ASUS rolls out B series laptops with Boston-Power's Sonata batteries
By Donald Melanson 
posted August 9th 2010 8:52PM
posted August 9th 2010 8:52PM
Well, it looks like HP is no longer your only option to get Boston-Power's "game-changing" Sonata batteries -- ASUS has just announced that it will be offering the long-life lithium-ion batteries as standard equipment on its new B series laptops. Those come in both 14.1-inch and 15.6-inch versions -- the B43 and B53, respectively -- and are available with your choice of Core i5 or Core i7 processors, ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 or integrated Intel graphics, 2GB or 4GB of RAM, a standard 320GB hard drive, and ATI Eyefinity support to accommodate two additional displays. As for those Sonata batteries, while they won't last much longer in day-to-day use, they do promises to work at 80% of their capacity for three years, which is backed up by a three-year warranty. Look for the B53 to hit retailers immediately starting at $1,099, while the B43 is said to be coming "in the near future" for an unspecified price.
ASUS Selects Boston-Power's Sonata Lithium-ion Battery for New Line of Notebook PCs
ASUS B Series Models Come Standard with Sonata-enabled, Green-certified Battery Featuring a Three-Year Warranty
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boston-Power's Sonata® – the game-changing lithium-ion battery platform credited with setting a new benchmark for portable power performance – is now available as the standard battery for a new line of commercial notebook PCs from ASUS, the B Series models. Among the world's premier providers of netbooks, notebooks and other consumer electronic devices, ASUS is the number one brand for quality and service in Windows-based portables.
Shipping this month, the ASUS B Series notebooks offer an unprecedented package of newly introduced technologies, a comprehensive set of business features, and best-in-class warranties for the demanding business user. These features deliver industry leading efficiency, reliability and security along with excellent durability.
Unmatched Performance Paired with Industry's Best Warranty
Branded as the Sonata Long Life Battery, Boston-Power's next generation lithium-ion technology platform provides triple the lifespan of typical notebook batteries – thus increasing productivity, lowering the total cost of ownership and supporting the environment. This enables ASUS to offer a three-year warranty on the battery, matching the industry-best three-year warranty on the B-Series notebooks.
"Our customers look to ASUS to provide cost effective solutions that include innovative features such as the Sonata Long Life Battery, which offers not only long term dependability but is also environmentally friendly," said Rudy Magna, Director of Sales, ASUS Computer International.
Boston-Power and ASUS: Shared Commitment to the Environment
Boston-Power and ASUS share a commitment to 'green' computing. The ASUS Green Initiative is overseen by a steering committee led by ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih and encompasses a best-practices approach to green design, green manufacturing, green procurement and green services and marketing. Boston-Power Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud is an environmentalist who based her break-through battery technology on a promise to combat climate change and global warming. Boston-Power recently celebrated the third anniversary of its rechargeable lithium-ion batteries earning the esteemed Nordic Ecolabel accreditation and remains the only lithium-ion battery maker worldwide to hold this designation. The company's products have also earned a similar industry-first certification from the China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC).
"Today, our portable computing devices are an extension of ourselves and integral to our work and leisure-time activities," said Boston-Power Vice President of Marketing Sally Bament. "To fully capture the benefits of mobility, users are seeking dependable, high-performance, safe and environmentally sustainable batteries. Boston-Power has established a global reputation for leadership in delivering those solutions. Teaming with ASUS is a tremendous endorsement of Sonata and our lithium-ion battery platform."
The ASUS B53 is available immediately. The ASUS B43 will be available in the near future. For more information, please contact: Gary Key, Technical Marketing Manager, ASUS Computer International, Gary_Key@asus.com
About ASUS
ASUS, the world's top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world's best selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia, wireless solutions, networking devices and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand people and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company's revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion.
About Boston-Power
Boston-Power, Inc. is an award-winning provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery technology. Designed to fuel a wide range of applications, its flagship offering, Sonata®, serves as the foundation for a new era of longer lasting, faster charging, safer and environmentally sustainable notebook computer batteries. The company's Swing™ product delivers unmatched capabilities for Plug-In Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEV/BEV), and utility energy storage. Founded in 2005 and with more than 120 patents filed, Boston-Power is led by Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud, an internationally recognized innovator, entrepreneur and technology advisor with regard to portable power, energy storage and climate change. To date, the company has raised $191 million in venture funding and has earned numerous awards for its leadership and technology from high-profile organizations that include the World Economic Forum, The Wall Street Journal, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). Boston-Power is headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, and has Six Sigma-level mass manufacturing operations in Asia.
Boston-Power®, Sonata® and Swing™ are trademarks of Boston-Power, Inc. Other brand names or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
ASUS B Series Models Come Standard with Sonata-enabled, Green-certified Battery Featuring a Three-Year Warranty
WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boston-Power's Sonata® – the game-changing lithium-ion battery platform credited with setting a new benchmark for portable power performance – is now available as the standard battery for a new line of commercial notebook PCs from ASUS, the B Series models. Among the world's premier providers of netbooks, notebooks and other consumer electronic devices, ASUS is the number one brand for quality and service in Windows-based portables.
Shipping this month, the ASUS B Series notebooks offer an unprecedented package of newly introduced technologies, a comprehensive set of business features, and best-in-class warranties for the demanding business user. These features deliver industry leading efficiency, reliability and security along with excellent durability.
Unmatched Performance Paired with Industry's Best Warranty
Branded as the Sonata Long Life Battery, Boston-Power's next generation lithium-ion technology platform provides triple the lifespan of typical notebook batteries – thus increasing productivity, lowering the total cost of ownership and supporting the environment. This enables ASUS to offer a three-year warranty on the battery, matching the industry-best three-year warranty on the B-Series notebooks.
