ASUS refreshes the ExpertBook B9 and B7 Flip with 12th-gen Intel CPUs

At this year’s Computex, ASUS has announced a refreshed of its premium ExpertBook laptops, geared towards business users. The refreshed laptops include the ExpertBook B9 – which ASUS calls its lightest 14-inch business laptop – and the ExpertBook B7 Flip. Both of them come with Intel’s 12th-generation processors, but not a whole lot has changed otherwise.

ASUS ExpertBook B9

Starting with the flagship model, the ExpertBook B9 (B9450), ASUS says it’s the lightest laptop in its lineup, and one of the lightest 14-inch business laptops in the world. It weighs just 880 grams, or 1.94 lbs, though only if you opt for the model with a 33Whr battery. There’s also a version with a 66Whr battery, which starts at 1005 grams (2.2 lbs). ASUS also touts up to 16 hours of battery life, but that only applies to the heavier model.

In terms of specs, the ASUS ExpertBook B9 is now powered by Intel’s 12th-generation processors, specifically from the U15 series. You can get it starting with an Intel Core i5-1235U and up to a Core i7-1265U, with 10 cores, 12 threads, and speeds up to 4.8GHz. It also comes with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.

Aside from that, almost everything is the same. You get a 14-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and Full HD resolution. As tends to be the case with ASUS laptops, the touchpad can double as a virtual number pad for number-crunching in a pinch. There’s still a standard 720p HD camera with IR for Windows Hello facial recognition, so that unfortunately hasn’t been upgraded. The laptop has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI 2.0, and a headphone jack, plus Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support.

ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip

In addition to the ultra-light ExpertBook B9, ASUS is also refreshing its premium business convertible, the ExpertBook B7 Flip. This new model comes with a big upgrade to its internals because not only has it been refreshed with 12th-generation processors, they’re now from the P series, so instead of a 15W TDP, it has a 28W TDP. That should result in significantly higher performance, and you can go up to a Core i7-1270P processor with vPro support. The laptop can also be configured with 32GB of RAM (upgradeable to 64GB) and up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.

Unfortunately, the webcam also hasn’t been updated with this model, so you’re still getting a 720p sensor coupled with an IR camera for Windows Hello support. The display is also unchanged, meaning it’s a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio that’s more suited to productivity, and since it’s a convertible, it supports both touch and MPP pens, including the optional ASUS Pen. It also comes in Full HD+ or Quad HD+ resolution options depending on your needs.

As you might expect from a business laptop, connectivity is a big deal, and the ExpertBook B7 Flip offers optional 5G support so you can stay connected from anywhere. In terms of ports, you get a very wide range, too, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, a micro HDMI port to be used with an Ethernet adapter, a Smart Card reader, and a headphone jack. There’s also a nano-SIM card slot if you get the 5G model.

The new laptops will be available in the third quarter of 2022, and they’ll start at $1,399.

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