Asus Expertbook P1 review: The everyman's business laptop

Asus has made a strategic pivot with the launch of its ExpertBook P1 series, marking the first time the company is selling its commercial laptops directly to businesses through an exclusive partnership with Flipkart, instead of relying solely on the traditional B2B channel.

Aimed at SMBs and value-conscious enterprise buyers, the ExpertBook P1 lineup starts at ₹39,990, making it an attractive buy for even the average consumer. But is this something that a normal user should buy? Here's my review of the Asus Expertbook P1.

Design and Build: Business-First Aesthetic

The ExpertBook P1 doesn’t try to be flashy, and that’s the point. It comes in Misty Grey with a subtle matte finish that resists fingerprints well. There’s minimalist Asus ExpertBook branding both on the lid and below the display, and while the body is made of plastic, Asus claims it’s internally reinforced with a metal chassis for enhanced durability.

It’s not the most premium-feeling device at this price, but it certainly looks professional. At 1.4kg, the 14-inch model is light enough for daily commutes and office travel, even if it feels slightly chunkier than some of Asus’ consumer-focused laptops in the same price bracket.

Display and audio

The P1 features a 14-inch Full HD IPS panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 300 nits of peak brightness. Bezels are thick, especially the chin, which makes the design feel a bit dated, but that’s fairly standard in this segment.

Indoors, the anti-glare coating does a fine job, even when sitting next to bright windows. However, take it outdoors or use it in direct sunlight, say, in a cab, and legibility takes a noticeable hit. Colour accuracy is limited to a 45% NTSC gamut, which means it’s not suitable for video editing or design professionals, but for everyday office use, it holds up.

Audio is handled by stereo speakers with Dirac tuning, and they’re impressively loud and clear. Whether you're attending a Zoom call, playing a YouTube video, or listening to a podcast, they’re more than sufficient. For deeper sound clarity, however, a good pair of headphones is still the way to go.

AI features and webcam

The 720p webcam is nothing groundbreaking but gets the job done for video calls. It includes a physical privacy shutter, which is always appreciated in a business laptop.

Where things get more interesting is with the AI features. The laptop has a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key and comes pre-loaded with Asus’ ExpertMeet app, which can transcribe meetings, generate minutes, and add watermarks on-device. This suite of tools makes the laptop much more than just hardware, it’s actively trying to streamline remote collaboration.

Additional AI tools like gaze correction, motion tracking, and light optimisation help polish the webcam feed during calls, which is a growing necessity in hybrid work setups these days.

Keyboard, touchpad and security

The chiclet-style keyboard is standard for Asus, and that’s a good thing. Key travel is satisfying, noise is minimal, and long typing sessions never feel fatiguing. The trackpad is also generously sized, smooth to the touch, and responsive to all standard Windows gestures. There’s a slightly unusual coating that might feel odd to some fingers, but it’s a minor quirk.

Asus has also embedded a fingerprint scanner in the top right of the trackpad, with support for FIDO2 encryption, which makes signing into the system both secure and seamless.

Ports and durability

Connectivity is generous: 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, HDMI 1.1, Ethernet, headphone jack, and a Kensington lock slot. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. Asus claims MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability, including 50kg pressure resistance and 66cc spill protection on the keyboard. I, of course, did not dare to test out these claims, but the build quality seems solid enough to withstand certain amounts of pressure.

Performance and battery

Despite packing a slightly older 13th Gen Intel chip, performance is snappy thanks to 32GB RAM and a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. The system easily handled heavy multitasking with no fan noise.

The 50Wh battery offers around 5 hours of use on a single charge, respectable, though not industry-leading. I've been told that since my review unit has the H-series chip by Intel, it requires more power. The base model would be more frugal, thereby giving users an increased lifespan.

Fortunately, the included 65W USB-C charger supports both Power Delivery (PD) and Programmable Power Supply (PPS), making it compatible with smartphones and other USB-C devices.

So, if your phone doesn’t come with a charger in the box (looking at you, premium phone makers), this adapter could fill that gap.

Verdict

While my review unit had a different configuration than the base model and was priced higher than the starting price of ₹39,990, the Asus ExpertBook P1 makes a strong case as a budget-friendly business laptop.

While its display won’t please colour professionals and the battery life won’t set records, the P1 delivers where it matters most — it’s durable, secure, well-connected, and quietly powerful. Add in thoughtful extras like AI meeting tools, a physical webcam shutter, and military-grade testing, and you’ve got a very capable machine for modern businesses.