ASUS Resorts To Deceptive Practices, Raises The Prices Of Its Snapdragon X2 Elite Laptops Shortly After Reviews Go Live

Only yesterday, we showered ASUS with a boatload of praises for nailing the price of its Zenbook A16, which will set you back by $1,599.99 but offers a top-tier Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, 48GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD in return, undercutting Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup. Now, shortly after the major technology publications pushed out the reviews, the Taiwanese firm believes that it got the majority of the community’s eyeballs on its products, making it an opportune moment to raise its laptops’ prices. In the eyes of the general public, the company resorted to deception, one that may bring consequences.

Various YouTube channels were impressed by the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and Snapdragon X2 Elite powering the Zenbook A16 and Zenbook A14, respectively, including Hardware Canucks, which immediately noticed a price hike in effect after the reviews were published. The Zenbook A16, which offers the best ‘bang for the buck,’ witnessed a $100 bump in its MSRP, going from $1,599.99 to $1,699.99.

Other portable machines witnessed a similar change, with the less exciting but more portable Zenbook A14 equipped with the standard Snapdragon X2 Elite, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD getting treated to a $200 premium. In short, they went from a borderline acceptable $1,149.99 to a less exciting figure of $1,349.99. Hardware Canucks even mentioned that its review was based on the $1,599.99 amount that was talked about in the video.

Naturally, this isn’t a good look for ASUS, but more importantly, it paints Qualcomm in a terrible light too. Until we have received confirmation on which company was behind the price hike, we will keep our fingers to ourselves, but even though the latest move will make anybody livid, we need to look at the products through a rational lens. Despite the price increase, at $1,699.99, the ASUS Zenbook A16 delivers exceptional value compared to competitors, especially when you factor in how expensive RAM and storage have become.

As for the Zenbook A14 now listed for $1,349.99, we’d recommend waiting for a future price drop or looking for a MacBook Pro alternative equipped with either the M5 Pro or M5 Max, which starts from $2,049 on Amazon. We understand the price disparity here, but it does make sense to spend more on a quality product, which Apple provides.

About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech’s mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.

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