ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T) Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 25, 2012 3:00 AM ESTFinal Words
The Transformer Pad Infinity addresses everything we didn't like about the Transformer Prime. Both WiFi and GPS performance are much improved, the latter to the point of actual usability. The display is also appreciably better thanks to its very high panel resolution and wonderful brightness/contrast. ASUS completes the package with an increase in SoC performance and memory bandwidth, ensuring the Infinity maintains the UI performance and behavior of the Prime despite the higher resolution display.
Portability and form factor are just as good as always. Despite moving to a higher resolution panel, device thickness increased by no more than 0.1mm. There's no increase in battery capacity as a result, which does hurt battery life. Video playback is still fine at over 10 hours, it's really the general use and 3D workloads that take the biggest hit. By keeping the form factor constant, however, ASUS guarantees the Infinity is just as easy to port around as its predecessors. Although the dock is nice, there's something about just carrying around an ultra thin, ultra light tablet that feels so comfortable.
While improved features and higher resolutions are nice, it's equally as important that ASUS delivers all of this without an increase in price. The Infinity was originally talked about as a $599+ device, but falling panel costs and increased competitive pressure dictated that $499 would be the actual starting point. Availability isn't scheduled until mid-July however, which actually brings us to our only issue with the Infinity: it doesn't run Windows 8.
Android does quite well as a tablet and smartphone OS, but it seems to fall short as a notebook OS. To really use the Infinity to its potential is to use it in combination with the Transformer Dock. While docked, the Infinity is good, but I suspect the overall experience with Windows 8 will just be better. Current estimates put Windows 8 based tablets out in early Q4, which isn't all that far away from the July 16th launch week for the Infinity.
If you're a fan of Android tablets, the Transformer Pad Infinity will likely be one of the best options when it arrives. You get a good, thin, tablet form factor with a nice high resolution display and functional WiFi/GPS. But if you're really interested in having a tablet that can really perform as a notebook, you may want to wait for the ASUS Tablet 600, 810 and Transformer Book. The hybrid tablet/notebook market is one that Windows 8 seems perfectly suited for, and ASUS now has a lot of experience under its belt in building devices for that market. When those two meet, I suspect only good things will happen.
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xype - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
"The colors and brightness and contrast are better on the TFP."The colors aren’t. Neither are the ppi. Something that actually makes a real impression in most situations—unless for some reason your only usage of a tablet is in bright sunlight.
The TPI and iPad 3—as hardware, only—each have their strengths and weaknesses. To claim one is absolutely better at everything just sounds fanboi-ish. Or, you know, astroturfer-ish (which you happily accuse others of being above).
joelypolly - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Sounds like someone is getting paid to Asus to say these things...zappb - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
I thought this product was Vaporware considering it was annouced around Jan...and still not released but Awesome screen all the same - Look at those Contrast / white / black level numbers, haven't seen a screen like that in years...and at 1920x1200.When you look at the numbers, the significance of the screen has been glossed over in the article, - the only reason I can see for that, is perhaps that resolution sucks on Android, or apps don't scale well etc..
Lepton87 might have a point but the overall feel of the review is to wait for windows 8 tablets when perhaps the resolution will make more sense.
Cali3350 - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Your being very unfair. 1920*1080 is a great resolution and a big step up. But its not 25*18. That really IS big deal, its more than most 30 inch monitors. Your trying to equate a good improvement to a complete shift. Way to be objective yourself.sawilson - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
I own them both. I can hold them side by side. It's really hardly noticable at all until you get the tablets closer than one would use them, and once again I'm talking about the prime versus my 32gb verizon 4g iPad that work gave me. I'm happily at work now typing this on my prime because it has completely replaced my Dell laptop running windows 7. The iPad could not do this. The only reason they went with a resolution that high is they have NO CHOICE. iOS is crippled and has to use multiples of the 6 year old iphone display resolution and dimensions. That's why it has a fail 4:3 display like an old television rather than a proper 16:10 display. That's why you have to buy all new apps for it instead of the superior Android solution that mimics what your laptop or pc and mac already do. Just scale things properly. There's no such thing as a "tablet optimized" app. That's marketing. That's apple attempting to justify failure in their mobile OS design by turning it into a positive. You can tell how intelligent a tech review is by looking for terms like "tablet optimized" or "fragmented" or "retina". It means they lack the technical knowledge to understand that's just marketing meant to talk around shortcomings in their own poorly designed device.LordConrad - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
"That's why it has a fail 4:3 display like an old television rather than a proper 16:10 display."Tablets are designed primarily as consumption devices, which is how most people use them. For such a device, I find the 4:3 aspect ratio to be superior in most respects. Internet Browsing, email, and ebooks all look much better to me on tablets with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Gaming is a wash as I don't have a preference. The only drawback is watching movies as the black bars are larger unless you zoom-in.
I have nothing against Android, I actually prefer the openness of Android, but I much prefer the paper sized 4:3 aspect ratio for handheld tablets.
Lepton87 - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Anand is such a huge apple fanboy and it shows in his articles but it shoudn'tJunereth - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
were we reading the same article here?xype - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Probably not. Anything short of "I ONLY HAVE SEX WITH MY ANDROID TABLET FROM NOW ON!!" under Final Words is seen as definitive proof of Apple-bias by some, it seems.Cyleo - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Before I owned the original TF Prime I was probably inclined to agree with you. However after 6 months of use, I can see Anand's point. Where iOS is polished in almost every possible way, Android is still rough around the edges. Browser performance on Android is excellent when it works, but it also hangs a lot. Engadget for example is a website that constantly brings my TFP's browser to its knees. And I can tell you that constantly force closing your browser is pretty annoying.There is a huge potential for Android tablet, but Asus and Google need to polish the user experience if they really want to compete with Apple.