Wait, didn’t we already check out the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip? Well, yes… And no. The ExpertBook B7 Flip today we will be looking at today comes with a pretty tangible upgrade, with the new 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P and a whopping 32GB of DDR5-4800 under the hood. We are also going to be able to spend more time with it, so let’s see if this is the business laptop for me, and you.
ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip — What’s Good?
There’s 5G!
WiFi 6E? Pfft, done. But wait, there’s more. ASUS equipped the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip with a 5G cellular modem. The ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip’s cellular connectivity is more than just for the buzzword though. With a built-in cellular modem, you no longer have to rely on insecure public WiFi. This ensures that you get better security when you have to stay connected on the go. Notably, 5G in Malaysia is still not really a thing. So while you do have 5G support, it’s more for future-proofing, rather than something you can truly take advantage of right now.
Even then, 4G LTE is plenty fast already. It never really dawned how much of an advantage it is to have 5G in a laptop. Firstly, I no longer need to whip out my phone to use its hotspot when I’m outdoors. The ExpertBook B7 Flip is already connected to the Internet by the time I key in my login password. I must say, I will probably pick cellular connectivity over a dedicated GPU in my next laptop, if I am given such a choice. Alas, cellular connectivity is often exclusive to premium business laptops, and I have yet to see more mainstream-oriented notebooks offer it.
Every connectivity option you need in one laptop
But the cool connectivity options don’t end there. With the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip, you get NFC, you get LAN over micro HDMI, and a smart card reader. I am not sure what else you can ask for in a laptop. Heck, there’s even a mini DisplayPort for you to connect up to a total of three 4K monitors to this laptop, even when you use one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports for charging. Two USB-A ports round off the excellent set of I/O ports. This is the kind of laptop that is just as comfortable on your desk as it will be out and about.
I must say, even with it being among of the thinnest and lightest laptops I checked out this year, the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip still manages to impress me in terms of its I/O and connectivity. And the biggest differentiator of the ASUS ExpertBook series — LAN over micro HDMI — is also present here, which makes it perfect for deployments that rely on MAC address whitelisting, as the LAN controller is built into the laptop.
Flexible form factor takes advantage of great display
Business laptops are often thought to be boring and stoic, but not this one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still built to be ridiculously resilient, meeting the MIL-STD 810H durability standards. But the 360-degree hinge is definitely fun to use, especially if you have gotten used to touch displays like me. The matte antiglare coat on the screen does collect fingerprints rather easily, but I also found it easy to clean. I definitely prefer this over the regular glossy screens ASUS are equipping their laptops with nowadays. Another bonus is that the matte surface feels better in contact with the ASUS Pen stylus for a more comfortable pen experience.
This is no OLED display, but it does deliver a decent 100% sRGB and 500 nits of brightness. Do note that because of the presence of the privacy screen, if you are looking at it from any other angle than straight on, it doesn’t look quite as bright. And that’s with it off. If you enable the Private View feature, anyone looking at the screen from beyond 45° will see a very dim display. This is great for those of you who work in open spaces and need some extra privacy.
Comfortable, well-spaced keyboard
As customary for ASUS laptops, the keyboard is really comfortable to type on, with a slight tilt to the deck thanks to the ErgoLift hinge. The keys themselves are rather quiet too, perfect for working in an office, or cafe. The trackpad also features the NumberPad feature that makes it great for number entry as well. To access the aforementioned Private View feature, you can also assign it to the highlighted number keys, which are hotkeys customizable in the ASUS ExpertWidget app.
ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip — What’s Not?
Slightly larger footprint than usual for a 14″ laptop
Recent ASUS OLED laptops are now boasting around 90% screen-to-body ratios. So while we have a fully respectable 81% screen-to-body ratio here, it does result in a larger overall footprint. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a compact laptop, but I think it could be even smaller. This is a theme that I noticed on the ASUS ExpertBook series: thicker bezels than their consumer-oriented counterparts. I am not sure if the larger footprint serves as “crumple zones” in the event of a drop, but that does seem like the most likely reason for the larger footprint of the ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip.
ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip (B7402FB) Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7-1260P, 12C/16T (4P+8E) @ up to 4.7GHz 18MB L3 cache 28W TDP Intel 7 |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, 1 x SO-DIMM slot vacant |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics, 96EU @ up to 1.4GHz |
| Storage | 1TB Micron 2450 SSD (M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD, NVMe 1.4) 1 x M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot vacant |
| Display | 14.0″ FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200) 60Hz BOE NE140WUM-N65 IPS display 500 nits max brightness, PrivateView feature 100% sRGB gamut 81% screen-to-body ratio, touch and stylus support |
| Connectivity | 5G cellular network (Intel 5G Solution 5000) WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3 (Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211) Intel I219-V GbE LAN (over micro HDMI) 2 x Thunderbolt 4 with display-out, USB-PD 2 x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps) 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x mini DisplayPort Smart card reader NFC 1 x 3.5mm combo jack |
| Audio | Stereo speakers with Smart Amp Technology harman/kardon (Premium) Array microphone |
| Power | 63WHr 3-cell Li-ion battery 65W USB-C (USB-PD) power adapter |
| Dimensions | 320.0 x 234.2 x 18.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.48kg |
| Included Accessories | Wireless optical mouse Backpack ASUS Pen micro HDMI to RJ45 dongle |
ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip — should you buy this?
Yes. The ASUS ExpertBook B7 Flip’s 5G connectivity and complete set of I/O options ensures that it’s ready for everything and anything you throw at it. I would say that the cellular connectivity here truly separates the ExpertBook B7 Flip from its more consumer-oriented brethren in ASUS’ lineup. While it’s quite costly at RM8,499, it has now made me want for 5G, or at least 4G LTE, in my next laptop, a need that I never knew I had, prior to experiencing this.
Another thing worth mentioning is the extensive warranty coverage available to all ASUS ExpertBooks — 3-year global with local onsite warranty, 3-year battery warranty and 1-year accidental damage protection — making this worth considering for those who don’t want to worry about after sales support. Regardless of whether you have to deal with warranty services yourself or you have an IT department to take care of it for you, it’s some nice extra peace of mind.
And oh, the ExpertBook B7 Flip comes with a stylus and wireless mouse in the box. Just to help seal the deal. For more info about this laptop: https://www.asus.com/my/Laptops/For-Work/ExpertBook/Expertbook-B7-Flip-B7402F-12th-Gen-Intel/