Asus has launched the ExpertBook B3 Detachable, a detachable 2-in-1 laptop similar to the Surface, which is intended for education, small business and office use. According to ASUS, it is “the first ExpertBook laptop with a dual-sided stand, the first ARM-based Windows laptop with a storable stylus, and the first ASUS laptop to feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c (2nd generation)”.
Like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold (Gen 2), the B3 detachable notebook has three separate sections: a tablet section containing all the performance hardware and display, a magnetically attachable keyboard, just like the Surface Pro 8, and a magnetically attachable back cover that acts as a stand.
The stand allows the tablet to be placed horizontally or vertically, though it can only be used horizontally when the keyboard is attached. The tablet itself weighs just 1.3 pounds (595 grams); the keyboard and stand add 0.91 pounds (412 grams). The keyboard has a spill-resistant and anti-microbial coating, while the tablet is MIL-STD 810H durability certified to ensure it can withstand harsher environments than a regular PC.
ASUS claims the laptop has 21 hours of battery life on a single charge, while remaining lightweight and versatile. This is largely due to the computer’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c (second generation) processor with eight cores at 2.55GHz, integrated Adreno 618 GPU, up to 8GB of LPDDR4x integrated memory, and 128GB of eMMC storage.
The PC has a 10.5-inch touchscreen display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 1920×1200 resolution (FHD+) and 320 nits brightness, which is certified by TÜV Rheinland as low blue light and flicker-free. An active handwriting using MPP 2.0 protocol can be stored and charged inside the tablet, ready to be removed when it’s time to jot down some notes or do a quick sketch.
The front-facing camera above the display is 5 megapixels, and the rear camera has been bumped up to 13 megapixels. It also supports 3D noise reduction technology, which helps provide photo quality in low-light situations, and has dual multi-array microphones for voice chat. However, the ExpertBook B3 detachable PC doesn’t support 4G LTE or 5G connectivity, relying only on Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity. Ports are also a bit scarce, with only one USB-C port for charging and file transfer, next to a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The ExpertBook B3 Detachable (B3000) is available overseas starting today for $599 (about RMB 4,157.06).
