ASUS ExpertBook B3 Detachable Laptop Promises Nearly A Full Day Of Battery Life
Asus has introduced a new Surface-like detachable computer called the ExpertBook B3 Detachable that may go down as arguably the most interesting Windows-powered device of the year. This is a Windows on ARM machine that focuses more on versatility and durability than raw firepower. It offers a 10.5-inch (1920 x 1200) touch-sensitive display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a modest 320 nits of peak brightness. Interestingly, the tablet has its own garage to house the stylus (MPP 2.0 standard) ensuring that users won't misplace it.
The bezels are rather thick, but the kickstand allows the device to be propped up in both landscape and vertical orientations. On the front is a 5-megapixel camera for handling video calls, but interestingly, there's a beefier 13-megapixel camera at the back. Unfortunately, the port situation is rather bleak, as the ExpertBook B3 Detachable only features a single USB-C port for charging and file transfer, sitting alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Asus has, however, paid extra attention to the build. The company claims that its latest machine offers military-grade durability courtesy of an MIL-STD 810H-certified build. Moreover, the device is touted to be spill-resistant, while the supplied stand cover is said to actively keep stains and smudges at bay. The detachable keyboard gets an anti-bacterial coating, while the display is covered by a blue-light filtering layer to reduce the strain on eyes.
Rugged and versatile in a highly mobile avatar
Things are curiously modest under the hood. The ExpertBook B3 Detachable draws power from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform, a chipset that is targeted at entry-level always-on PCs. It can be configured with up to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB of slow eMMC storage. The official spec sheet doesn't mention any scope for storage expansion via a faster SSD or an SD card slot. A 38 Wh battery keeps the lights on for as long as 21 hours (though your mileage may vary), while the peak charging wattage is 45W.
Asus has't given any endurance figures as to how long this battery last under stress, and how it fares against Chromebooks in the same price bracket. The stylus, on the other hand, can go on for 45 minutes with just 15 seconds of charging time. Priced at $599, the Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable is already up for purchase from BestBuy in the US, but there is no word on international availability at the moment.
Asus
It is quite evident that Asus is pushing the ExpertBook B3 Detachable as a more productivity-centric tablet alternative to the likes of iPad Air, and devices with similar form factor running Android and ChromeOS. Of course, being a Windows-powered machine gives it an edge, but the Asus device runs Windows on ARM, which is still far from a full-fledged Windows experience owing to a poor app selection and performance issues.