From afar, the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM from Asus looks like a rugged tablet similar to the one magnesium-coated ToughPad models from Panasonic. However, come closer and the industrial design, the CNC-milled aluminum chassis, the reinforced corners and the bundled accessories just ooze “schmexi-ness”, to paraphrase our sister publication, Laptopmag (opens in new tab).
Produced in partnership with revered artist Errolson Hugh, the RMT02 (as it is otherwise known), is pitched as a gaming tablet but its price (£2999 in the UK, $2500 in the US) and form factor make it a match in heaven for businesses, organizations and professionals eager to get a top of the range slate without an outrageous price tag.
The fact that it runs Windows 11 Pro by default, supports Microsoft Windows Hello, has a stylus and a full array of accessories (accessory bag, keyboard strap, main strap and detachable keyboard) makes it a very enticing proposition. Could it be used as a business tablet? We wouldn’t say no. Mobile workstation? Definitely given its specs.
A great alternative to boring business tablets
And the RMT02 delivers value-for-money in spades but let’s start with the bad news though: it is not IP-rated so you won’t be able to use it in dusty or moist environments. It’s not been tested to MIL-STD-810G standards either although Asus says that it has robust protection with plenty of rubber around the chassis to mitigate any falls. There’s also no fingerprint reader which is a shame.
The rest though is spectacularly good, very good: there’s a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor (that’s 14 cores and 20 threads), an Nvidia Geforce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB GDDR6 (remember, this is a gaming laptop wannabe), 32GB LPDDR5, 1TB SSD and Wi-Fi 6E. Despite being a mere tablet, it has a TB4 port with two USB ports, an audio jack and even a card reader.
The screen certainly remains the highlight: a sumptuous QHD+ 13.4-inch display that is not only DCI-P3/Pantone validated (making it an ideal display for Photoshop) but also one with a high brightness (500 nits), perfect for the busy outdoors. Asus chose a 56WHr battery, powered by a 130W AC GaN adapter, to keep the tablet running. At 1.32Kg alone (add 390g for the backlit chiclet keyboard), the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM is light enough to be carried around.
There’s plenty else to talk about: Dolby Atmos, two speakers, a trio of microphones, Dolby Vision HDR support and the ability to support external GPUs. Just be mindful that battery life will not be great because of the high refresh rate and the small battery size.
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