Asus launches new Intel Wildcat Lake laptop with better display than MacBook Neo

Asus has introduced two new Intel Wildcat Lake laptops in China, the 2026 Vivobook 14SE and 16SE. Both share a similar set of specs, but the 16SE is more interesting due to coming with a better display than the MacBook Neo.

Specifically, Asus is offering two display options for the 2026 Vivobook 16SE. Both are 16-inch IPS panels, but one has a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, while the other bumps it up to 2560x1600. Both have a 144Hz refresh rate, but the latter screen has a variable refresh rate, and it has a brightness rating of 400 nits.

Other than the brightness rating, this upper-end screen option stands as a better option than the Liquid Retina display that's on the MacBook Neo. However, as we noted in our review, the display on the Apple laptop isn't really bad for the price range it sits in. Moving beyond the screen, both laptops are powered by the Intel Core 5 320, a mid-range option from the Wildcat Lake lineup. It's paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 storage.

Both laptops have an identical chassis, which measures as thin as 15.9mm and weighs 1.29kg. They come with the same port configuration as well, featuring two USB-C 3.2 with PD (3.3-feet Baseus 100W PD cable curr. $6.39 on Amazon), two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, one 3.5mm audio jack, and one HDMI 2.1.

There's a 52.5Wh battery inside the two laptop models, which can make these two Asus laptops have a better runtime than the MacBook Neo. However, the battery life will mostly depend on the overall efficiency of the system and the Wildcat Lake processor.

As for the price, the Vivobook 14SE and 16SE both start at CNY 4,599, about $675. The 2026 16SE with the better display option, on the other hand, goes for CNY 4,999, around $734. Asus is expected to share details on the global launch and availability soon.