The 12-inch Apple MacBook is one of the most portable laptops available in the market. However, the Asus ZenBook 3 is a lookalike of the Apple offering and may give stiff competition to the MacBook.
Here is a quick comparison of the 12-inch MacBook (2016) and the Asus ZenBook 3.
Display
The MacBook sports a 12-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2,304 x 1,440 pixels and 226 ppi. The Asus ZenBook 3 comes with a slightly bigger 12.5-inch Full HD screen but it packs only 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and 176 ppi.
Design
The Apple laptop weighs 920 grams (2.03 pounds), and it is 13.1 millimeters (0.52 inches) at its thickest point. Asus has managed to make the ZenBook 3 thinner as well as lighter than its Apple rival. The ZenBook 3 weighs 910 grams (2.00 pounds), and it measures 11.9 millimeters (0.47 inches) thin.
"ZenBook has always been the benchmark for thin and light design, and with ZenBook 3 we've taken it to a whole new level. Using premium, aerospace-grade aluminum - lighter than standard laptop alloy, but 50 percent stronger - we reduced the weight to only 910 grams and honed the profile to an amazingly thin 11.9 millimeters," says Asus.
The MacBook is available in four hues: Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold. The ZenBook 3 is available in Royal Blue, Rose Gold and Quartz Grey color options.
Performance
Both the MacBook and the ZenBook 3 pack in impressive hardware specs when considering their sleek design.
Customers have the option to purchase the ZenBook 3 in a number of configurations. The base model comes with Intel Core i5 CPU, 256 GB internal storage and 4 GB of RAM. The Asus device can be upgraded to have an Intel Core i7 processor, 1 TB SSD and 16 GB RAM.
Intel's Core M processors power the MacBook and they are available with either 256 GB or 512 GB on-board storage. The Apple devices get 8 GB of RAM as standard.
"MacBook has been engineered from the ground up for silent, efficient performance. It includes sixth-generation Intel Core M processors that run on just 5 watts of power, made even more efficient by optimizations throughout OS X. Together the processor and OS X sip so little energy that the system generates very little heat, so no fan is required to cool the computer," says Apple.
Battery
ZenBook 3 customers can get battery life of up to 9 hours. Asus also claims that the battery capacity of the laptop reaches 60 percent with just less than 50 minutes of charge.
The MacBook has an edge over ZenBook 3 when it comes to battery life. The Apple laptop offers up to 10 hours of battery life between charges.
Neither Apple nor Asus have confirmed the battery size of their offerings.
Connectivity
The ZenBook 3 and the MacBook include a single USB Type-C connector. The lack of more ports makes it difficult when customers want to charge their laptop and connect it to a peripheral.
Asus will offer a separate dock, which will include two USB Type-C connectors, a standard USB port, 3-in-1 card reader and an HDMI port.
Price
The 12-inch MacBook (2016) has a base price of $1,299, while the entry-level ZenBook 3 will cost $999.
