From Gimmick to Go‑To: What ASUS Is Changing About Convertibles
Convertible flip laptops are portable PCs with 360‑degree hinges that let one device work as a laptop, tablet, stand or tent, often adding touchscreens and pens so people can type, sketch, annotate and present without switching hardware. ASUS’s latest lineup pushes this format into serious ultrabook territory. The ExpertBook B5 Flip G2 targets professionals who need a lightweight 2‑in‑1 laptop that can take daily knocks, while the new Vivobook S14 and S16 Flip models add Snapdragon X laptop silicon and AI‑centric features. Together, they show that a touchscreen convertible laptop can match traditional clamshells on weight, battery life and ports while offering more flexible ways to work. Rather than being sold as flashy “do‑it‑all” toys, these machines are built around real workflows: note‑taking in meetings, document capture, and creative tasks that benefit from pen input and multiple modes.
ExpertBook B5 Flip G2: A 2.9‑Pound Workhorse With MIL‑STD Grit
The ExpertBook B5 Flip G2 aims squarely at business users who want a convertible that feels like a serious work tool, not a compromise. It weighs only 2.9 pounds while packing a 14‑inch NanoEdge touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 400‑nit brightness and 360‑degree hinge support for laptop, tablet, tent and display positions. ASUS integrates an MPP 2.0 stylus in a built‑in garage; a 15‑second charge gives up to 60 minutes of use, reinforcing the note‑taking and annotation focus. Inside, you get up to an Intel Core 7 Series 3 processor with an 18 TOPS NPU, up to 32GB LPDDR5X and 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, plus all‑day battery life with rapid charging. According to Gizmochina, the aluminium chassis meets MIL‑STD‑810H durability standards while staying around 1.34kg and 14.9mm thick, suggesting this lightweight 2‑in‑1 laptop is designed to travel daily without babying it.
Vivobook S14/S16 Flip: Snapdragon X Laptops With AI and OLED
On the consumer side, ASUS’s Vivobook S14 Flip and Vivobook S16 Flip bring the same 360‑degree idea to slimmer, style‑first machines built around Snapdragon X processors. These Windows 11 Arm64 convertibles support laptop, tablet, tent and stand modes, and both feature 2K OLED touchscreens with ASUS Pen 3.0 support, making them strong candidates for content creators who sketch, annotate timelines or storyboard directly on screen. Being Snapdragon X laptop designs, they promise up to 45 TOPS of NPU performance for AI‑powered productivity, from on‑device assistants to accelerated creative tools, without leaning on the cloud. ASUS claims battery life exceeds 20 hours with fast charging up to 68W over USB‑C, helping these systems compete directly with thin‑and‑light clamshells on endurance. Paired with Arm‑optimised Windows apps, that combination turns the Vivobook Flip line into a realistic main machine rather than a secondary tablet‑style device.
Real‑World Use Cases: Note‑Taking, Creation and Flexible Workflows
ASUS’s new designs focus on scenarios where a traditional clamshell can feel limiting. In tablet or tent mode, the ExpertBook B5 Flip G2’s integrated stylus and dual‑camera setup are built for meetings and field work: you can handwrite notes, capture documents with the optional 5‑megapixel world‑facing camera, and then switch back to laptop mode for editing and email. The Vivobook S14/S16 Flip models push similar flexibility toward students and creators, pairing 2K OLED touchscreens with ASUS Pen 3.0 for sketching, quick mark‑ups and timeline scrubbing in a way a plain trackpad cannot match. The 360‑degree hinge also helps with cramped workspaces and travel: tent mode for watching edits on a train, stand mode for presentations, or tablet mode for couch reading. These are targeted, practical roles that move the touchscreen convertible laptop from novelty to daily driver.
Bridging Budget and Premium: Where These Convertibles Sit
ASUS is also trying to close the gap between budget and premium segments with this broader lineup. The Zenbook 14 range, though not a flip design, shows how the company thinks about price‑to‑feature balance: Glitched reports that an entry‑level model starts at USD 799 (approx. RM3,700) with 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 3K 120Hz OLED panel, alongside options for Snapdragon X1‑26‑100, Intel, or AMD chips. That philosophy carries into the convertible space. The ExpertBook B5 Flip G2 and Vivobook S Flip machines mix OLED or high‑quality touch panels, AI‑ready processors and long battery life with features that used to be reserved for high‑end notebooks, such as MIL‑STD durability, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi‑Fi 7, and stylus garages. While final pricing for the ExpertBook and Vivobook Flip models is not yet public, their specifications suggest ASUS wants convertible flip laptops to be credible alternatives to classic ultrabooks, not expensive side projects.
