Asus Announces ARM-based Windows 11 Professional Tablet
One of the first tablets to come with both Windows 11 and a Snapdragon ARM processor.
Today, Asus has announced a new 2-in-1 tablet known as the ExpertBook B3 Detachable designed for professionals. It's a unique device that features a Snapdragon processor paired with Microsoft's Windows 11 Pro operating system.
The tablet specs include a Snapdragon 7c Gen2 eight-core processor along with 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a storage capacity of just 128GB of eMMC memory. This tablet is one of the first Windows 11 based machines to come with an ARM processor, which should boost battery life significantly compared to more power-hungry x86 solutions.
As the name implies, this tablet is aimed more towards professionals who need a small tablet for jotting down notes, looking at Excel sheets, or other similar light-use tasks. Given the device's specs, don't expect to do any professional video editing or heavy Photoshop work without encountering massive slowdowns.
To turn the tablet into a true 2-in-1 device, Asus paired the B3 with its ExpertBoard keyboard that magnetically connects to the tablet and functions very similarly to Microsoft's own touch covers for its Surface tablets.
However, the keyboard itself can't do all the heavy lifting. As a result, Asus also pairs the B3 with its homemade ExpertStand, allowing you to prop the tablet when needed to work as a laptop or propping up the tablet vertically for other uses.
We don't have the B3's entire spec sheet, so some details, like display specifications, are unclear. But Asus does mention the screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which should provide some extra screen real estate over traditional 16:9 displays. The resolution remains unknown, but we're assuming it'll be around the 1080P ballpark.
The only I/O on the device appears to be a single USB-Type C connection and a single headphone/mic jack on the right side. To the left, you get your power button plus volume buttons.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
For notetaking, the B3 includes a stylus with a built-in charging holder inside the table. The charging rate of the pen is impressive, with Asus promising up to 45 minutes of use if you leave the pen to charge inside the tablet for just 15 seconds.
Asus has also specced out the ExpertBook B3 to the MIL-STD 810H U.S. Military standard, so you can expect the B3 to be very durable and reliable. Some of the qualifications include 15,000 insertion and removal cycles for the USB type C port, and the ability to withstand eighteen 40G shocks while the device is powered on.
Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.