The Laptop That Gets Work Done Without Making a Fuss

ASUS ExpertBook P series have always catered to the needs of people in business segment. Basically, it is a kind of laptop that you usually get through business deals. But here comes the newly launched ASUS ExperBook P1, which is a bit different as it is available on Flipkart for anyone to buy. What really got my attention was the collaboration of practicality along with portability and strong performance.

The ASUS ExpertBook P1 comes with a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processor along with 32GB of DDR5 RAM under the hood, which is actually a pretty solid offer for a laptop priced under Rs 70,000. The laptop looks professional and clean along with built-in AI features that I am definitely curious to see as to how well it could push its boundaries beyond the usual day-to-day task.

But before we delve into the detailed analysis, let’s see what ASUS ExpertBook P1 has to offer in terms of specifications:

Design, Display, and Build Quality:

Right from the moment I picked ASUS ExpertBook P1, I could tell this laptop has one of the best durability in its segment. It is incredibly light which made it super easy for me to hold and carry during my weekend trip to a tech conference. I carried it at the airport and it handled the rough treatment like a champ and that’s probably thanks to its MIL-STD-810H certification. This certification means that it can be easily survive to the everyday chaos of life on the go.

The version that I got for the review comes in a Misty Grey color along with a soft matte finish. This color combination easily hides the greasy fingerprints which is a small but essential win for me. The laptop comes with a tiny metal plate with the ExpertBook logo on the lid and another subtle branding detail below the screen. The body is mostly plastic, but as per company there’s a reinforced metal frame underneath for extra strength.

Now, talking about the display which comes with 14-inch Full HD panel is absolutely fine for me while handling day-to-day tasks. From replying to emails to writing articles, honestly I had no complaints indoor. Thanks to the anti-glare coating, I was able and managed to finish some of my writing while sitting by a sunny window at a crowded Starbucks.

But, But, But! A flaw that I couldn’t able to get away with is when I tried to edit some photos while riding in my car in a sunny day light. The display of the ExpertBook P1 struggled as it made hard to see the fine details due to the reflections. So if you are someone who is into creative work including photo editing or graphic designing, you might not be fully satisfied as it only covers around 45% of the NTSC color gamut. Not going into the more technical aspect, but in more simple language, the colors won’t pop up the way you want them to.

Next comes dual speakers, that does a decent job as I used them to play some songs on Youtube and Spotify, voices come through loud and clear.  This matters a lot if you are indulge in virtual meetings and casual video watching.

Ports and Webcam:

One of the best things I liked about the laptop is how generous the tech giant has been in adding several ports in the newly launched ASUS ExpertBook P1. Nowadays, companies are stripping down their connectivity options when it comes to laptop, but ASUS kept it practical and hence on the left side of the laptop you get two USB-C ports, one HDMI 1.4b port, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Talking about the right side, you will get another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and even a full-sized RJ45 Ethernet port which proved to be a real life saver for me as I needed a fast and stable connection during transferring a file at my work place.

The HDMI 1.4b port on the ExpertBook P1 is a bit behind the times, and I noticed it’s best for connecting to 1080p monitors. Another drop for me was when I tried hooking it up to a 4K screen to watch a show, but to my surprise the refresh rate dropped to 30Hz and hence the visuals weren’t as smooth as I was hoping it to be.

But these support USB 3.2 Gen 2, Power Delivery, and DisplayPort, making them a lifesaver for me when I needed to set up my second display for a presentation. I could easily connect my 1440p monitor while simultaneously charging the laptop, all with a single cable. It made my setup so much cleaner and allowed me to juggle tasks without worrying about running out of power.

Now comes the built-in 720p webcam that is equipped with a physical shutter for privacy. I tested it on having a video calls via Google Meet and the output was smooth and clear in well-lit conditions. However, the image quality took a hit in low-lightning situations which is again a common story with most laptops with webcam.

AI Features:

Honestly, I feel every tech product these days are jumping onto the AI bandwagon that I absolutely understand is the need of the time and hence ASUS is no different with it ExpertBook P1. The first thing that stood apart for me was the Microsoft Copilot Key. Just one tap and you could pull up all the AI tools without digging through menus.

However, I was most impressed by the new AI ExpertMeet app which can actually transcribe the entire conversation and can summarize the entire meeting in minutes without even needing the internet. Other AI features that came handy were the gaze correction so that I don’t look distracted on camera. Then, motion tracking and automatic light tweaking that enhanced the overall experience.

