INTRODUCTION:
ASUS' Vivobook lineup has evolved significantly over the years, all while maintaining its position as a competitive choice for users seeking a balance of performance, portability, and value. Its latest models, including the Vivobook S16, are built for the AI era, bridging intelligent functions tailored to everyday users without the premium price.
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| ASUS VivoBook S16 |
Yet even beyond its AI capabilities, the Vivobook S16 already stands out as an impressive all-around laptop. Let's take a closer look.
DESIGN and DISPLAY:
The Vivobook S16 maintains the lineup's trademark minimalist and clean look which adds to the impression that it's a high-end laptop despite its price tag. Its lid features a subtle gray semi-matte finish with a discreet ASUS Vivobook logo on the right side engraved with silver lettering, giving it a refined, uncluttered appeal. However, the finish tends to easily attract fingerprints and smudges.
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| ASUS Vivobook S16 |
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Lifting the lid reveals a stunning 16-inch display that immediately draws attention. The bezels are slightly noticeable, but they do little to detract from the immersive, full-view experience.
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| ASUS Vivobook S16 bezels |
If you've been using a 13-inch laptop, switching to a 16-inch model might feel like a big leap – one you'll either love or hesitate to make. For us, though, testing the ASUS Vivobook S16 showed just how much a larger display can boost productivity. And since it stays surprisingly light for its size, weighing only 1.70 kilograms, that extra screen space comes with zero trade-offs. Plus, its 1.59 cm-thin body fits comfortably in most backpacks and larger tote bags.
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| The ASUS Vivobook S16 beside a 13-inch MacBook Air. |
A good addition to the ASUS Vivobook S16's display is its 144Hz refresh rate, which makes everyday use feel smoother and more responsive – whether you're scrolling through web pages, editing videos, or even gaming on the side.
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Its massive 16-inch screen in 1920 x 1200 WUXGA resolution delivers outstanding visuals with rich contrast, deep blacks, and vivid colors – ideal for work and entertainment. However, while the viewing experience is top-notch, the laptop's speakers could use more depth and fullness to match its impressive screen quality.
Another advantage of a laptop with a large frame: a full-sized keyboard. The ASUS Vivobook S 16 features a complete layout with a numeric keypad and function keys for a smoother daily workflow. It even includes handy shortcuts for emojis, dual-monitor setups, microphone toggling and enabling or disabling the touchpad – small touches that make everyday use more convenient.
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| ASUS VivoBook S16 with its 180-degree hinge and a full-sized keyboard. |
Related: ASUS Vivobook S 14 (S5406) Review; Smart and Stunning
There's also a function key for keyboard backlight with three illumination levels. In the entire time that we used the ASUS Vivobook S 16, there weren't any accidental presses while typing, which means that its keys have ideal spacing with optimal key travel.
Since AI is another highlight of the ASUS Vivobook S16, a dedicated Copilot key makes sense for instant access to Copilot. No need to go through the browser route.
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| Dedicated Copilot key |
The ASUS Vivobook S16's massive trackpad is also a delight, allowing multi-touch gestures for convenient shortcuts. Instead of pressing alt + tab, you can just swipe three fingers horizontally on the trackpad to switch between open apps or windows. A three-finger swipe up reveals available desktops, while swiping down instantly minimizes all windows. Sliding up and down on the rightmost part of the trackpad allows easy screen brightness adjustment while the opposite side tweaks volume levels.
One more thing we love about the ASUS Vivobook S16 is there's enough palm rest on its chassis, further improving typing ergonomics.
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| Spacious palm rest on the ASUS Vivobook S16 |
PERFORMANCE:
It's going to be hard to say goodbye to our ASUS Vivobook S16 demo unit once it gets pulled out – a clear sign of how much we enjoyed using it. Throughout our time with the device, it delivered a smooth performance consistently. Even with multiple windows and dozens of tabs open, while running Google Docs and streaming a Netflix show in the background, the Vivobook S16 handled everything without breaking a sweat.
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| The Phone Link setup on the ASUS Vivobook S16 was a walk in the park. |
Apart from its AI functions, we also liked the seamless phone-to-Windows integration on the ASUS Vivobook S16, which works even with an iPhone. This makes multitasking faster and more convenient, reducing the need to constantly switch between devices.
Hardware ports come plenty on the ASUS Vivobook S16 with two USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 for display and power delivery and two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, all with data speed of up to 5Gbps. There's also what could be considered as obsolete on other newer laptop models – an HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack.
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| Hardware ports on the ASUS Vivobook S16 |
See also: ASUS Vivobook S 2025 Series; Empowering the Future with AI-Powered Laptops
The ASUS Vivobook S16 comes with an FHD camera equipped with a privacy shutter and support for Windows Hello, enabling quick and secure login. On the notification bar, the Studio Effects menu provides easy access to camera settings, including Eye Contact and Automatic Framing, so you can adjust your video without having to open separate apps like Teams.
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| ASUs Vivobook S16 camera setup |
BATTERY:
A 70Wh battery powers the ASUS Vivobook S16. Its package comes with a free 65W USB-C adapter which, based on our actual usage, recharges the laptop back to 100% battery in 1 hour and 39 minutes. Check our charging logs below:
15 minutes – 3% to 20%
30 minutes – 37%
45 minutes – 53%
1 hour – 67%
1 hour and 15 minutes – 83%
1 hour and 30 minutes – 92%
1 hour and 39 minutes – 100%
See Also: All The Features We Love On The ASUS Vivobook S 14
Using the ASUS Vivobook S16 unplugged for productivity and streaming after a full charge, we clocked 6 hours and 20 minutes of battery life before it powered down. We started at 1:44 PM, received a Smart Saving Mode alert at 30% battery by 6:06 PM, a 6% battery warning at 7:53 PM, and the laptop finally blocked out at 8:04 PM.
CONCLUSION:
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| ASUS Vivobook S16 |
Performance, portability, and productivity converge seamlessly in the ASUS Vivobook S16. For users who want a versatile, reliable machine that works as hard as they do – in style – the Vivobook S16 delivers. The ASUS Vivobook S16 is priced at P56,995. Each purchase comes with a free ASUS backpack, lifetime Office Home 2024 and 1-year Microsoft 365 Basic subscriptions, ASUS 2-year international coverage, and 1-year accidental damage warranty. Check out where to buy the ASUS Vivobook S16 and other ASUS devices here.