Asus Transformer Pad (TF701T)

The Asus Transformer Pad TF701T takes the winning hybrid laptop/tablet design of its first Transformer tablet and updates the specs and display. Design-wise, it flaunts the same aluminum back with concentric ring pattern as its predecessors. Although on the heavy side at 585 grams without the keyboard dock, experts praise the build quality and did not notice any flexing or creaking. While the metal back does a better job than plastic in repelling fingerprints, it also conducts heat. Android Police noted that, after prolonged use, the tablet becomes very uncomfortable to hold.

In order to compete with tablets like the Nexus 10, the TF701T offers a 10-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2560×1600 and pixel density of 299ppi. The screen sharpness wowed critics as did the viewing angles. In bright light settings however, reviewers warn that the screen is highly reflective and difficult to view. Experts also noticed that colors are generally muted in default mode but could be adjusted with the app Asus Splendid.

As a hybrid device, the TF701T allows for a keyboard dock for a laptop experience. The keyboard adds an additional 570 grams to the weight. This added weight, according to experts, lets you rest the tablet on your lap without much trouble. Pocket Lint does note that it feels a bit top-heavy and topples over backwards easily. The actual keyboard, while small, worked well for experts. The touchpad on the keyboard, on the other hand, was a disappointment. PC Pro points out that it is far too sensitive while the actual mouse buttons are not responsive enough.

Specs-wise the tablet comes with 1.9GHz Tegra quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Daily tasks were completely lag-free and 3D games played without a hitch. LapTop Mag did notice a slight delay when switching screen orientation, but go on to note that it wasn’t a big issue. Synthetic benchmark tests back up these observations as the TF701T scored higher than most other tablets aside from the Note 10.1 and iPad Air. Critics were also pleased with the ample battery life. Without the keyboard dock, it clocked in at around 12 hours of mixed used. With the addition of the dock, this was extended to 16 hours. Other specs of note include 32GB of internal storage, dual-band Wi-Fi, microSD slot and a micro-HDMI output.

Reviews are mixed for the TF701T. Laptop Mag recommends the device saying it’s, “a very good premium Android tablet.” ZDNet, on the other hand states, “The Transformer design is starting to feel a little tired, and Asus has done nothing to counter the longstanding problem of a top-heavy, easily-tipped tablet section.”