The Asus Transformer line of 2-in-1 tablets have been offering a hybrid Windows tablet/notebook experience for years. But up until recently most Transformer tablets have been relatively low-cost devices.
Earlier this year Asus introduced several new models, including an entry-level 10.1 inch model called the Transformer Mini… but also including a premium 12.6 inch device called the Transformer 3 Pro.
Now the Transformer 3 Pro is available for purchase in the US. And as expected, it ain’t cheap. The 2-in-1 tablet is up for order from Amazon for $1500.
To be fair, what you get for that price is one of the most powerful tablets on the market. The Transformer 3 Pro’s spec sheet reads like a wish-list for “the tablet with everything:”
- 12.6 inch, 2880 x 1920 x pixel display
- Intel Core i7-6500U Skylake processor
- 16GB DDR3-1866 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Windows 10 Pro
- HDMI, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headset jack
- SD card slot
- 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
- 13MP rear and 2MP front cameras, with IR camera for Windows Hello
- Stereo 2W speakers
- 39 Wh battery (charged with a USB C cable)
The tablet measures 11.8″ x 8.3″ x 0.3″ and weighs about 1.8 pounds.
It also comes with a keyboard cover featuring backlit keys and an Asus Pen which lets you write or draw with 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity.
Of course, if you’re going to buy a $1500 tablet, you might want to hold out for one with a 7th-gen Intel Kaby Lake processor rather than one that uses last year’s 6th-gen Skylake chip. But that was one of the most powerful 15W laptop-class processors available when Asus first unveiled the Transformer 3 Pro.
You also might wonder why you should consider the Asus tablet rather than a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. But if you tried to configure a Microsoft tablet with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, you’d end up paying $2199, which makes the Asus model look like a bargain (or maybe it just makes the Surface Pro 4 look really expensive).
via Tablet Monkeys
