard, trackpad and audio
The ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED laptop is fitted with a capable keyboard along with a dedicated num pad, thanks to its big form factor. Besides this, the keyboard supports backlit lighting, which is uncommon in laptops priced under Rs. 50,000. Another notable addition is the presence of an in-built fingerprint sensor within the trackpad for security purposes.
While I liked the keyboard, the trackpad on the ASUS laptop wasn’t equally convincing. It felt that the surface was not smooth, and I could feel that my finger was sliding over. I am not sure if this issue with the trackpad is a defect on the unit that I reviewed, or if ASUS had opted for a low-quality trackpad. However, this issue can be overcome by connecting an external mouse to the laptop for navigational purposes.
Detailing the audio performance, the ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED features a Harmon Kardon certified stereo speaker unit. This speaker is loud and clear enough as well. Moreover, I also liked the audio output while using a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Even the audio performance while using the headphone jack was satisfactory and there are no complaints on this front.
Battery
The 42 WHr 3-cell Li-ion battery powering the ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED easily lasts up to six to seven hours on a single charge. However, the company’s rating claims that it can last up to eight hours on a single charge. I could watch two movies without having to plug in the charger. There isn’t fast charging support on this laptop.
Conclusion
When it comes to daily use, a laptop should be able to quickly boot, and the ASUS Vivobook K15 OLED handles this efficiently. It manages the day-to-day tasks without any issue. Also, the laptop is all set to get the Windows 11 update in the near future. With a decent battery, the ASUS VivoBook K15 OLED laptop lasts all day for working professionals and students. Given that there is a lot of emphasis on the display of this laptop, you should buy this if you want an impressive OLED display on an affordable laptop.
Pricing and availability
The VivoBook K15 OLED K513 i3-1115G4/8G/256G PCIe SSD starts at Rs. 46990 (offer price Rs. 45990) and goes up to Rs. 81990 for the i7-1165G7, 16GB + 512GB version. It is already on sale on Amazon.in and Flipkart, as well as offline stores.