Snapdragon X2 Elite / Extreme laptops hit retail: Asus Zenbook A14 & A16 available for $1,149.99 and $1,599.99, respectively

Asus announced the Zenbook A14 and A16 models equipped with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite / Extreme processors back in January at CES, but exact availability and pricing info was not provided at that time. These two models are now available at retailers like BestBuy along with HP’s OmniBook Ultra 14 and prices are certainly higher than expected, most likely due to the ongoing RAM and storage crises.

Videocardz reports that the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor with 32 GB RAM and 1 TB storage is currently priced at $2,049.99. Back when Qualcomm announced the second generation Snapdragon X processors in September last year, the expected price for a notebook equipped with the X2 Elite processor, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD was expected to start at $900. For HP, doubling the amount of RAM and storage equates to more than double the starting price. Granted, the laptop also comes with a 3K OLED touchscreen and excellent connectivity.

Asus, on the other hand, is more reasonable. The Zenbook A14 model with the X2 Elite, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD is now available at $1,149. This model features the 18-core X2 Elite processor running at 4.7 GHz along with a powerful iGPU and an 80 TOPS NPU. It also comes with a 14-inch 2K OLED display and solid connectivity including USB4.

Perhaps even more attractive given the market conditions is the Zenbook A16 model with the 18-core X2 Elite Extreme processor running at 5 GHz plus a slightly faster iGPU and the same 80 TOPS NPU. Complementing the processor are 48 GB of LPDDR5X-9600 RAM and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD for $1,599.99. Compared to the HP model, the A16 almost looks like a bargain. Other outstanding features include the 16-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED  with 120 Hz refresh and 1,100 nit peak brightness, as well port selection including USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.