There’s a certain thrill in finding a laptop that actually keeps up with your lifestyle. Imagine something that can get crushed by as much as 100kgs of luggage in the airport, something that can still function after getting splashed with water, or still look flawless after being scratched by a pencil. These are just some of the strengths of the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra, which has just recently been launched in the Philippines. On top of those, it’s light enough to carry anywhere but powerful enough to handle anything, very fitting to be called “the flagship of the industry.”
ASUS Co‑CEO Samson Hu even flew in for the launch held at the Grand Ballroom of Okada Manila, joined by ASUS Vice President & APAC Commercial GM Rex Lee, and ASUS Business Philippines’ Francis Avila. Their message to over 1,200 attendees was clear: The ExpertBook Ultra isn’t just another release, it’s the flagship of the industry. Period.
Encased in a featherlight aerospace‑grade chassis that weighs less than a kilo, the ExpertBook Ultra runs on the latest Intel® Core™ Ultra X9 Series 3 processor, paired with advanced graphics and an NPU for AI‑driven workflows. With a 70Wh battery promising up to 26 hours of life, a 14‑inch 3K Tandem OLED touchscreen, Dolby Atmos audio, and enterprise‑grade security, it’s suitable for executives and professionals who refuse to slow down.
ASUS gave top executives like Lito Villanueva, Jacqueline Gutierrez, and Dindo Marzan three weeks with the laptop, no scripts attached. Their verdicts were unanimous that it’s fast, practical, and powerful without overwhelming the user.
Lito Villanueva, EVP & Chief Innovation & Inclusion Officer of RCBC and Founding Chairman of Fintech Alliance PH and Asia FinTech Alliance, has spent his career demanding more from technology — and from the institutions that adopt it. After three weeks, his assessment was direct: “The best technology should make people feel more capable, not more overwhelmed. The ExpertBook Ultra brings powerful features — from AI performance to enterprise-grade security — into a device that still feels simple and practical to use.”
From an executive at the intersection of finance, innovation, and digital transformation, that is not a compliment lightly given.
Two other executives echoed the same verdict in their own way. Jacqueline Guiterrez, Co-Founder & CEO of Happy Skin Cosmetics and BLK Cosmetics, put it simply: “I like things that do their job — works when you say it should work.” And Dindo Marzan, SVP and Head of SME Business Group of Converge ICT Solutions, summed it up just as directly: “It can really go with the speed that we have in processing.”
On stage, personalities like Gabbi Garcia and Rico Hizon added star power, representing the modern Filipino professional across industries. As someone in the media industry, I can definitely relate with Rico’s experience.
What makes the ExpertBook Ultra stand out is how it blends elegance with raw performance. It’s slim enough to carry anywhere, yet strong enough to handle AI‑heavy workloads, creative projects, and enterprise demands. For professionals who juggle meetings, deadlines, and travel, this laptop feels less like a gadget and more like a productivity hub.
The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is now available in the Philippines starting at ₱129,995 in select ASUS authorized stores and online platforms. Early bird bundles worth over ₱13,000 are also up for grabs until July 31, 2026, including an ASUS 100W GaN Charger and SSI gift vouchers.
Full specs below:
| Model Name & Positioning | ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406CAA)An ultra-portable mobile workstation that shatters the boundaries between sub-1kg portability and desktop-grade performance, acting as a zero-compromise ROI instrument for enterprise leaders. |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro / Home / Pro Education (64-bit) |
| Processor & AI Compute (CPU & NPU) | Up to Intel® Core™ Ultra X9-388H (Options: X7-358H, U7-356H, U5-325)• NPU: Dedicated 50 TOPS Neural Processing Unit• Total Platform: Up to 180 TOPS.• TDP: 50W Sustained Thermal Design Power via ASUS ExpertCool Pro Technology.The 50 TOPS NPU enables entirely local, zero-latency execution of heavy LLM inference, real-time translation, and generative AI tasks without relying on the cloud—ensuring strict data privacy and slashing cloud computing costs. The unthrottled 50W TDP allows workstation-level multitasking in a 10.9mm thin chassis. |
| Graphics (GPU) | Up to Integrated Intel® Arc™ B390 (12 Xe Cores)Heterogeneous architecture allows this integrated GPU to outperform a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 4050 (at 30W TGP) by ~35% in 3DMark Time Spy. Professionals can effortlessly handle 4K video editing, complex 3D data visualization, and parallel AI graphics acceleration directly on device. |
| Memory (RAM) | Up to 64 GB LPDDR5x @ 9600 MT/sPushing beyond the standard 8533/8448 MT/s found in rivals, the blistering 9600 MT/s bandwidth eliminates data bottlenecks. This ensures the NPU and GPU are constantly fed with data, delivering instantaneous responsiveness when running multiple virtual machines or massive datasets. |
| Storage (SSD) | Up to 2 TB M.2 PCIe® Gen 5.0 x4 NVMe (OPAL 2.0 SED options)Quite literally twice as fast as the Gen 4 SSDs used by primary competitors. This 14,000+ MB/s velocity means gigabytes of local AI models, 8K raw footage, and heavy software environments load in milliseconds. Hardware-level OPAL encryption keeps corporate IP cryptographically locked if the drive is ever stolen. |
| Display Technology (Tandem OLED) | 14″ 16:10, 3K (2880 x 1800) 120Hz Anti-glare Touchscreen Tandem OLED• Metrics: 30-120Hz VRR, 1400 nits HDR Peak, 600 nits SDR, 960Hz native PWM, 100% DCI-P3, Delta-E < 1, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000.The dual-layer Tandem structure delivers triple the brightness while consuming 40% less power, drastically reducing burn-in risk. The 1400-nit peak ensures perfect color accuracy and visibility even for outdoor client presentations. |
