"AI" is indispensable to next-generation digital technology, with new innovations emerging every season.
"One per household" isn't an exaggeration; it's undoubtedly a near reality.
This time, we joined the "ASUS Japan 2025 Laptop New Product Launch Event" held in a certain location in Tokyo!
We experienced the new laptop, "ASUS Zenbook SORA"!
Towards Next-Generation AI PCs: "ASUS Japan 2025 Laptop New Product Launch Event"
Saiga NAKEveryone's attention was on whether the new laptop would be a new model or an entirely new series.
David Chu highlighted the Japanese market situation since the launch of the "ASUS Vivobook S15 S5507QA" in June 2024.
ASUS boasts the No. 1 market share in Japan for Copilot+ PCs.
Leon Chen introduced ASUS's AI PC strategy to date.
ASUS has addressed various user needs by offering a wide range of AI PCs across three categories:
- Advanced AI: NPU 40TOPS or higher, equipped with GPU
- Copilot+PC: NPU 40TOPS or higher
- Everyday AI: Equipped with NPU
As a hint for the next new product, the focus was on Japanese users' demand for portability.
ASUS's research revealed that the average commute time in the Tokyo metropolitan area is 1 hour and 42 minutes, and many commuters use their laptops while traveling. Therefore, ASUS developed a "perfect laptop" with a focus on thinness, lightness, and battery life.
The Difference Is Its Lightness: "ASUS Zenbook SORA"
The new model in the Zenbook series is the "ASUS Zenbook SORA."
This model was announced as the "ASUS Zenbook A14" at "CES 2025" in Las Vegas, USA, in January 2025, but a unique product name was adopted for the Japanese market.
"SORA" comes from the Japanese word for "sky."
Its main selling point is its ultra-lightweight design, achieving an astonishing lightness of approximately 899g~.
The lineup includes the lower-end model "UX3407QA" equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor series, and the higher-end model "UX3407RA" equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor series.
Of course, the device isn't just light.
It boasts an impressive long battery life of up to approximately 29 hours.
And the "UX3407RA" features specs of up to 1TB and 32GB of memory.
Based on research indicating that Japanese users are conscious of coordinating their fashion and belongings during commutes, the laptops are available in two colors: Zabriskie Beige and Iceland Gray.
The proprietary Ceraluminum material used for the top cover, keyboard deck, and bottom cover achieves amazing lightness and stylishness.
The huge touchpad has shortcuts assigned for volume control, brightness adjustment, video fast-forward/rewind, and more.
Next to take the stage was Takushi Ozawa from Microsoft Japan, who re-introduced "Copilot+PC."
"Copilot+PC" is a general term for next-generation PCs that are equipped with an NPU specialized in AI processing, in addition to a conventional CPU and GPU.
Specifically, since the minimum hardware requirement for the NPU is 40 trillion operations per second, or "40TOPS," purchasing a "Copilot+PC" will undoubtedly optimize various tasks with the help of new-era AI.
Until now, "Copilot+PC" allowed users to use AI features for free and without credit limits, including:
- Image Creator: Generates images based on prompts
- Cocreator: Generates images based on drawings and sketches
- Live Captions: Real-time subtitle generation and simultaneous translation
- Windows Studio Effects: Improves video call quality with camera blur, eye contact correction, and filters
However, these features continue to evolve.
Furthermore, functions such as:
- Recall: Allows users to search for what they've seen on their PC later
- Click to Do: Enables easy actions on on-screen text and images
- Improved Windows Search: Natural language search for File Explorer and more
- Super Resolution (Photos): Upscales low-resolution photos to high resolution
- Generative Fill (Paint): Naturally adds AI-created images within existing images
- Generative Erase (Paint/Photos): Removes unwanted objects appearing in existing images
...have been announced, and some preview versions are already undergoing testing.
With Windows 10 support ending on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, now might be the time to buy an AI-equipped "Copilot+PC"!
Hiroshi Izumi from Qualcomm, well-known for its SoCs for mobile and laptops, introduced Snapdragon.
While Snapdragon X series models have different CPU and GPU performance, the NPU consistently achieves 40TOPS.
This means that adopting Snapdragon X automatically meets some of the "Copilot+PC" hardware requirements.
As mentioned earlier, the "UX3407QA" model of "ASUS Zenbook SORA" is equipped with Snapdragon X, while the higher-end model "UX3407RA" is equipped with Snapdragon X Elite.
The "UX3407QA" starts at 179,800 yen (tax included), and the "UX3407RA" starts at 214,800 yen (tax included), both released on Wednesday, February 5, 2025!
For detailed specifications, please visit the "ASUS Zenbook SORA" product page.
| Product Overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Model Number | UX3407QA | UX3407RA |
| Color | Zabriskie Beige, Iceland Gray | |
| OS | Windows 11 Home 64-bit | |
| CPU | Snapdragon X X1-26-100 Processor | Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 Processor |
| Graphics Function | Qualcomm Adreno GPU (integrated with CPU) | |
| AI Function | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU 45TOPS | |
| Display | 14.0-inch, 1,920×1,200 dots, 60Hz, Non-glare | 14.0-inch, 1,920×1,200 dots, 60Hz, Glare |
| Main Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-8448 | 32GB LPDDR5X-8448 |
| Storage Device | SSD 512GB | SSD 1TB / 512GB |
Collaborations with Influencers like Jane Jeeun Also Implemented
As a special guest at the presentation, college student YouTuber Jane Jeeun @jeeunso4you, who runs the YouTube channel "Jane Jeeun," also took the stage.
She released a vlog showing her using the "ASUS Zenbook SORA" in college.
In addition, collaborative videos with other writers and YouTube channels, such as:
- Ryoko Iwata from Pen Online
- in living.
- pike channel
- Taisei Yamazaki
- EmuEmu
...are scheduled to be released sequentially.
ASUSの最新ノートPC「ASUS Zenbook SORA」が発表されました🎉
約899g〜という超軽量ボディなのにCopilot+ PCで裏付けされた高性能‼️
まだまだ進化する次世代のAI PCは17万円台から🙌#差は軽さ #ZenbookSORA pic.twitter.com/7QdM8qgOrm— Saiga NAK (@saiganak) February 4, 2025
