ASUS Unloads At IFA 2013: 3-in-1 Tablet/PC, Transformers, Zenbooks, Tablets, and Phablets, Oh My
ASUS brought the whole kit and caboodle to IFA 2013 in Berlin this year, using the occasion to unveil a slew of mobile devices that cut across a number of markets and include plenty of different form factors.
ASUS Transformer Book Trio
First up is the Transformer Book Trio, a 3-in-1 ultraportable that dual boots Windows 8 and Android 4.2 and can actually function as two separate computers. With the tablet portion docked, users can work with either Windows 8 or Android laptop-style, and when the 11.6-inch tablet is removed (and being used by one party), the keyboard dock can be connected to an external display (via Mini DisplayPort or Micro-HDMI) and run as a separate Windows 8 PC.
The Transformer Book Trio runs on an Intel 4th-gen Core processor as well as an Intel Atom Z2760 (1GHz) chip in the tablet itself. The tablet display offer full HD and 10-point multitouch with Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB DDR3 (1600MHZ)/2GB LP DDR2 (1066GHz) RAM (PC/tablet), up to 1TB HDD/64GB of onboard storage (PC/tablet), rear 5MP and front 720p HD cameras, WiFi, stereo speakers with mic, and more. The PC portion has two USB 3.0 ports, and the tablet has micro-USB 2.0 and a microSD card slot.
ASUS Transformer Book T300
In a similar vein, ASUS also announced a pair of Transformer devices that offer tablet functionality with keyboard docks. The Transformer Book T300 runs Windows 8 and has a 13.3-inch full HD display with up to an Intel Core i7-4500 chip, HD 4000 graphics, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB SSD. There’s a rear 1080p full HD camera and a front 720p HD camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, micro-HDMI 1.4, microSD, a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T
The Transformer Pad TF701T is essentially the Android (Jelly Bean) version of the above, but this device’s 10.1-inch IPS display is actually an impressive 2560x1600 resolution. It runs on a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU and a 72-core GeForce GPU and rests in a keyboard dock with a USB 3.0 port. It also features 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of onboard storage, WiFi with Miracast, Bluetooth, micro-HDMI, microSDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers.
ASUS Zenbook UX301
ASUS announced a new fleet of ultrabooks, too, led by the flagship Zenbook UX301 and UX302. The 13.3-inch Windows 8 laptops feature Gorilla Glass 3 displays and a slick “metallic spun design” reminiscent of what we’ve seen from ASUS in the past. The UX301 has up to an Intel Core i7-4558U processor, 2560x1440 display, HD Graphics 5100, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 512GB SSD in RAID 0. The UX302 has a full HD display and up to an Intel Core i7-4500U processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT730M (2GB) graphics, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and 750GB HDD with 16GB SSD cache. Both devices sport mini DisplayPort, two USB 3.0 ports, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-HDMI, 3.5mm headphone/mic jacks, an SD card reader, and stereo speakers.
ASUS X102BA Ultrabook
ASUS also unveiled the X102BA ultrabook, which is designed for even greater mobility. The 10.1-inch lappie features a 1366x768 resolution with 10-point multitouch, Windows 8, AMD A-Series APU (AMD A4-1200, 1GHz and Radeon HD 8180 GPU), a front 720p HD camera, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth, SD card slot, microphone, and stereo speakers.
ASUS MeMO Pad 10
There’s also a pair of affordable tablets with the MeMO Pad 8 and 10; both devices feature 1280x800 IPS displays with 10-point capacitive touch, Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-USB port, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers. The 8-inch MeMO Pad 8 has 16GB of onboard storage, 5MP rear/1.2MP front cameras, an accelerometer, e-compass, and proximity sensor. The larger MeMO Pad 10 has up to 16GB of onboard storage, 2MP rear/1.2MP front cameras, A-GPS with GLONASS, accelerometer, and e-compass.
ASUS Fonepad 6
Finally, ASUS released two Fonepad phablets with 1200x800 resolutions, the Fonepad 6 and 7. The Fonepad 6 features a 6-inch full HD display with both multi-touch and stylus input that runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and has a dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 chip, 2GB of RAM, up to 32GB of onboard storage, a microSDHC card slot, 8MP rear camera with autofocus that shoots in 1080p HD and a front 1.2MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, micro-SIM card slot, and more. It operates on up to the UMTS 2100MHz, GSM/EDGE 2100MHz, and HSPA+ networks.
The slightly larger 7-inch Fonepad 7 also runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and sports a dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 (1.6GHz) processor with 1GB of RAM, up to 32GB of onboard storage, microSDHC slot, 5MP (1080p HD) rear and 1.2MP front cameras, WiFI, Bluetooth, micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, micro-SIM slot, and more. It operates on essentially the same networks as the Fonepad 6.
