ASUS is expanding its Expert line of business laptops by adding a new member: the mid-tier ExpertBook B3 Detachable, a computer that the company envisions will be used in a variety of industries.
According to ASUS (opens in new tab), the B3 can be used in remote work settings, “in the classroom, on the manufacturing line,” and even in healthcare environments. To facilitate this jack-of-all-trades style, the laptop includes features that give it a great deal of flexibility. Plus, the B3 only weighs 1.3 pounds (around half a kilogram) and has a battery life of up to 21 hours, so you can lug it around at work comfortably without worrying that it'll die on you quickly.
The B3 is a 2-in-1 device with a detachable keyboard so it can turn into a tablet, complete with horizontal and vertical configurations for its screen. The display is a 10.5-inch touch screen that outputs at a resolution of 1920×1200, also known as WUXGA Resolution (opens in new tab) (widescreen ultra extended graphics array). While not as nice as a 4K or even a 2K resolution screen, the B3 still has a decent-looking wide display.
On the back, you will find an MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol (opens in new tab)) stylus that ASUS states can be used to write down notes on the touch screen if you don’t want to smudge the screen with your hands. The stylus also charges pretty quickly. A fast 15-second charge will last you 45 minutes.
Eclectic features
When it comes to the B3’s features, the suite is rather eclectic.
You have some that are expected for a business laptop like a high-resolution dual camera system consisting of a front-facing 5MP lens and an outward-facing 13MP lens. The cameras sport active noise reduction to keep video calls clear. AI-powered noise-canceling is included to get rid of outside sounds. ASUS SmartConnect on the machines promises better-performing Wi-Fi connections and extends the reach of Bluetooth connectivity. There’s even a mute key for microphones right on the keyboard.
Maybe more interesting for people concerned about health and cleanliness is the B3's Antibacterial Guard (opens in new tab), which protects the laptop from germs. It's a feature you hardly see on any tech device. ASUS explains laptop surfaces can potentially harbor “harmful bacteria”. To fight this, the keyboard has been given an “antibacterial treatment” said to reduce microbial growth by more than 99 percent over the course of 24 hours. It can even withstand “alcohol-based cleaning products” in case you want to wipe it down before using it.
We should also mention the keyboard is spill-resistant and built to withstand 10 million keystrokes. The display is TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue-light emissions, which is good to have as it will reduce the odds of experiencing eye strain due to prolonged usage.
On sale now
The laptop is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chipset, consisting of an eight-core processor, an Adreno GPU, and a 4G LPDDR4X RAM. It has a CPU clock speed of 2.55 Ghz. Not the fastest in the world, but for a general-purpose device like the B3, it’s a decent speed. Storage capacity is rather disappointing. The device houses a 128 GB eMMC (opens in new tab) (MultiMedia Card), something that’s typically found in phones. In other words, it's not very big.
Again, this is a mid-tier laptop, so it isn't the most robust, but may be a decent machine nonetheless. The ExpertBook B3 Detachable is currently available for sale with a $599 price tag through Best Buy (opens in new tab), or if you want it a little bit cheaper, it’s $539 on Amazon (opens in new tab). It’s only available in Star Black, however.
If you’re in the market for something more robust, be sure to check out TechRadar’s best business laptops list for 2022. It’s been recently updated.
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