Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, sith is about to get serious on the Android tablet front. ASUS have just announced the next addition to the Transformer line of devices, the ASUS Transformer Prime — throw an ‘Optimus’ in there and we’d be good to go. The device looks amazing and the specs sheet backs up that idea completely.
- 10.1-inch SuperIPS + display with Gorilla Glass
- 1.3GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor with 12-core GPU
- 1GB RAM
- 32GB or 64GB internal storage with microSD card slot
- microHDMI port
- 8MP F2.4 rear shooter with continuous flash for video recording, 1.2MP front camera
- 8.33mm thin
- 586g (1.29 lbs.)
- 12 hour battery life playing 720p video, 18 hours with keyboard dock
- Metallic spun finish
- Two available colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold (show below, respectively)
- Android 3.2 – will be updated to Android 4.0 as soon as possible after release
Are you blown away yet? The Transformer Prime will be the first device to use NVIDIA’s new Tegra 3 CPU which is quad-core with 5 cores, seriously! You can learn more about the Tegra 3 CPU in the view below.
The release date is sometime in December in the US, so I imagine us Aussies won’t see it on our shores (officially) until early in the new year. Pricing is set at (in USD) $499 for the 32GB variant and $599 for the 64GB variant.
The keyboard dock that turns the device into a makeshift laptop adds 6 hours of battery life and will apparently cost USD$150, which will no doubt be doubled by the time it launches here. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on any Australian availability on the ASUS Transformer Prime.