ASUS did not disclose availability or pricing for the above devices; that info is coming later this month.
ASUS Transformer Book Trio
First up is the Transformer Book Trio, a 3-in-1 ultraportable that dual boots Windows 8 and Android 4.2 and can actually function as two separate computers. With the tablet portion docked, users can work with either Windows 8 or Android laptop-style, and when the 11.6-inch tablet is removed (and being used by one party), the keyboard dock can be connected to an external display (via Mini DisplayPort or Micro-HDMI) and run as a separate Windows 8 PC.
The Transformer Book Trio runs on an Intel 4th-gen Core processor as well as an Intel Atom Z2760 (1GHz) chip in the tablet itself. The tablet display offer full HD and 10-point multitouch with Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB DDR3 (1600MHZ)/2GB LP DDR2 (1066GHz) RAM (PC/tablet), up to 1TB HDD/64GB of onboard storage (PC/tablet), rear 5MP and front 720p HD cameras, WiFi, stereo speakers with mic, and more. The PC portion has two USB 3.0 ports, and the tablet has micro-USB 2.0 and a microSD card slot.
ASUS Transformer Book T300
In a similar vein, ASUS also announced a pair of Transformer devices that offer tablet functionality with keyboard docks. The Transformer Book T300 runs Windows 8 and has a 13.3-inch full HD display with up to an Intel Core i7-4500 chip, HD 4000 graphics, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 256GB SSD. There’s a rear 1080p full HD camera and a front 720p HD camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, micro-HDMI 1.4, microSD, a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T
The Transformer Pad TF701T is essentially the Android (Jelly Bean) version of the above, but this device’s 10.1-inch IPS display is actually an impressive 2560x1600 resolution. It runs on a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU and a 72-core GeForce GPU and rests in a keyboard dock with a USB 3.0 port. It also features 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of onboard storage, WiFi with Miracast, Bluetooth, micro-HDMI, microSDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers.
ASUS Zenbook UX301
ASUS announced a new fleet of ultrabooks, too, led by the flagship Zenbook UX301 and UX302. The 13.3-inch Windows 8 laptops feature Gorilla Glass 3 displays and a slick “metallic spun design” reminiscent of what we’ve seen from ASUS in the past. The UX301 has up to an Intel Core i7-4558U processor, 2560x1440 display, HD Graphics 5100, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 512GB SSD in RAID 0. The UX302 has a full HD display and up to an Intel Core i7-4500U processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT730M (2GB) graphics, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and 750GB HDD with 16GB SSD cache. Both devices sport mini DisplayPort, two USB 3.0 ports, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-HDMI, 3.5mm headphone/mic jacks, an SD card reader, and stereo speakers.
ASUS X102BA Ultrabook
ASUS also unveiled the X102BA ultrabook, which is designed for even greater mobility. The 10.1-inch lappie features a 1366x768 resolution with 10-point multitouch, Windows 8, AMD A-Series APU (AMD A4-1200, 1GHz and Radeon HD 8180 GPU), a front 720p HD camera, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth, SD card slot, microphone, and stereo speakers.
ASUS MeMO Pad 10
There’s also a pair of affordable tablets with the MeMO Pad 8 and 10; both devices feature 1280x800 IPS displays with 10-point capacitive touch, Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-USB port, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, and stereo speakers. The 8-inch MeMO Pad 8 has 16GB of onboard storage, 5MP rear/1.2MP front cameras, an accelerometer, e-compass, and proximity sensor. The larger MeMO Pad 10 has up to 16GB of onboard storage, 2MP rear/1.2MP front cameras, A-GPS with GLONASS, accelerometer, and e-compass.
ASUS Fonepad 6
Finally, ASUS released two Fonepad phablets with 1200x800 resolutions, the Fonepad 6 and 7. The Fonepad 6 features a 6-inch full HD display with both multi-touch and stylus input that runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and has a dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 chip, 2GB of RAM, up to 32GB of onboard storage, a microSDHC card slot, 8MP rear camera with autofocus that shoots in 1080p HD and a front 1.2MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, micro-SIM card slot, and more. It operates on up to the UMTS 2100MHz, GSM/EDGE 2100MHz, and HSPA+ networks.
The slightly larger 7-inch Fonepad 7 also runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and sports a dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 (1.6GHz) processor with 1GB of RAM, up to 32GB of onboard storage, microSDHC slot, 5MP (1080p HD) rear and 1.2MP front cameras, WiFI, Bluetooth, micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, micro-SIM slot, and more. It operates on essentially the same networks as the Fonepad 6.
ASUS did not disclose availability or pricing for the above devices; that info is coming later this month.
