The 2-in-1 laptop form factor has been growing in popularity due to consumers wanting a machine that is capable of handling all sorts of professional work, school work and be suitable for consuming media as well without sacrificing any features or portability.
For those who are looking for such a laptop, the latest offering from Asus might be something that you may be considering. The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is a 2-in-1 laptop that comes with a 15.6 inch 4K display, has touch support and is powered by the Intel Core i7 processor. However, is this laptop worth the price? Keep reading to find out!
At a Glance
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is the embodiment of the popular idiom “jack of all trades, master of none.” For everything that it does good, there is something that it does bad. This laptop can be an option for people who want to have a portable workstation that can deal with all sorts of everyday tasks. It is lightweight and portable, the 4K IPS display provides great visuals and the specs are great for medium-intensity tasks.
Despite its sleek design, great screen and powerful processor, the outdated graphics card, poor battery life, tendency to overheat, and lack of dust protection are major drawbacks that are hard to overlook, especially considering the device’s high price point. If one is willing to sacrifice the 2-in-1 functionality and portability, they will be able to find offerings that are significantly better. However, if that isn’t an option, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is the best 2-in-1 device in this price segment.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Decent allrounder | No Dust Protection |
| Great 4K Screen | Terrible Numpad |
| Good Connectivity Options | Low Battery Life |
| Good Keyboard Feel | Lack of an Effective Cooling Solution |
| Lightweight |
Specifications
| Screen | 15.6 inch 4K IPS Display | ★★★★ |
| Touchscreen | Yes | ★★★★ |
| Processor | Intel 8th Gen i7-8550U | ★★★★ |
| RAM | 16 GB | ★★★★ |
| Graphics | GTX 1050 4GB | ★★★ |
| Storage | 2 TB 5400 RPM HDD, 256 GB M.2 SSD | ★★★★★ |
| Ports | 1 USB-C Thunderbolt 3.0, 1 USB-A 2.0, 1 USB-A 3.0, HDMI, Aux, SD Card Reader and Power | ★★★★ |
| Weight | 4.6 Pounds (2 Kilograms) | ★★★★ |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.2, 1.3GBps 802.11AC WiFi Connectivity | ★★★★★ |
| OS | Windows 10, can be upgraded to Windows 11 | ★★★★★ |
| Webcam | Yes | ★★★★★ |
| Backlit Keyboard | Yes | ★★★ |
| Battery Life | 3 to 5 hours | ★★ |
| Cost | $1500 | ★★ |
Features
If you’re in the market for a versatile and powerful 2-in-1 laptop, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 may be worth considering. While it does come with a sleek design, high-quality display, and powerful processor, it’s not without its drawbacks. To find out more about the features, pros, and cons of the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 and help you decide whether it’s the right device for you, be sure to read this article in its entirety.
The 2-in-1 Design
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 can be used both as a laptop or as a tablet. It opens up as a laptop, and when it needs to be converted into tablet mode, the keyboard swings all the way back. This makes it quite portable and user friendly.
This makes it a good pick for those who want to use a laptop on the go. It weighs 4.6 pounds (around 2 kilograms). This makes it easy to pick up and carry around, as needed. The design is very portable and sleek.
The hinges that allow the bottom of the laptop to open up and swing back are designed a bit poorly, and results in the lid hanging when the laptop is held vertically. This may concern users who are used to putting things like keys, coins and other bits and bobs in their laptop bags, as there is a good chance that one of these things will find their way between the screen and the keyboard of the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 and end up scratching them.
Display
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 has a 15.6 inch 4K display, which is the highlight of this laptop. It offers incredibly sharp and vibrant visuals, making it great for watching movies, editing videos, and even gaming. It comes with an anti-glare coating, which prevents the annoying glare that occurs on glass screens in bright environments. The touch screen is also quite responsive and offers an experience that is quite versatile.
However, while the screen is quite high quality, there have been reports of the screen having a tendency of having some burn in. This may be a dealbreaker for those who may want to keep their laptop on for long periods of time.
Processor
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is powered by the 8th Generation i7 8550U Intel Core Processor. This processor excels at delivering high performance but tends to heat up. However, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 sacrifices cooling in order to retain its slim and lightweight form factor. This leads to heating issues during heavy workloads.
The supporting hardware does utilize the processor quite well. It has lightning fast boot up speeds, is capable of handling heavy workloads to an extent and multitasks without a problem.
RAM
Like most laptops that are available on the market today, the Asus 2-in-1 can get additional RAM that you can install later on. It does come with 16GB DDR4 RAM from most sellers, with an 8 GB memory stick pre-installed. This can be upgraded if needed in the future.
