ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T) Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 25, 2012 3:00 AM ESTWiFi & GPS Performance
With the Transformer Prime ASUS moved to an all-aluminum construction but did little to focus on maintaining RF performance. The Transformer Pad 300 addressed WiFi and GPS performance by moving back to an all-plastic chassis, but as the high end in ASUS' Transformer stack aluminum was a necessity for the Infinity. The compromise is simple: a strip of similarly colored plastic across the top of the tablet, behind the WiFi and GPS antennas.
The plastic strip on the TF Pad Infinity (left) vs. the truly all-aluminum TF Prime (right)
I performed a number of WiFi performance tests and am pleased to say that overall wireless performance appears to be much better than any previous Transformer tablet. I managed nearly 40Mbps in the best case scenario, but more importantly I was able to maintain 3 - 4x the transfer speeds of the TF Prime at further distances from the access point. I would say the Infinity's WiFi performance is now on par with that of the iPad, and is seemingly better at 2.4GHz.
| WiFi Performance Comparison | ||||||
| Distance from AP | 3 feet | 20 feet (Different Room) | 50 feet (Different Room/Floor) | 80 feet (Different Room) | ||
| ASUS TF Prime (2.4GHz) | 26.9 Mbps | 9.85 Mbps | 13.5 Mbps | 2.20 Mbps | ||
| ASUS TF Pad 300 (2.4GHz) | 26.5 Mbps | 21.8 Mbps | 20.7 Mbps | 21.3 Mbps | ||
| ASUS TF Pad Infinity (2.4GHz) | 39.2 Mbps | 34.0 Mbps | 34.3 Mbps | 10.8 Mbps | ||
| ASUS Transformer (2.4GHz) | 21.8 Mbps | 17.6 Mbps | 18.8 Mbps | 15.0 Mbps | ||
| Apple iPad 2 (2.4GHz) | 35.1 Mbps | 29.9 Mbps | 26.9 Mbps | 10.6 Mbps | ||
| Apple iPad 3 (2.4GHz) | 35.1 Mbps | 29.9 Mbps | 27.9 Mbps | 9.98 Mbps | ||
| Apple iPad 2 (5GHz) | 36.7 Mbps | 36.7 Mbps | 36.7 Mbps | 11.9 Mbps | ||
| Apple iPad 3 (5GHz) | 36.7 Mbps | 36.7 Mbps | 36.7 Mbps | 11.7 Mbps | ||
ASUS still doesn't support 5GHz unfortunately with the Transformer Pad Infinity, so expect problems in situations with a bunch of 2.4GHz spectrum crowding.
GPS performance also benefits from the RF improvements to the Infinity. Although GPS locks are still not as consistently quick as I'd like them to be, the Infinity is generally able to get a signal lock quicker than even the Transformer Pad 300 - even in adverse conditions. While the Transformer Prime can't get a lock indoors or even in some situations in a car, the Infinity manages to do so in about 12 seconds. The shot below is what I saw after 12 seconds of searching for a lock:
To get something comparable from even the TF Pad 300 took well over a minute. I suspect the improvements to the Infinity go beyond simple chassis work based on its behavior.
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melgross - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
What a load of bull.ltphilpot - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
Yeah I'm going to call this HOGWASH!!My wife has an orignal iPad and I have an iPad 2. We have never experienced any of the problems that you describe. I freaking hate dishonest trolls, you guys are ridiculous.
If an app has an issue the app shuts down, in 5 years of using iOS I have never had iOS just dump on me! Apps quit and act up.
When someone refers to an iPad as a toy, that's my number one indicator that they have never had one or they just have no clue what they are doing. I work in IT and use my iPad for work to remotely manage servers (when I'm out of the office) and I get plenty of productive business done on it!
Screammit - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
This sounds more like an excuse to carry a toy around, rather than a tool to do more work.DeciusStrabo - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
I had iOS crash on my a couple of times (iPad 2). I don't hold it against it, it's just a tad less stable than my Samsung Galaxy S II on CM9, but it's perfectly useable in this regard, we're talking maybe 4 crashes in a year. Apps (even Apple Apps) crash regularly though. Not annoyingly often, but regularly. Not what I would describe as crash-happy. But also not the mythical "never crashes at all" some people like to claim online.DeciusStrabo - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
I'm one who is looking to jump ship from the (for me personally) too limiting iOS to Android (iPad 2 here). So this tablet looks mighty interesting.Lepton87 - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
When apple do it- The display is the most gorgeous one I have ever seen. Everything looks painted on. I won't ever look at any display the same.When samsung does it: The text look a little crisper and that's it.
weiran - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Look at the comparison yourself, the difference is much smaller compared to the iPad 2 -> 3 transition.Spunjji - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
That's possibly because the Android devices didn't look quite so much like crap in the first place...EnzoFX - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
You are so lost if that's really all you got from it. Try reading the articles better.sawilson - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
You do know that Samsung makes the screen for the iPad 3 right lol. In fact they make 50 percent of the parts in the thing.I own the iPad3. I own the TFP. The colors and brightness and contrast are better on the TFP. The iPad3 is useless outside, and in bright light. The TFP is already a much better tablet than the iPad3. The Infinity just improves on an already industry best design. If you owned both, you'd know it just holding them. Asus makes a much better tablet than apple.