Asus launches Expertbook Ultra for on-device AI workloads with military grade durability

The new addition to Asus’ Expertbook lineup arrives at a time when laptop prices have been projected to rise due to a global shortage of memory chips, driven by the rapid build-out of AI infrastructure by tech giants such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft who have absorbed much of the supply of memory or DRAM chips.

Research from Omdia indicates that global shipments of desktops, notebooks, and workstations could decline sharply, by around 11 to 12 per cent in 2026. However, Samson Hu, the co-CEO of Asus Global, said the company’s commercial PC business in India saw a 170 per cent year-over-year growth in 2025.

“With our commitment and steady efforts in the year 2025, ASUS global commercial business grew by an impressive 85 per cent, which contributes up to 27 per cent of ASUS’ total global business. We are aggressively investing and growing our commercial business globally, including India,” Hu said.

Prices for the Expertbook Ultra begin at Rs 1,49,990, with pre-orders starting today (April 22) and the laptop officially going on sale on e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and other authorised retailers from April 29, 2026, onwards. The laptop will be available in two colourways, namely: Morn Grey and Jet Fog.

Design and durability

Weighing about 990 grams and measuring 10.9 mm thick, the Expertbook Ultra is designed to be highly portable and durable, catering specifically to CXOs and business leaders who prioritise mobility.

The display lid is coated in a PEO (plasma electrolytic oxidation) layer as well as Nano Ceramic technology that, Asus claims, makes the Ultra three times more harder than other premium laptops on the market, while also being resistant to scratches and abrasion.

It is a US Military Grade laptop (MIL-STD 810H certified), passing 24 tests in 11 categories such as altitude, high temperature, vibration, solar radiation, etc. Internally, Asus said that its hinges have been tested for 20 years of usage and the outer panel of the laptop can withstand over 25 kg of pressure so that users, for instance, do not have to worry about others placing heavy objects on top of it in a flight.

This level of durability also extends to the 3K Tandem OLED display (with upto 1400 nits HDR brightness) as it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus that can withstand pressure from a 100 kg weight. The display is further equipped with Gorilla Matte that serves as an anti-reflective coating with etching directly on the glass.

Battery and performance

The laptop is powered by Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processors and runs on Windows 11 Pro. It features built-in Intel Arc graphics and supports up to 50W TDP performance. The device can be configured with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5x memory and supports WiFi 7 connectivity.

With up to 16 CPU cores, and a next-generation NPU 5 paired with an X3 GPU, the device is built as a true AI powerhouse offering a total of 180 TOPS of AI performance across platforms, Asus said.

On the AI front, the ExpertBook Ultra is a Copilot+ PC with a dedicated key, indicating it meets the minimum performance requirements to run AI workloads locally on the device.

In terms of battery life, Asus said that the Expertbook Ultra is built for serious travel as it packs a 70W battery, ensuring up to 19 hours single charge usage and 26 hours of video playback as well as 30 minutes fast-charging support. The premium laptop comes with two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with DAC.