At Computex 2022, ASUS showed off two new Expert series laptops, including the world’s lightest 14-inch laptop.
The lightweight offering is the Asus ExpertBook B9, a 14-inch business laptop that weighs just 880 grams thanks to its magnesium alloy chassis.
The ExpertBook B9 (product code B9450CBA) may be highly portable — it’s also 14.9mm thin — but Asus promises it won’t cut corners on internal hardware and performance. For that, you’ll get the latest Alder Lake (12th Gen) Intel chips, up to Core i7 vPro models (with integrated Iris Xe graphics), and two SSDs in RAID configurations (tailored for performance or redundancy) storage Capacity up to 4TB.
Naturally, those working on the go will also expect longer battery life, which according to Asus extends to 16 hours.
The ExpertBook B9 is also well-built – MIL-STD 810H compliant, with a reinforced structure despite being lightweight – and has many safety features. These include a webcam shield, fingerprint reader, Kensington lock slot, and more…
The B9’s full-size keyboard is also spill-resistant, should you spill your morning coffee anywhere near your laptop. Another interesting point to note is that the trackpad has an integrated number pad (and a built-in NFC reader for swiping in).
Another portable introduced at Computex is the ExpertBook B7 Flip (B7402FBA), another 14-inch hybrid that, as the name suggests, can be flipped around a 360-degree hinge for use in stand or tablet mode ( It’s a touchscreen device and comes with a magnetic Asus Pen).
The B7 Flip has 5G support as an option (along with Wi-Fi 6E), and is again built on Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs (up to a Core i7) paired with up to 64GB of DDR5 system RAM. The device features a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis and is once again certified to the MIL-STD 810H standard for toughness and durability.
The convertible has 11 hours of battery life and has a similar set of security features to the aforementioned B9 in terms of biometrics (face login and fingerprint sensor). There’s also Asus PrivateView, an operating mode that drastically fades the screen at a 45-degree viewing angle (meaning someone sitting next to you won’t be able to make out what you’re displaying).
The ExpertBook B7 Flip also allows connecting up to three external monitors.
The ExpertBook B9 and ExpertBook B7 Flip start at $1,399 (about £1,100, AU$2,000) in the US, and Asus says these laptops will be available in the third quarter.
Analysis: Stupidly lightweight, but punchy on multiple fronts
These look like some very smart notebooks designed for business users, offering a range of security features and some smart innovations (like a number pad), and the starting price you’re getting here is delicious.
The ExpertBook B9 is very light, and although our roundup of the lightest laptops ever only places its predecessor in third place, the devices ahead of the Asus models are smaller (13.3 inches instead of 14 inches), so they have this aspect The advantages.
Really, to make a laptop that’s so light, durable, and fully functional, and promises some decent performance results with Intel’s latest Alder Lake CPUs, looks like quite an achievement. Of course, the B9 deserves attention for business users, and the B7 Flip is also a good option for a convertible.
Hopefully the Q3 release date will mean July, not later in the quarter…
This year, Computex goes virtual again, but we’re still bringing you all the latest computing news and releases, so be sure to check out all TechRadar Computex 2022 coverage.
