It is liberating not taking along the laptop power brick.
I can plonk myself anywhere without first checking for a power outlet. My bag feels lighter.
But this positive vibe usually dissipates after several hours. Fuelled by low battery anxiety, I would constantly check the laptop’s battery indicator and regularly save my documents – just in case.
On the contrary, I never felt anxious while testing the Aftershock Lunar 14 Pro. This is because this ultrabook comes with a huge 73 watt-hour battery that would not be out of place in one of the brand’s popular gaming notebooks.
Even then, I did not expect it to last an incredible 14 hours and 10 minutes in the usual video-loop battery test with the screen set to maximum brightness. This result is roughly twice as long as last year’s Aftershock Lunar 14, which has an older Intel processor and a smaller 47 watt-hour battery.
Unsurprisingly, the Lunar 14 Pro is targeted at business users and road warriors who cherish long battery life. The notebook is also very portable at just 1.06kg and comes in a slim chassis made with a magnesium and aluminium alloy.
Like most Aftershock’s gaming notebooks, the Lunar 14 Pro is built by Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM) Clevo. It has a plain, generic-looking appearance. Aftershock says buyers can customise the notebook’s exterior, such as putting a company logo on the lid, as well as the internal hardware like the amount and type of storage.
The Lunar 14 Pro is also the first laptop from Aftershock to receive the MIL-STD 810G certification for durability. It has undergone several rigorous tests, such as being exposed to extreme temperatures, vibration and shock.
In my test, the notebook feels sturdy enough with just a bit of flex in the lid. This lid can be opened to 180 degrees so that the laptop lies flat on the desk – handy for showing a photo or illustration to a person sitting opposite you.
Surrounded by narrow bezels on three sides, its 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel display looks almost borderless. As expected of an in-plane switching display, the screen’s colours look lively enough and viewing angles are wide.
But the display is slightly more reflective than I had expected – given its matt finish. The screen could be a tad brighter. I had to adjust the screen brightness to at least 75 per cent before it looked comfortable to me in a well-lit environment.
Above the screen is a Windows Hello infrared camera that uses facial recognition to log users into the computer. It works fast and even in the dark.
Despite feeling shallow, the keyboard feels tactile with a slight clicky response. Its backlight has five levels of brightness, which seems unnecessary, but perhaps some users may appreciate the fine control.
While it can be charged via its single USB Type-C port, the Lunar also has a conventional power connector for its bundled adaptor.
Other useful connectors on the laptop include an HDMI port, two USB Type-A ports and a microSD card slot. However, I would have liked a Thunderbolt 3 port for its speed and versatility.
My review set comes with the latest 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of system memory and a 512GB solid-state drive. It lacks a dedicated graphics chip and instead uses the integrated version from the Intel chip. Hence, it is more suited to run office productivity software than games or video-editing apps.
In the PCMark 10 benchmark, it produced an overall score of 4,274 that is comparable with other recent ultrabooks. Notably, this result is higher than the older Lunar 14’s score of 3,576.
At $1,744, my set is relatively affordable for what it offers. But its lack of PC client management or security tools that can, for instance, deploy software updates remotely, means the Lunar is probably a better fit for individuals, as well as small and medium-sized firms.
FOR
Incredible battery life
Slim and lightweight
USB-C charging
AGAINST
No Thunderbolt 3 ports
Screen could be brighter
SPECS
Price: $1,744
Processor: Intel Core i7-10510U (1.8GHz)
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen size: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Connectivity: USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI, microSD card slot, headphone jack
Battery: 73 watt-hour
RATING
Features: 4/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for money: 4.5/5
Battery life: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
ST Tech Editor’s Choice
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