Asus ZenBook Pro 15 (UX535 LH/LI): OLED Excellence, Big Battery Life, and Premium Craftsmanship
After experimenting with the dual-screen innovation of the ZenBook Pro Duo last year, Asus has finally turned its attention to updating the standard all-around ZenBook Pro 15 lineup—a range that had gone without refreshes for over a year. For anyone craving a mid-to-premium 15-inch portable performance laptop, the late-2020-released ZenBook Pro UX535 steps in as Asus’s latest offering, and it’s packed with details that make it worth a second look.
A Powerhouse in a Slim Frame
At its core, the UX535 is built around an Intel 6-core processor, topping out with NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti graphics for snappy creative work and casual gaming. What really catches the eye, though, is its optional 4K OLED touchscreen—delivering the deep blacks and vibrant contrast OLED is known for—paired with a choice of 64Wh or 96Wh batteries. All of this hardware is neatly housed in a compact, lightweight aluminum chassis, striking a balance between power and portability that’s hard to ignore.
On paper, this makes the UX535 a strong alternative to other performance ultraportables on the market: think the HP Envy 15, Lenovo IdeaPad 740, Dell XPS 15, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, or even the MacBook Pro. It doesn’t offer the same breadth of high-end configuration options as some of these rivals, but if Asus nails the execution and pricing, it could carve out a solid niche in the mid-tier segment. That said, there’s a catch: the UX535 shares much with the older ZenBook 15 UX534 series, so a key question lingers: how well does Asus manage thermal balance for a 45W+ processor and 35W discrete GPU in such a slim frame?
Hardware That Works for Creators (and Everyone Else)
Across all UX535 variants, the foundation is Intel’s Comet Lake 6-core i7 processor, paired with up to 16GB of on-board DDR4 RAM and NVIDIA GTX 1650/1650Ti graphics (in the efficient 35W Max-Q design). This isn’t a laptop for users chasing absolute top-tier performance in a thin chassis—instead, it’s a versatile workhorse for daily tasks and creative projects, boosted by its thoughtful I/O and OLED display.
The OLED screen is a double-edged sword. I’ve long been cautious of laptop OLEDs due to quirks like potential burn-in with Windows’ static interfaces, but recent advancements have made them more reliable. For those willing to embrace it, the UX535’s panel shines: 100% DCI-P3 color coverage and exceptional color accuracy make it a standout for photo editing, video production, or any work where color precision matters. The tradeoff? The UX535 only offers 6-core i7 chips and a max of 16GB RAM—limitations that might leave some power users wanting more, especially for heavy multitasking or complex creative workloads.
Design Details That Define Usability
Asus splits the UX535 into two main variants, each tailored to different needs:
Lower-tier (e.g., UX535LH): Features a standard touchpad, GTX 1650 graphics, a 64Wh battery, a 2.5-inch storage bay for upgrades, and no Thunderbolt 3 support.
Higher-tier (e.g., UX535LI): Adds Asus’s ScreenPad (a touchpad that doubles as a secondary display), GTX 1650Ti graphics, a larger 96Wh battery, Thunderbolt 3, and SSD-only storage (no 2.5-inch bay).
Both models share strong I/O: an IR camera (great for fast Windows Hello logins) at the top of the screen, HDMI 2.0, a USB-A port, and a full-size SD card reader—here’s hoping the card reader is fast enough for photographers and videographers to rely on. Charging comes via a standard barrel plug (likely a compact 135W brick), though we’d expect USB-C charging and quick-charging tech to be included too (Asus hasn’t confirmed this yet).
Design-wise, the UX535 feels like an oversized version of the ZenBook 14 we reviewed recently—sleek, compact for a 15-inch laptop, and built entirely from aluminum and magnesium alloys. It’s professional enough for boardrooms and durable enough for classrooms, with a clean aesthetic that works anywhere. The keyboard is another highlight: it’s a full-size version of the ZenBook 14’s excellent typing setup, plus a dedicated numpad—music to the ears of anyone who crunches numbers regularly.