Keyboard and Touchpad:

One of the best things I loved in ASUS ExpertBook P1 is its keyboard with a classic chiclet-style layout. The button on keyboards are not too stiff, not too soft, and honestly I didn’t feel any finger fatigue even after typing out long article and reports. What really stood out for me is that how quickly and quietly it handled fast typing. I am someone who tends to bash away at the keyboard when I am in my own writing zone, but this one stayed super silent which proved to be perfect for me during late-night work sessions when the house was dead quite.

One thing which stood apart for me is the fingerprint sensor. The company placed it smartly inside the touchpad without making it bulky or weird to use. It only took me minute to set it up and since then it’s  unlocking the laptop super easily every single time. Plus, it’s backed by the FIDO2 encryption which gave a little extra privacy and eliminates the need for password.

The white backlight in the keyboard is super handy as when I am working in low light. I actually used the laptop during the late evenings, not wanting to turn on my room lights and disturb others and even at the lowest brightness, the laptop did the job. The keyboard comes with four brightness settings and the best part is you can turn it off entirely if you don’t need it. I switched them off while watching a movie in the dark as I don’t want random keys glowing under my fingers.

Oh, and there’s this Copilot key they’ve added which is right near the arrow keys. At first I thought I wouldn’t be using it, but the more I started exploring and reading about the Microsoft’s AI stuff, the more I have found myself getting attracted to explore it.

Talking about the touchpad, it gave me a solid first impression as it is just the right size that I was looking in a laptop. It is evidently big enough to comfortably use all the Windows gestures, for example, three finger swipe or switch between apps, but not so massive that my palms keeps hitting it by mistake. The touchpad is smooth too, but after few hours I noticed a slight greasy or rather I would say a slight coated feeling under my fingertips. Obviously, it is one of those tiny things that isn’t actually bad to notice.

Overall, my experience with the keyboard and touchpad was perfectly fine.

Performance:

Alright, let’s talk about the performance, which is one of the things that can break or make a laptop for me. I started using this version of the ExpertBook P1 for a couple of weeks and honestly I didn’t flitch. It has been a smooth sailing with the 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H chip, paired with a whopping 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM.

Most laptops in this price segment offer 16GB which has been enough, but after spending a few days with a laptop with 32GB I could tell the difference. Having that much RAM made lots of things easier for me. From opening heavy spreadsheets, WhatsApp web open, Spotify playing, several browser tabs, and even some light photo editing work, at one point I forgot how many things I have got running in the background.

I also opened around 20+ browser tabs, but it didn’t have any lags or slowdown. Nevertheless, the processor is not the latest, but unless you are running super demanding tasks like playing high-graphics game, compiling codes, or editing 4K videos daily, it doesn’t feel outdated. You will survive keeping if your work is not extremely demanding professionally.

Battery:

Last but not the least, Battery! It packs 50W battery which on paper sounds okay, but I wanted to check how it is going to handle my daily routine. I am not someone who usually does crazy-heavy works on the laptop, just the regular stuff including hopping between Google Docs, a dozen Chrome tabs, and obviously endless YouTube in the background. On a typical day like that I could end up using the laptop for 5-6 hours and that’s decent for me. Honestly, that’s not bad as I was not considering trying to save the battery.

However, what I loved was the charging setup that includes a 65W Type-C charger in the box which is a win-win for me. Not just this, another cooler part is that I could charge the laptop with the power bank. Yes, you heard it right! You could also charge it with the basic USB-C ports you find on planes. I haven’t flown recently, but I did test it via my Anker power bank and it worked without a hiccup.

And look, if you’re a working professional like me, chances are your laptop is plugged in at your desk most of the time anyway. That’s why I didn’t find the battery performance disappointing.  It’s not made for 12-hour unplugged marathons. It’s made for people like us who just need it to hold up well when we move around or have short meetings away from our desk. So unless you’re planning to edit videos on battery or run virtual machines all day, I think it does the job just fine.

Verdict:

If you are a professional and wants to buy a no-nonsense laptop, then ASUS ExpertBook P1 gets the job done with its 13th Gen Intel i7 processor paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The laptop checks a lot of the right boxes. However, the chipset is not technically the latest-gen anymore, but the price and for the kind of usage it’s built for, I am not really complaining. The display could have been more vibrant, but it’s not the point that stopped me from using the laptop.

ASUS ExpertBook P1 is not here to impress with its specs on paper, but it surely did impress me on the real-work side and that’s exactly what I was looking in a laptop.

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