Graphics
This is where things get a tad bit disappointing, as the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 ships with a GTX 1050, which is a few generations old at this point. However, it can still handle most games at low to medium settings and delivers playable frame rates.
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 handles most tasks, apart from heavy gaming, with great ease. Watching movies and working on image editing software will be a breeze. While hardcore games will want to reconsider their choice, those who are looking for an all rounder laptop that excels at handling daily tasks will find that this graphics card is more than enough.
Build Quality
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 comes with a chassis that is a combination of plastic and aluminum. Those who are familiar with Asus’s Zenbook line of offerings may feel like the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is a little lackluster. However, this is not to say that the overall build quality is bad. The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 feels quite sturdy and durable, except for the area near the keyboard, which is prone to a little bit of flexing.
The laptop feels solid overall, and while the build quality is nothing to write home about, it will suffice for more people. While some areas tend to flex, they still hold steady. The metal finish makes it look quite elegant. However, it is a fingerprint magnet, which will need regular cleaning if fingerprint smudges bother you.
One thing that is of concern though is that there is no protection against dust. In fact, the motherboard can be seen through the cooling slots of the laptop that are located on the side. This makes the laptop prone to collecting dust and overheating.
Keyboard
One of the best features of the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is the keyboard. The design feels smooth and the buttons are well placed and well shaped. Typing will surely feel like a breeze to most people using the Asus 2-in-1 Q535.
There are a few things that people should be aware of though. The keyboard lacks a Ctrl key on the right side. For most people, this will probably not be an issue. However, those who do not want to sacrifice the right control key can install a third party software and remap the menu key to be the Ctrl key instead.
The design of the number pad leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn’t remove the num pad, unlike most laptops, but it does feel quite cramped in its current state. The layout might need some getting used to, as the right column that usually has the minus, plus and enter button has been shifted to the top of the number pad. This may annoy some users who are used to a normal numeric keypad.
However, the overall keyboard experience is positive. The keyboard is backlit as well, which makes typing in dimly lit situations easy and can be customized to 3 levels of brightness.
Battery Life
The battery is the biggest tradeoff with this laptop. The laptop only provides 4 hours of battery life. The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 ships with a 3-cell battery that takes about 2 hours to fully charge.
This battery powers the laptop for about 4 hours, if it is being used for regular tasks. Gaming, editing and rendering sap the battery even more quickly. While this is not ideal, it was probably considered necessary in order to maintain its lightweight size. If you do go with this laptop, be prepared to bust out every battery saving trick in the book
Ports and Connectivity
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 can use bluetooth as well as WiFi, which are built into the laptop itself. There are quite a few USB ports as well as ports that support Thunderbolt 3. One gripe that people may have is that all the USB sockets are on the right side of the laptop and there are none on the left. However, this is a minor annoyance for most people.
Webcam
When working from home or participating in Zoom meetings, having a quality webcam is essential. Thankfully, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 has you covered. Its webcam captures sharp and crisp images, allowing you to communicate clearly with colleagues and loved ones. No matter what environment you’re in, its high-resolution webcam ensures that your conversations remain clear and uninterrupted – perfect for keeping up productivity whether you’re at home or on the go.
Cost
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 costs $1500, which is a bit pricey. While this laptop does offer decent performance in a lightweight form factor, it may not be able to justify the cost due to its many drawbacks, unless the user prioritizes having a 2-in-1 device that is portable.
Should You Get the Asus 2-In-1 Q535
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is a laptop that most people will see as a balance between delivering performance while not sacrificing portability. While the laptop does offer some amazing features, it has drawbacks that may be a bit too difficult to ignore. By itself, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 may make for a decent choice, but given its hefty price tag combined with its many glaring drawbacks, the truth is that there are many other offerings which are simply better if you are willing to sacrifice the 2-in-1 functionality.
However, if portability and a 2-in-1 function is something that you absolutely need, then the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is perfect for you. While it does not meet the standards of other offerings as a laptop, it excels as a 2-in-1 device, as you will find it extremely difficult to find something similar with such great specs at this price point. If this happens to be a priority for you, the Asus 2-in-1 Q535 is for you.
FAQs
Asus is a great brand! It is well known for making great laptops across many price segments that cater to various use cases.
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 costs $1499. However, you may find it cheaper during sales.
2-in-1 laptops are laptops that can be used as tablets as well. They do this by either having a detachable screen or by having a keyboard that swings all the way back.
The Asus 2-in-1 Q535 comes with Windows 10 preinstalled. This can be upgraded to Windows 11 later on.
