ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Review: A tablet in its prime

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Transformers fans who went to the Transformer Cybertron Con at Resort World Sentosa in Singapore last week, would be fascinated by the showcase of the limited edition figures, as well as the 6.7 metres Optimus Prime aluminium-steel statue that was standing in the centre of the ballroom. Coincidentally, Taiwanese company, ASUS, has come up with their Eee Pad Android-based tablets with similar names to that of the popular changing toys; the first was the Eee Pad Transformer, followed by the recently launched Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Late last year, toy maker Hasbro filed a lawsuit against ASUS for infringing the trademark on the name "Transformer Prime" on the new Android tablet. The case is still ongoing, though there have been not been any new updates. However, this has not detered the Taiwanese company from continuing to manufacture their line of "Transformer" tablets.Last October, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201 made its first appearance at AsiaD: All Things Digital event in Hong Kong, and claims to be the first tablet to incorporate Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. The Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201 is slightly thinner and lighter than its older sibling, measuring 8.3mm thin and weighing 586g (to 13mm and 680g of the Eee Pad Transformer). Another distinct difference is that the TF201 sports a metallic spun finish, compared to the honeycomb texture of the Transformer. Before we take a closer look at the Android tablet, here's the specifications:-

	ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime
CPU	1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 (quad-core)
Memory	1GB
Screen	10.1-inch LED Backlight WXGA (1280x800) Screen, Super IPS+, 10-finger multi-touch support
Display Resolution	1280x800
Storage	32GB EMMC + 8G life time ASUS Webstorage space
Wireless	802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Camera	1.2MP front, 8MP autofocus rear
Sensor	G-sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, E-compass
Interface	2-in-1 audio jack (headphone/mic),
	microSD card reader, mini HDMI
Battery	12 hours; 25Wh Li-polymer Battery, 18 hours pad with dock
Platform	Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich
Dimensions	263 x 180.8 x 8.3mm
Weight	586g

Read more: ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Review: A tablet in its prime by VR-Zone.com

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To emphasize on its ultra-slim body, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime comes in a small package. Unboxing it reveals the 10.1-inch Android tablet, the optional docking station, power adapter and cable, user's manual, and a warranty card. Even though the tablet offers HDMI output to external displays, the HDMI cable is not included with the unit; you will have to purchase the cable separately.







The Eee Pad Transformer Prime features a 2-in-1 audio jack (headphone/microphone) on the right, while the left holds the microSD card slot, micro-HDMI connector, as well as volume controls. A 1.2-megapixel front camera is just above the display, and flipping the tablet to the rear shows the well-polished metallic spun finish, 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus, and audio speaker (close to the audio jack). The 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display offers crisp and brilliant graphical viewing, and is also durable and scratch-resistant, thanks to the Corning Gorilla glass.

While the unique metallic spun finish is nice to look at, it is prone to ugly scratches; something you may want to take note when using the tablet especially if you are not using a sleeve case. Due to its compact form factor, it can be challenging to squeeze every necessary hardware components into the Transformer Prime, and this could have resulted in the placement of the internal speakers and microSD card slot being overlooked during the process. If you hold the tablet in landscape orientation, the right hand would muffle the internal speakers, while the left hand may accidentally press against the slightly protruded microSD card and eject it. But despite these flaws, it didn't diminish our experience when we were testing it with games, social communications and web browsing.



The docking station offers a standard-size chiclet keyboard with touchpad for navigation, power connector, USB and a standard SD card slot. You can continue to use the touchscreen even when the tablet is docked. We also noticed that the lock/unlock mechanism for docking the tablet has been improved; it is a lot easier to dock and remove the tablet now compared to the older version. And once you docked it, it feels like you are using a laptop instead of a tablet device. The Transformer Prime claims to offer 12 hours usage on its 25Wh Li-polymer battery, and with the docking station, you can enjoy a total of up to 18 hours.

[siopao1984]

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime runs the latest Googe Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich mobile operating system, which offers a new user interface, ease of use, additional features and improved user experience. The lock screen now allows you to choose between unlock or direct access to the camera function. Unfortunately, the Face Unlock and Beam features are not available. You can choose to resize widgets, drag your favorite icons to different home screens, access your Recent Apps list, and even dictate text for text input. Oh, and in case you are looking for the Android Market for purchase and download of Android apps, the Android Market has been renamed to 'Google Play'. Do note that many of the apps on Google Play are not optimized for tablet devices, and may looked pixelated or distorted when you run them. It would be great if Google could filter and just show apps that are recommended or optimized for the tablets though, but don't expect that to happen anytime soon. ASUS has also included the MyCloud storage app with 8GB of free storage and one-year unlimited cloud storage for you to store your files online.

Equipped with Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is really fast. We ran some gaming applications such as Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave, Zen Pinball THD and Stardom: The A-List on the ASUS tablet and gaming feels seamless on the whole. There is also no lag when we played some high-definition video files as well as from YouTube. The audio speakers is definitely not the best we have heard, but you can always rely on your trusty headphones if you much prefer.

For those who are interested in performance ratings, here are some screenshots taken from running Linpack for Android, Vellamo and Neocore benchmark applications. Linpack for Android measures a system’s floating point computing power; Vellamo mobile Web benchmark evaluates web browser performance on Android devices; and Neocore is an OpenGL-ES 1.1 graphics performance benchmark for Android devices. While the numbers do not mean much to the layman, the one that interests us most is the Neocore benchmark tests, which returns a decent 34.3 frames per second results when run at 1280x720 resolution. Higher frames per second (fps) literally means smoother graphics/video motion.

[siopao1984]

Despite its minor shortcomings, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a solid tablet that offers amazing performance and experience to the users. With the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and Google Android 4.0 ICS mobile operating system, you can be sure to have endless enjoyment whether it is web surfing, watching videos, reading ebooks, gaming or social networking with friends; seamlessly. Dock it to the optional docking station, and it transforms to a laptop with keyboard, touchpad and USB port for your use. We are also mighty impressed with the tablet's battery life. The Transformer Prime can last slightly more than two days on a single charge, with Wi-Fi on the entirely time, 50% display brightness, and casual usage that involves video playback, gaming and web browsing. And that lasts longer if you dock it to the docking station.

The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime that is launched in the market is a Wi-Fi only model, and at the moment there is no word as to whether the 3G (or even 4G) model will be available. For those who are looking for a new Android tablet, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime is retailing at a competitive S$759; the tablet and docking station bundle is selling at S$899. The price is quite competitive, especially if you compare it to the recently launched Apple new iPad - the 32GB Wi-Fi model is priced at S$788. It is a good alternative if you are not a fan of Apple, and we recommend getting the docking station bundle. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime for what it can offer, is definitely worthy of our Editor's Choice award.