Reasons to Buy the Asus ExpertBook Ultra
- Extremely lightweight at under 1kg
- Strong Intel Panther Lake performance
- Excellent matte 3K OLED display
- Full-sized ports despite slim design
- Reliable all-day battery life
- Comfortable keyboard for long working hours
Premium business laptops often promise everything. However, only a few balance portability, performance, and practicality well. The Asus ExpertBook Ultra enters that crowded space with a clear focus. It wants to be a serious work machine instead of just another thin laptop with flashy branding.
Starting at Rs 2,39,990, the Asus ExpertBook Ultra sits directly against devices like the MacBook Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro. That alone puts pressure on Asus. Buyers spending this much expect long-term reliability, premium hardware, and smooth daily performance. Thankfully, Asus understands its audience quite well.
The ExpertBook series already has a reputation for dependable office-focused laptops. However, the ExpertBook Ultra feels more ambitious. It is among the first laptops powered by Intel’s Panther Lake processors, revealed at CES 2026. Asus also combines that hardware with an ultra-light chassis, a high-resolution OLED display, and AI-focused software tools.
After spending time with the laptop, one thing becomes clear. The ExpertBook Ultra is not trying to impress everyone. Instead, it focuses on professionals who spend long hours working, travelling, attending meetings, and constantly multitasking. In many ways, that focused approach becomes its biggest strength.
Lightweight design that still feels premium
The first thing most people will notice is the weight. At around 0.99kg, the ExpertBook Ultra feels surprisingly light. Carrying it around daily never becomes tiring. Yet, Asus has not compromised on build quality.
The magnesium-aluminium chassis feels strong and sturdy. The nano-ceramic coating also helps reduce fingerprints, which makes the laptop look cleaner during long usage. The Morn Grey finish keeps things subtle and professional. Thankfully, Asus avoids unnecessary flashy design choices.
One detail that adds character is the ExpertLumi lighting. It softly glows during startup and shutdown. While it may sound minor, it gives the laptop a distinct identity without becoming distracting.
More importantly, Asus does not remove essential ports for slimness. You still get Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack. Many premium laptops still force users to carry dongles everywhere. The ExpertBook Ultra avoids that frustration completely.
The display works better for productivity than entertainment
The 3K tandem OLED display looks sharp immediately. Colours appear accurate, text stays crisp, and scrolling feels smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. Asus also includes 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, which benefits creators and professionals working with visuals.
However, the standout feature is not the resolution. It is the matte finish.
Most OLED laptops use glossy panels that reflect light heavily. Asus takes a different route here. The matte coating reduces glare significantly. Working outdoors or near bright lights feels far more comfortable. Long sessions also cause less eye strain.
Of course, this approach has trade-offs. Movies do not look as punchy compared to glossy OLED displays. Still, for productivity-focused users, the matte panel makes far more sense. The touchscreen response also feels accurate, and surprisingly, smudges stay under control.
Performance is where the ExpertBook Ultra shines
The biggest reason to consider this laptop is performance. The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor handles demanding workloads comfortably. Whether it is multitasking, editing, heavy browser usage, or office productivity, the laptop rarely slows down.
Even under pressure, the system stays responsive. Asus also manages thermals well. The cooling system supports up to 50W performance in turbo mode, which helps sustain performance during longer workloads.
Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro, the ExpertBook Ultra feels more performance-oriented. Samsung’s laptop focuses more on portability and everyday convenience. Asus, meanwhile, targets heavier professional workflows.
Against the MacBook Pro, the comparison becomes more interesting. Apple still leads in ecosystem integration and battery optimisation. However, Asus offers greater flexibility for Windows users. The additional ports and broader software compatibility make a noticeable difference for many professionals.
Gaming is not the focus here. Still, casual titles run smoothly enough through Intel Arc graphics.
Keyboard, trackpad, and battery improve daily usage
Many premium laptops get the basics wrong. Thankfully, Asus avoids that mistake. The keyboard feels comfortable for long typing sessions. The 1.5mm key travel gives enough feedback without feeling stiff. There is also enough palm space for comfortable wrist placement during extended work hours.
The large haptic trackpad also performs reliably. Navigation feels smooth and accurate throughout daily usage. Battery life remains another strong area. The 70Wh battery easily lasts through a workday with mixed usage. Fast charging also helps when travelling. The included 90W charger reaches around 50 percent in roughly 30 minutes.
That combination makes the laptop dependable for users constantly moving between meetings, offices, and flights.
AI features feel useful instead of gimmicky
AI branding appears everywhere in 2026. However, many laptops still struggle to show practical benefits. The ExpertBook Ultra handles this better than most competitors.
Asus includes tools like ExpertMeet for meeting transcripts, translations, and document summaries. These features genuinely save time during professional workflows. The laptop also supports Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC ecosystem, which adds future-ready AI capabilities.
Thankfully, Asus keeps these tools practical instead of overwhelming users with unnecessary software.
The camera could have been better
Despite the positives, the laptop is not perfect.
The webcam performs adequately for meetings, but it does not stand out. At this price, buyers may expect a sharper and more premium camera experience. Competitors like the MacBook Pro still perform better here.
The pricing could also limit wider appeal. Rs 2.4 lakh is serious money. That means the ExpertBook Ultra mainly targets business professionals and enterprise users instead of regular buyers.
Verdict: A premium business laptop that knows its audience
The Asus ExpertBook Ultra succeeds because it stays focused. Instead of chasing trends, Asus builds a laptop centred around productivity, portability, and real-world usability. It offers strong performance, excellent portability, useful AI tools, and thoughtful design choices. More importantly, it handles daily professional work exceptionally well.
It may not replace the MacBook Pro for everyone. The webcam could also improve. Yet, for Windows users wanting a lightweight machine without sacrificing performance, the ExpertBook Ultra becomes a very strong option. This is not a laptop for casual users. However, for professionals constantly working on the move, Asus delivers a package that feels genuinely practical instead of just premium.