"Our customers look to ASUS to provide cost effective solutions that include innovative features such as the Sonata Long Life Battery, which offers not only long term dependability but is also environmentally friendly," said Rudy Magna, Director of Sales, ASUS Computer International.
Boston-Power and ASUS: Shared Commitment to the Environment
Boston-Power and ASUS share a commitment to 'green' computing. The ASUS Green Initiative is overseen by a steering committee led by ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih and encompasses a best-practices approach to green design, green manufacturing, green procurement and green services and marketing. Boston-Power Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud is an environmentalist who based her break-through battery technology on a promise to combat climate change and global warming. Boston-Power recently celebrated the third anniversary of its rechargeable lithium-ion batteries earning the esteemed Nordic Ecolabel accreditation and remains the only lithium-ion battery maker worldwide to hold this designation. The company's products have also earned a similar industry-first certification from the China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC).
"Today, our portable computing devices are an extension of ourselves and integral to our work and leisure-time activities," said Boston-Power Vice President of Marketing Sally Bament. "To fully capture the benefits of mobility, users are seeking dependable, high-performance, safe and environmentally sustainable batteries. Boston-Power has established a global reputation for leadership in delivering those solutions. Teaming with ASUS is a tremendous endorsement of Sonata and our lithium-ion battery platform."
The ASUS B53 is available immediately. The ASUS B43 will be available in the near future. For more information, please contact: Gary Key, Technical Marketing Manager, ASUS Computer International, Gary_Key@asus.com
About ASUS
ASUS, the world's top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world's best selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia, wireless solutions, networking devices and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand people and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company's revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion.
About Boston-Power
Boston-Power, Inc. is an award-winning provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery technology. Designed to fuel a wide range of applications, its flagship offering, Sonata®, serves as the foundation for a new era of longer lasting, faster charging, safer and environmentally sustainable notebook computer batteries. The company's Swing™ product delivers unmatched capabilities for Plug-In Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEV/BEV), and utility energy storage. Founded in 2005 and with more than 120 patents filed, Boston-Power is led by Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud, an internationally recognized innovator, entrepreneur and technology advisor with regard to portable power, energy storage and climate change. To date, the company has raised $191 million in venture funding and has earned numerous awards for its leadership and technology from high-profile organizations that include the World Economic Forum, The Wall Street Journal, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). Boston-Power is headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, and has Six Sigma-level mass manufacturing operations in Asia.
Boston-Power®, Sonata® and Swing™ are trademarks of Boston-Power, Inc. Other brand names or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
So in other words, the batteries are going to fail the moment the warranty is done. Meh, what doesn't really?
The article says that the batteries will last at 80% capacity for 3 years. After that, the batteries may have a lower capacity.
@Firewave And you know you can change them!
@Firewave For batteries, that is the whole point. They are warrantied for exactly the length of time the average user should get before they start to get precipitous declines. It protects the user from getting shitty batteries and the company from having to replace every battery it sells. The only other option here would be to shorten the warranty so that it would be designed to last a year longer than the warranty. Who does that help other than the manufacturer. I think this is actually a great warranty for a supposedly great product all things considered.
Actually this is GREAT news to netbooks (sort of), ultraportables (definitely) and Windows7 Tablets!
@Firewave My Dell laptop, whose battery I used heavily, had 20% capacity after 3 years. I think 80% after 3 years is a pretty huge improvement. I don't understand why anybody would complain about this improvement.
So after 2 years and 11 months of using, you can just request a new battery since it's within the warranty period?
@W1lksen
If it is less than 80% capacity, yes. Can you read?
3 year warranty is epic. I once had a dell battery I paid over $100 for fail within a year and while it was nice to get a free replacement it would have been nicer to have not failed in the first place.
ASUS laptops have come a long way quality-wise, they definitely deserve more brand recognition than certain other Taiwanese companies
@JeremyBenthem Actually i found asus laptops highest quality machines.
@arash
design I'd still give to Vaio and Macbook, build quality to Thinkpad, but ASUS is definitely the best compromise of design, build, and price that I can think of
@JeremyBenthem I love my ASUS computer.
@JeremyBenthem build quality to Thinkpad? The T400 I have from work has a bulge in the top case because of the display cable that runs underneath it. All T400's in my office have the same thing. One coworker had a key jump out while he was just typing. That's pretty shoddy build quality in my book. Thinkpads just aren't what they used to be.
I put my battery in the refrigerator when I am not using/charging it.
@dicobalt More important for long life is to not store the battery at more than half of it's capacity, though not too low either. 40% is about the recommended storage charge level.
B series makes it sound second rate. These aren't second rate laptops. Oops.
Any/all progress is welcome... especially when it comes down to long-term investment.
Personally, I hate buying new laptop batteries.
Cool !
Asus should stick these batteries in their netbooks, since netbooks are all about battery life anyways. It would be a big plus I'd think for netbooks.
i'm glad to hear any news about innovation of batteries at all.
"Sonata"? Don't they mean Eneloop?
Awesome look on this series.
that laptop looks really nice good job ASUS
What? No island keyboard?? I want a new laptop when will a perfect laptop be released...
Is that a numpad on a 15.6" laptop? I think that's a first ...
Any word on the battery life of these machines? I have a recently-purchased ASUS U30JC-B1, but might consider trading that in for the B43 (assuming it comes out before October), if the battery life hits >5 hours.