Asus Vivobook S15 S5506 and SmartO mouse review: Power couple?

I got my hands on the Intel Ultra-powered Asus Vivobook S15 S5506 along with their latest SmartO mouse. While I have reviewed Vivobooks in the past, this was my first Asus mouse Also Read: ASUS Vivobook S16 Launched In India With Snapdragon X Processor, Priced At Rs 67,990: Check Specs, Offers And More

If were to give you a TL;DR, I’d say the Asus Vivobook S15 is a no-nonsense laptop that means work. But there are some quirks and details you should know before buying it, so do read the full thing. But before that, here’s a quick spec sheet. Also Read: Lenovo Legion Go 2 Leak Reveals 144Hz OLED Panel, Ryzen Z2 Extreme Ahead Of IFA 2025

Asus Vivobook S15 (S5506): Specifications

Asus Vivobook S15 Review: Design

The Asus Vivobook S15 is a slim & light military-grade tested laptop with US MIL-STD 810H certification. The hinge opens up to 180 degrees, and you also get a metal build that feels solid. You get 2 USB-A ports on the right side, 2 USB-C ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack on the left. So all the connectivity essentials are sorted on the Vivobook S15. Also Read: Best 8 Laptops Under Rs 35,000 For Creators, Students, And Office Workers: Check Lightweight And HD Display Laptops

There’s barely any chassis flex even while fast typing. However, the Neutral Black colour model is a fingerprint magnet. It has clever weight distribution so it doesn’t feel heavy in your hands or in a backpack.

Asus Vivobook S15 Review: Display and hinge

The 3K OLED panel is a delight to use in most cases. Colors look vibrant and blacks are sharp. HDR also makes a ton of difference if you turn it on. It is sharp, responsive, and bright so outdoor use is no problem.

But like most other OLEDs, this is a reflective panel and you’ll have to position it to cut any glares. Since the laptop has a 180-degree hinge, the viewing experience is pretty good from most angles. Asus has also done a good job with the hinge, as there’s no wobble at fast typing speeds, and you can open and close the lid with just one finger.

Asus Vivobook S15 Review: Keyboard and trackpad

With 1.7mm key travel and dish-shaped indentations, the Asus Vivobook S15 OLED’s keyboard is a delight to type. Chassis flex is only there if you press hard at a single spot. Otherwise, you can type fast on the Vivobook without any issues. And since this is a wide layout, you also get a dedicated numpad which is good for office use or quickly putting in your pin.

This also gets single-zone RGB lighting, so you can customize how it looks. However, it feels somewhat out of place on this laptop. Here too, the right control key is now the CoPilot key and is useful in its own way. Asus has also made structural changes to the laptop, giving it a 40% larger trackpad than the last-generation Vivobook.

All in all, the Vivobook has a good keyboard and trackpad combo. The subtly dished keys, long key travel, and the large trackpad contribute to better productivity and faster multitasking.

Asus Vivobook S15 Review: Enter SmartO mouse

While the Vivobook has a generous trackpad, a mouse is a mouse, and it is faster. I paired the Asus SmartO mouse with this laptop and it made a lot of difference. It is an ergonomic mouse that feels solid and easy on the wrist. Aside from the classic left & right click with a scroll wheel, this gets a DPI button at the top, and two mappable buttons on the left side.

This Bluetooth mouse runs on a single AAA battery, and you can pair it with up to three devices using the quick pair button at the bottom. It also has a USB receiver to reduce the lag further. I also paired it with a gaming laptop and there was no noticeable lag, but it is more of a productivity mouse than a gaming mouse. Plus I used it from a sofa, a wooden table, and a plastic table too,

Also, the best feature it has is a little loop at the front. You can easily carry it around with just one finger, and this shows Asus put some thought into its design. However, your lefty friends can’t use this mouse as it is meant for right-handed use.

Asus Vivobook S15 S5506 Review: Performance

Multiple Chrome tabs, server folders, and streaming Netflix. This was a part of the workload I tried on the Vivobook S15. This laptop breaks no sweat in multitasking or running heavy workloads. I even had a graphic designer friend run Photoshop on this laptop and there were no lags.

While video editing could be a whole different story, the capable specifications and the large OLED screen make it a good option if you want to run tools like Photoshop. That said, there is some heating I experienced while running Cinebench, but it never got uncomfortable hot in my usage.

Asus Vivobook S15 Review: Battery and charging

Performance is good until it starts draining your laptop and then you’re left stranded with unfinished projects. Fortunately, the Vivobook S15 has a handle on this situation. It is running on an Intel Evo chip, and you can also use the MyAsus app to control power consumption.

In one day, I used this laptop to post articles, and videos, watch some Netflix, and do some Canva work. This laptop can go 7 to 8 hours on this usage. Heavier tasks like Photoshop drain the battery faster, but you still get 3-4 hours of usage before it completely discharges.

Coming to the charger, Asus seems to be saving the sweet stuff for its exotic lineup. If you read my Zenbook Duo review, I was impressed with the Gan charger that comes with that laptop. It made all the difference between a laptop being truly portable. In this case, though, we have a traditional 95-watt brick that does the job well but is just another chunky charger.

Asus Vivobook S15 OLED S5506 Review: Verdict

Intel means business by pushing the Ultra Evo chips to work that hard and still be power-efficient. And Asus has done a fine job at giving the Vivobook S15 all the essentials it needs to be a good productivity machine. The screen and speakers are good enough for binge sessions, and the keyboard and trackpad help you work well.

The 8-hour battery means you can travel with this laptop, and the military-grade toughness gives it the ability to handle light shocks and bumps. All in all, this is a solid option for college students, and people looking for a business laptop that can handle moderately heavy workloads. But the 96,000 rupee price tag is too steep for the Ultra 5 variant. So if you can get it for a discount, it is a sweet deal.