The ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 10.1" Tablet Takes the Crown for Android Tablets

Sleek and Stylish Design

The first thing you’ll notice about the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 10.1” Tablet is how similar it looks to its predecessor, the ASUS Transformer Prime 10.1” Tablet. It still has a volume rocker and power button on the top, as well as a microSD card slot, reset button, micro-HDMI port and 3.5mm combo audio jack on the left side. Both tablets have a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel autofocus back camera with LED flash. The bottom of the tablet also still has a 40-pin connector port for charging the battery and for connecting to a PC for syncing data. It also comes in two different colors, Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold. While the similarities are obvious, there is one major difference…

1920 x 1200 Native Resolution

Behold! There is now a 1920 x 1200 native resolution on an Android tablet. While you may think 1920 x 1200 (bigger than 1080p) is a little excessive for a 10.1” LED-backlit screen, it instantly becomes justified when you start navigating the menus, surfing the web, watching Full HD 1080p videos and especially when reading text in crisp, clear quality. The 178° viewing angle is also impressive. This allows several people to view content on the TF700 tablet without losing too much image quality due to off-center viewing.

Since tablets are built for portability and travel, the high-res screen is stronger with improved scratch resistance, thanks to its second generation Corning Gorilla Glass 2. This strong, scratch-resistant glass helps ensure that your ASUS TF700 tablet doesn’t end up with unnecessary marks on its beautiful Full HD display.

Super IPS+

If you’ve ever used a tablet outside in direct sunlight, then you know the pains of trying to see past the glare. This is why ASUS added a Super IPS+ mode to the TF700 tablet. When turned on, Super IPS+ bumps up the TF700’s brightness to a staggering 600nits. The ultra bright backlight makes it easy to read or view content, even outdoors in direct sunlight. Super IPS+ takes full advantage of the LED backlighting and IPS panel.

SonicMaster

Full HD 1080p content would be less impressive if the sound quality wasn’t on par. Thankfully, the ASUS TF700 features SonicMaster technology. While the integrated speaker has sufficient volume, the sound quality is not exceptionally rich. But that’s to be expected since this could be said for all tablets. Also, the speaker is on the back, so if the TF700 is placed on a table face up, the sound will be muffled. SonicMaster really shines when you plug in a pair of good headphones into the 3.5mm audio jack. You’ll have a more immersive cinematic experience while watching an HD movie. Your music will also sound much better using headphones than listening through the integrated speaker.

Optional ASUS TF700 Keyboard Docking Station (Recommended)

The TF700 doesn’t have “Transformer” in its name without a good reason: it can be combined with an optional ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 Keyboard Docking Station. The ASUS TF700 Keyboard Docking Station “transforms” the ASUS TF700 tablet into a netbook. It has a docking latch to hold the TF700 securely in place in landscape mode, and the chiclet-style keyboard makes typing much easier while the multi-touch touchpad makes navigating the menus a breeze. There is also a regular sized USB 2.0 port and a regular sized Secure Digital card slot for added connectivity. The 40-pin connector port on the left connects to the ASUS TF700 for both syncing and providing additional power, thanks to the keyboard docking station’s own 19.5Wh battery. When combined, the TF700 and the keyboard docking station provide up to 14 hours of battery life so you can stay mobile for a longer period of time. You can also use the TF201 keyboard docking station with the ASUS TF700 tablet if you happen to have one.

Quad-Core nVIDIA Tegra 3 Performance

The ASUS TF700 is powered by a 1.6 GHz nVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile processor, which utilizes its quad cores to provide fast, reliable multitasking for demanding tasks such as video editing and HD gaming. There is also a fifth energy-saving core in the Tegra 3 processor that handles less demanding tasks to save battery life. The nVIDIA Tegra 3 processor also has a built-in ultra-low power (ULP) nVIDIA GeForce graphics processing unit (GPU), which takes full advantage of the 1920 x 1200 resolution display with 10-finger multi-touch support. You can also output to an external HDTV using the micro-HDMI port, but you’ll have to purchase a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable separately in order to do so.

Memory and Storage

ASUS added 1GB of RAM to this tablet so that the nVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor has sufficient system memory to run smoothly and efficiently. The ASUS TF700 comes with one of two hard drive storage sizes: 32GB and 64GB. You can also expand the storage space with a microSD memory card (or a regular sized SD card when using the available keyboard docking station) if needed.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS

Thanks to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, the ASUS TF700 features a redefined interface with on-time notifications, personalized home screens, resizable widgets and deep customization. A new voice-input feature, great photo features, better calendar tools and more, are available in Ice Cream Sandwich but were not included in previous builds of Android (we’re looking at you, Honeycomb). There are thousands of games and apps at your disposal at the Google Play Market. From Twitter to Netflix to Angry Birds, you’ll be able to find the right apps for you.

Connectivity

The ASUS TF700 can connect to various wireless networks with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity. While most networks are secure (a WEP password is usually required), it can also connect to free public wireless networks with ease. Unfortunately, there are not yet 3G models of the ASUS TF700 available, so if you need to access the Internet while on the move or when Wi-Fi is not available, you may need to purchase a different tablet. However, if you’re going to use this tablet around the house or in the office, then the ASUS TF700 is a great fit. It also has Bluetooth 3.0+HS so you can stream music and connect to your favorite peripherals without having to deal with cables.

ASUS Raises the Bar for Android Tablets

ASUS has really set the standard for Android tablets everywhere with the TF700. The high-res display is the most impressive feature of the TF700 with its 178° wide viewing angle, scratch-resistant Corning Glass 2, Full HD 1080p video playback and 1920 x 1200 native resolution. The quad-core nVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM and 12-core ULP graphics makes multitasking smooth and seamless. While its lack of 3G connectivity prevents it from being an all-around tablet, the TF700 really shines in its price range. If you’re in the market for a top-of-the-line Android tablet with a high-res screen, a quad-core processor and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, the ASUS TF700 is a great choice.

Specification

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