Buyer’s Guide : Android Device (Part 3) - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Asus Eee Pad Transformer Infinity

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime (TF201)

“The screen is by far the best on any current tablet, with huge viewing angles”

The TF201 was the first tablet on the market that ran a Tegra 3 chip, which in some small way justified the high price. Of course, the Nexus 7 means you can get a Tegra 3 for a little over $242.9, so why would you pay almost $809 for a tablet like this?

The Transformer Prime’s selling point is of course, the detachable keyboard dock (offered separately). Convertible tablets offer an excellent experience for work and recreation, and they can fully replace a laptop in all of the ways that matter – hence the more laptop-style pricing. However, the specs are also good enough to justify the price, with a bright 10.1” 1280 x 800 Super IPS+ screen, high-quality 8MP rear camera (with flash and HD video support), a 1.3MP front camera, and more ports than you can shake a cable at.

For example, you don’t just get a micro-SD slot; you also get microHDMI-out, a headphone audio jack, and a docking port that connects to either the keyboard or a USB interface. The only thing preventing it from having a full-size USB port is that it’s too thin to accommodate one comfortably, and we suspect people would prefer this to the alternative.

The screen is by far the best on any current tablet, with huge viewing angles. The Super IPS+ mode intended for outdoor use makes it astonishingly bright, with vibrant and rich colors visible from any position. That said, if you’re thinking of using it for watching movies, beware that the audio capabilities of the TF201 are relatively poor and unusually quiet, with a speaker positioned exactly where you need to put your hands to hold the device comfortably. A weak design choice.

Although the device ships with the rapidly aging Honeycomb, it is possible to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. No Jelly Bean update has been announced, but it’s a definite possibility, if only because Asus’s ongoing support is superb. Even though the device is eight months old, a recent firmware upgrade has added new features, including Face Unlock, and this kind of after-market support is worth paying for.

Still one of the most powerful Android tablets around

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1              

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 was one of the few on the market that could directly compete with the iPad 2, but Samsung felt it could do better. Enter the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. It’s as thin as the previous Galaxy Tab 10.1 (thinner than the iPad 2), but now it has a redesigned form, a micro-SD slot, TV remote control capabilities and it’s substantially cheaper than its predecessor. It’s hard to argue that it’s improved on its old specs, but how does it compete against the rest of the market?

The specs are reasonably high, with a 1.2 GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Although it’s newer and has a different CPU, benchmarking performance is frequently no better than the Tegra 2 found in the Galaxy Tab 10.1, but since you pay less as well, it’s forgivable (if not very impressive).

The device is one of a small number actively designed to be held in widescreen orientation, with speakers at the ‘sides’ and a front-facing camera halfway up the middle of the longest side. The 10.1” display is 1280 x 800 resolution with excellent colors and brightness, and this, combined with the speaker placement, makes it ideal for watching movies on. The speakers aren’t entirely devoid of the tinny sound common to tablets and notebooks, but stick in some headphones and it’ll be fine.

Despite being a fairly recent release, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 still runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, and although everyone’s expecting a Jelly Bean update in due course, there’s no announcement of one yet, so don’t rely on it appearing. As with all Samsung Android producrs, the interface is adorned with TouchWiz, Samsung’s favored shell, which helps keep some unity to the look of its devices and distinguish them from the competition. Is it better than the standard interface? Not especially, but nor is it any worse.

The only truly disappointing feature is the rear camera, which is a frankly disappointing 3MP affair. Far below the standard of modern devices. Otherwise, it’s an iPad-level Android devcice, without iPad-level prices.

A reasonably capable and fairly priced Android alternative to the iPad 2

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Infinity (TF700)

Although it hasn’t yet been released in the UK, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Infinity is due to drop any day now – maybe even by the time you read this! It’s the successor to the Tranformer Prime TF201, and given the popularity of its predecessor, it’s sure to become a fine choice for anyone looking to replace their laptop with a tablet rather than accessorise with one.

With a 1.6GHz Tegra 3 (the fastest tablet processor to date) and 1GB of RAM, it’s already one of the most powerful tablets on the market. Available with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, buyers will find plenty of room for entertainment and apps. The 10.1” 1920 x 1200 resolution display is full HD, has even better brightness and color replication than the TF201, and even though it’s not quite Retina-quality, it’s one of the few around that can compete with Apple’s domineering display.

You can expect the price to be high, although we’re not yet certain what it’ll cost in the UK. Expect prices to be around $809.5 at least, though, and maybe even closer to $971 depending on whether you go for the 32GB or 64GB model. Given the cost, you’ll be glad to know that Asus hasn’t skimped on features – you get a rear 8MP camera, 2MP front camera (both with HD support), microphone jack, micro-SD, micro-HDMI ports, and the keyboard docking port. Audio is slightly improved from the TF201, but still one of the weaker areas, and although it has the same 1GB memory capacity, it’s DDR3 rather than DDR2

Indeed, there’s little in the TF700 that’s hugely different form the TF291, but everything’s just that little bit better. The main upgrade, besides the screen and processor, is the fact that it comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, and an enjoyably streamlined version of it at that. No bloatware and only minor interface customization leaves you with a quick, accessible Android experience. Fans of Jelly Bean will be glad to know that Asus has committed to an update, although when it’ll emerge is up for debate.

There’s no doubt that if you have the money, this is an Android tablet worth waiting for. It’s faster, more powerful, and more capable than any other. With Jelly Bean, it’ll be unstoppable.

Likely to be expensive, but there’ll be no better tablet around if you can afford it.