ASUS Transformer 3 And Transformer Pro 3 Convertibles Put Surface Pro 4 In The Crosshairs
The 2-in-1 design for laptops is growing in popularity as demand for standalone tablets is in decline. For that you can thank Microsoft for providing its hardware partners with a blueprint in the form of its Surface line, which in turn has led to some compelling solutions in the convertible category. That includes new Transformer 3 designs from ASUS.
Among the bevy of products ASUS unveiled at Computex are two Transformer 3 models, a regular version and a Pro model. The Transformer 3 boasts a slim profile that measures just 6.9mm and weighs a mere 695g. It's "precision crafted from aluminum" with diamond-cut edges and a familiar spun-metal finish found on previous Transformer products.
Click to enlarge
The Transformer 3 is a detachable 2-in-1 like the Surface Pro 4. It has a sleeve keyboard with 1.4mm of key travel, glass covered precision touchpad, and a two-position stand for angling the 12.6-inch display like a laptop. We haven't seen one in person yet, but the 2880x1920 resolution, 450 cd/m2 brightness, and gamut of 120 percent sRGB color space suggests it's a high quality panel.
ASUS is using 7th generation Intel Core processors (Kaby Lake) to power its Transformer 3 models. Configurations also come with up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 512GB SSD, a USB Type-C port supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds, built-in fingerprint reader, and a 13MP camera.
The Transformer 3 Pro is a higher end option that's slightly thicker at 8.35mm and presumably a little heavier (ASUS didn't list its weight), but every bit as finely crafted. It's also better equipped, pairing the same 12.6-inch display faster storage and more memory—up to a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and up to 16GB of DDR4-2133 RAM.
ASUS didn't say when its Transformer 3 convertibles will be available or for how much.
Among the bevy of products ASUS unveiled at Computex are two Transformer 3 models, a regular version and a Pro model. The Transformer 3 boasts a slim profile that measures just 6.9mm and weighs a mere 695g. It's "precision crafted from aluminum" with diamond-cut edges and a familiar spun-metal finish found on previous Transformer products.
Click to enlarge
The Transformer 3 is a detachable 2-in-1 like the Surface Pro 4. It has a sleeve keyboard with 1.4mm of key travel, glass covered precision touchpad, and a two-position stand for angling the 12.6-inch display like a laptop. We haven't seen one in person yet, but the 2880x1920 resolution, 450 cd/m2 brightness, and gamut of 120 percent sRGB color space suggests it's a high quality panel.
ASUS is using 7th generation Intel Core processors (Kaby Lake) to power its Transformer 3 models. Configurations also come with up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 512GB SSD, a USB Type-C port supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds, built-in fingerprint reader, and a 13MP camera.
The Transformer 3 Pro is a higher end option that's slightly thicker at 8.35mm and presumably a little heavier (ASUS didn't list its weight), but every bit as finely crafted. It's also better equipped, pairing the same 12.6-inch display faster storage and more memory—up to a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and up to 16GB of DDR4-2133 RAM.
ASUS didn't say when its Transformer 3 convertibles will be available or for how much.
