Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: A performance-centric all-in-one portable device

The Asus ROG Flow Z13's tablet form factor and multi-utility orientation make it a one-of-its-kind device, and it works well in all supported formats -- screen, tablet, and laptop

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a tablet by design, but there is more to it than meets the eye. It doubles up as a screen for gaming sessions and entertainment, and as a laptop for work with detachable keyboard folio cover (included in the package). Its tablet form factor and multi-utility orientation make it a one-of-its-kind device, and it works well in all supported formats -- screen, tablet, and laptop. That said, the ROG Flow Z13 is a portable all-in-one device and not just a tablet.

For an all-in-one device, the ROG Flow Z13 has a thin (12mm) and lightweight (1.18 kg) body made of aluminium alloy, which has been CNC milled for perfection. The entire metal construction is coated with anti-fingerprint solution to prevent the appearance of smudges. The thin-and-lightweight design of the ROG Flow Z13 is complemented by compact ergonomics for easy handling in both vertical and horizontal orientations. One must give it to Asus for integrating the kickstand, which is not fixed but flexible and goes up to 170-degree for optimal viewing experience.

Speaking of viewing experience, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes in two touch screen variants – fullHD resolution screen of 120Hz refresh rate and ultraHD resolution screen of 60Hz refresh rate. Stretched in 16:10 aspect ratio, both the screens are pantone validated for colour accuracy and support Dolby Vision and Adaptive Sync. A 13.4-inch screen of fullHD resolution is good enough for most use cases, but pick the pixel-rich 4K resolution variant if you are a content creator. From colour accuracy to minimal touch latency and enhanced refresh rate, the screen ticks all the right boxes but misses out on one key factor -- reflection glare that is. The screen has no anti-glare coating, which makes it difficult and uncomfortable to use in bright outdoor environments. Complementing the screen are the stereo speakers with Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos support. The speakers are loud, clear, and balanced but best experienced only in horizontal orientation because they are placed on the left and right side of the chassis. 

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i7 12700H with discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics. It comes with 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 solid state drive (SSD) and 16GB DDR5 (5200MHz) RAM. Details aside, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a power-packed all-in-one device good for everyday use, casual gaming, entertainment, and content creation. The only thing pulling it back is the on-battery time. Powered by a 56Whr battery, the device barely works for four hours in silent mode and two hours in performance mode. Thankfully, the device comes with a 100W fast charger which replenishes 50 per cent of battery power in about 30 minutes. The device supports PD standard-based third-party USB-C fast chargers, but charges only at 65W max capacity even if the charger supports 100W.

Asus ROG Flow Z13: Specifications

SKU	GZ301ZC
CPU	12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H
GPU	Nvidia RTX 3050 with MUX switch
RAM	16GB 5200MHz DDR5
Storage	1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD  | 1 x PCIE SSD M.2 2230 Slot
Display	13.4-inch IPS, sRGB 100 per cent, touch and stylus support
Keyboard	Magnetically detachable backlit chiclet RGB keyboard with Aura Sync support
Cameras	8MP rear camera and 720P front camera
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E 802.11AX (2x2) and BT 5.2
I/O Ports	1x ROG XG Mobile Interface 1x Thunderbolt 4 1x USB 2.0 Type-A 1x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DGPU SKUs support DisplayPort / power delivery / G-SYNC)
Charger	100W USB-C
Price	Rs 1,71,990

Verdict

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is essentially the Microsoft Surface Pro by design with performance of a gaming laptop. Its tablet form factor and multi-utility orientation make it a first-of-its-kind device with portability of a screen, versatility of a tablet, and performance of a laptop. Importantly, it works well in all supported formats. That said, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 ticks the right boxes. But its underwhelming on-battery time puts a stinker on the otherwise well rounded package.