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ASUS announces NovaGo, a Snapdragon 835 powered always-connected laptop running Windows 10

By Vijay Anand - on 12 Dec 2017, 9:00am

ASUS announces NovaGo, a Snapdragon 835 powered laptop running Windows 10

Note: This article was first published on 6th December 2017.

ASUS NovaGo

ASUS, Qualcomm, and Microsoft are ushering in the world’s first truly always-on, always-connected computing experience running on a Windows 10 OS.

Welcome the ASUS NovaGo, a new breed of laptops for a new age that’s always available and always updated, similar to what you expect out of your smartphone, only now you can do much more as it’s running a Windows 10 operating system.

To be exact, it comes loaded with the Windows 10 S OS, but as we’ve discussed before, its lineage has a lot in common with a full-fledged Windows 10 Pro OS which you can unlock for US$49 (after the free upgrade period till March 2018). So what’s the limitation on Windows 10 S? To recap, it will only run Windows App store apps and verified by Microsoft Win32 apps. If you can’t live with the restrictions, go ahead to unlock it for the ‘full works’ in the near future.
 

Always-on, always-connected proposition on a mobile Windows OS machine

ASUS NovaGo

Back to the ASUS NovaGo, the concept of an always-connected laptop isn’t new as it has been widely pushed as a marketing feature of the Windows Vista days. The difference is that notebooks of yore and even now can’t boast a 22-hour battery uptime on an always-on, always-connected state as claimed by ASUS.

While we’ll put this claim to test when the product goes into retail, what you need to know is that you can get an all-day battery life of a smartphone, but now on a laptop. Sure, the ASUS NovaGo is a 13.3-inch laptop, so that’s a much larger screen than a phone, but it also means it has space for a much larger battery; in this case a 52Wh lithium polymer battery. Now factor in Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, built-in Qualcomm Adreno 540 graphics engine and a Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 modem and you can be sure the claims made by ASUS are quite likely a reality.

But how does the notebook truly boast always-connected experience? The ASUS NovaGO supports eSIM and Nano SIM to enable mobile connectivity well beyond what most laptops can offer with only Wi-Fi. ASUS also would like to remind that data sent via 4G and 5G bands are more secure (as they are encrypted), making it safer than public Wi-Fi hotspot options. What’s more, the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem supports Gigabit-class download speeds, much more than many Wi-Fi options and even some home broadband options.

 

Design and Features

ASUS NovaGo

The ASUS NovaGo is a fully convertible notebook with a 360-degree multi-gear hinge so that users can use it in any way they feel comfortable – tablet mode, tent mode, regular laptop, the choice is yours. That means the notebook offers a multi-touch display and the 13.3-inch Full HD screen even has ASUS Pen support to enable users to get more creative and write as they would on paper or sketch freely like on a canvas.

Since the Snapdragon 835 processor is designed for use in fanless environments, it’s no different here on the ASUS NovaGo, and that allowed ASUS to deliver this convertible notebook in a thin 14.9mm profile and weighs 1.39kg.

Finally, here's an overview of the exact specifications you're getting:

  ASUS NovaGo (TP370)
Display
  • 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution with capacitive multi-touch
  • LTPS display with LED-backlight
  • 100% sRGB and 72% NTSC color gamut
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Graphics Qualcomm Adreno 540 710MHz
Memory 8GB RAM
Storage 64GB/ 128GB / 256GB UFS 2.0
Cameras 1MP HD (1280 x 720) front camera with 3P, f/2.0 aperture lens
Connectivity
  • 802.11a/b/g/n
  • 2x2 802.11ac MU-MIMO
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 modem (Gigabit LTE with DL: 1Gbps, UL: 150Mbps)
Ports
  • 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 1x audio jack: headphone / mic-in
  • 1x combo Nano SIM (tray with needle)
  • 1x microSD card reader slot (supports up to 256GB)
  • 1x HDMI
  • 1x DC in
Dimensions 316 x 221.6 x 14.9mm

 

Availability and Pricing

The ASUS NovaGo will first retail in US, UK, Italy, France, Germany, China and Taiwan. Availability elsewhere will greatly depend on ongoing arrangements and discussions with major telcos around the world, and we’re sure it’s just a matter of time before it graces our shores.

At the time of writing, the ASUS NovaGo announced is in its final prototype stage, and it will be a little while more before it hits the retail scene in the above-listed countries.

We’ll update the story once it’s officially launched.

The ASUS NovaGo will have a suggested retail price of US$599 for the 4GB RAM / 64GB storage option and US$799 for the 8GB RAM / 256GB storage option.


Read Next: Hands-on photos of the ASUS NovaGo

Visit Next:  ASUS product page for more information

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