| Display Technology (Polymer OLED) | 14″ 16:10, 3K (2880 x 1800) Touchscreen POLED• Metrics:120Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits HDR, 450 nits SDR, 720Hz native PWM.Offers the absolute lightest device configuration (0.99 kg) with ultra-fluid 120Hz motion clarity for high-speed scrolling and dynamic content. |
| Glass & Anti-Glare Tech | Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus + Corning® Gorilla® Matte• Metrics: 19 GU (Gloss Units), 80% glare reduction, 50% sparkle reduction.Microscopic nano-etching achieves an absurdly low 19 GU reflection rate (compared to ~80 GU on standard anti-glare screens). This creates a paper-like viewing experience that drastically cuts eye strain and squinting during marathon work sessions, while Victus glass provides superior drop and scratch resistance with up to 100 kg weight durability. |
| Thermal System | ASUS ExpertCool Pro Technology• Architecture: Dual fluid-dynamic bearing fans, 97 Liquid-Crystal Polymer (0.15mm) blades, 0.1mm ultra-thin aluminum heatsink fins, crosswind positive air-pressure (+12% central pressure).• Acoustics: <20dB (Whisper mode, 15W CPU TDP), <28dB (Standard mode, 25W CPU TDP), <42dB (Performance mode, 45W CPU TDP).Prevents thermal throttling even when the lid is closed and docked. You get 25W of uncompromised power in near-absolute silence (<28dB), ensuring a highly professional, disruption-free environment in boardrooms or libraries. |
| Keyboard | Full-size, Backlit, Water Spill-Resistant with special UV Coating• Metrics: 1.5 mm key travel, 19.05mm key pitch, 0.2mm key dish.Retains a deep, desktop-like 1.5mm travel (beating the 1.1mm industry average) for fatigue-free typing. The special UV coating provides a “zero gloss,” ultra-soft silky touch that strongly resists smudges, fingerprints, and chemical cleaners. Dedicated Mic/Mute LEDs prevent conferencing embarrassments. |
| Touchpad | 110 cm² Edge-to-Edge Glass Haptic Touchpad• Hardware: AAC haptic motor, 6 independent force sensors.Eliminates mechanical “diving board” hinges. The 6 force sensors guarantee silent, uniform, and perfectly symmetrical tactile feedback anywhere you press on the glass. Integrated slide gestures for volume and brightness eliminate hunting for function keys. |
| I/O Ports | Left: 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 (40Gbps, 4K, PD3.0), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS (4K@60Hz), 1x 3.5mm combo jack.Right: 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 (40Gbps, 4K, PD3.0), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps).True dongle-free mobility. With high-speed Type-C and Type-A ports distributed on both sides, professionals can charge and connect peripherals fluidly regardless of desk layout. |
| Wireless & Antennas | Triple-band 2×2 Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) + Bluetooth® 6.0 with LDS• Metrics: Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) 3D antenna integration yields a 43% efficiency improvement in 5GHz & 6GHz bands.By printing the antenna directly onto the plastic exhaust carriers, it bypasses metal chassis interference. This massive antenna array ensures unparalleled signal integrity, zero packet loss, and high throughput in hyper-congested environments like airport lounges or tech conferences. |
| Audio & Microphones | 6-Speaker Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos• Hardware: 2x 3411 Dual-diaphragm 5cc woofers, 2x 1610 tweeters, 2x Cirrus CS35L56 Smart Amps, 1x Cirrus CS42L43 DAC.• Metrics: 95dB peak loudness.Obliterates the audio of standard Ultrabook (hitting 95dB vs competitors’ ~85dB). The stacked woofer/tweeter structure provides deep bass and rich vocals. Paired with “VoicePrint” AI Noise-Canceling mics, you can execute flawless, headset-free hybrid meetings in noisy coffee shops. |
| Battery & Charging | 70 Wh, 4-cell Li-Polymer (2S2P Architecture)• Metrics: Up to 26 hours battery life. 50% charge in 30 mins. Supports 5V-20V full range charge.The 2S2P (2-series, 2-parallel / 7.8V) architecture reduces switching losses in the MOSFET for vastly superior DC-DC conversion efficiency. Combined with 5V-20V full range charging support, you can top up using a standard smartphone power bank or airplane seat port, keeping you operational anywhere on earth. |
| Enterprise Security | ASUS ExpertGuardian & NIST SP 800-193 Compliance• Hardware: ASUS Security Processor, Dual Self-healing BIOS ROM, Discrete TPM 2.0 (FIPS 140-2), Microsoft Pluton, Match-on-Chip Fingerprint, Windows Hello IR, Physical Webcam Shield, Chassis Intrusion Alert.Meets Microsoft Secured-Core PC standards out of the box. NIST SP 800-193 compliance ensures the firmware actively Protects, Detects, and Recovers from persistent, stealthy malware (like LoJax), providing an impenetrable hardware foundation for sensitive corporate data. |
| Chassis & Durability | CNC AZ31B Magnesium-Aluminum with ASUS Nano Ceramic Technology• Metrics: 9H Hardness. MIL-STD-810H (24 procedures). 157 ASUS Tests (50K hinge cycles, 100K simulated hand-pressure, 250K keycap rub).The aerospace-grade AZ31B alloy is 34% lighter than standard aluminum. The Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) process binds a 9H ceramic layer to the metal, making it 5x more scratch-resistant than industry standards. It drastically lowers TCO by surviving drops, spills, and extreme corporate abuse. |
| Dimensions & Weight | 31.09 x 21.28 x 1.09 cm• POLED version: 0.99 kg • Tandem OLED version: 1.09 kgThe ultimate definition of “Featherlight.” This footprint is physically smaller and thinner than all direct 14-inch market rivals, drastically reducing travel fatigue while carrying workstation-tier computing power. |
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