ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T review: Full throttle

GSMArena team, 31 October 2013.

Introduction

From the makers of the Nexus 7, which pretty much got Android back in the tablet game, a convertible 10.1" slate is ready to step out of the living room and shake off the stay-at-home, only-good-for-media-consumption image of ten-inchers.

Fourth generation into it, the Transformer Pad lineup aims to offer a solution for both home and office. ASUS is unafraid to see Android as an environment where actual work can be done, and challenge the likes of the Microsoft Surface and the Lumia 2520.

Asus Transformer Pad TF701T official photos

Meet the ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T, the Android tablet that's not afraid to take anything you throw at it. Don't be afraid to come closer, it won't bite. But make no mistake about it, the Transformer Pad is one tough tablet and we're not just saying that because of its aluminum build.

See what we're on about.

Key features

• 10.1" LED-backlit IGZO Super IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16M colors, 300ppi pixel density


• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box


• 1.9 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU, 72-core ULP GeForce GPU, 2GB of RAM, Nvidia Tegra 4 T40X chipset


• Docking station with a full QWERTY keyboard, 4170 mAh battery


• 5 MP autofocus camera with face detection, f/2.4 aperture; 1080p video recording @ 30fps


• 1.2MP front-facing camera


• 32/64GB internal storage, microSD card slot in tablet; full-size SDXC in dock


• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support


• NFC connectivity


• GPS with A-GPS connectivity


• Bluetooth v3.0


• microUSB port with USB host and TV-out (1080p) support, MHL, charging


• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor


• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack


• Built-in stereo speakers


• 7,820 mAh battery


• Thin and light construction; solid build quality


• Dimensions: 263 x 180.8 x 8.9mm, 585g


• Dock dimensions: 263 x 180.8 x 7mm, 570g

Main disadvantages

• No 3G, LTE


• Mobile dock feels a bit flimsy


• Bigger and heavier than its rivals


• Proprietary 32-pin connector


• Disappointing audio quality

Mouthwatering specs and premium build quality are just a part of the story. Remember, this is a Transformer, so its mobile dock is a major element of the experience. Happily, ASUS have paid due attention to this part of the equation. It does not have the aluminum finish of the actual tablet, but we don't mind as it certainly helps keep both weight and price in check.

ASUS has partnered with Sharp to catch up with Samsung and Apple and put forward a high-resolution display of its own. The 2560 x 1600 IPS screen of the Transformer Pad is going after the Samsung Note 10.1 2014 edition and the Apple iPad 4.

With the Tegra 4 chipset featuring a quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU, the Transformer Pad has the processing power and future-proofing covered. The latest and greatest from Nvidia is eager to make up for lost time and this latest Transformer is its perfect playground.

ASUS Transformer Pad TF701T live photos

There's more than meets the eye with the ASUS Transformer Pad and we've yet to delve into what this slate is really capable of. Not before a proper warm-up though - follow us on our usual hardware tour.

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Vodafone reduces mobile internet tariff by 80 percent

Vodafone has announced a massive 80 per cent price cut in charges for its mobile internet customers across the country, from 10 paisa per 10 KB to 2 paisa per 10 KB. This rate would be applicable from November 1, 2013 for all pre-paid and post-paid customers on 2G on a 'Pay as you Go' basis.

Post the successful pilot launch in 3 circles - Karnataka, UP West and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, in mid-June, this mobile internet charge is now being rolled out pan India.

Additionally, when a mobile internet customer roams anywhere in India on Vodafone, he/she is charged like home rates for mobile internet.

Vivek Mathur, chief commercial officer, Vodafone India said, "This 80 percent reduction in mobile internet charges for customers using 2G is an important step in our strategy to drive mobile internet and we are confident that this move will facilitate in faster adoption and better usage."

Nokia 515 for Rs 10,500? You got to be kidding

How much would you pay for a Nokia handset with 64 MB RAM, 64 MB internal storage, and a 2.4 inch display? One friend of mine said it should not be more than Rs 3,000. But he was wrong like many. Nokia is offering its new Nokia 515 handset with such specification for Rs 10,500!

So what's special about it?

The Nokia 515 comes with a sand-blasted aluminium for a classy matt finish. It has a curved display and a full focus 5 megapixel camera along with an LED flash. It has even claimed to have a good camera app. But apart from that the Nokia 515 has no noticeable features. It has an average 1200 mAh battery which claims to provide 5 hours of 3G talktime and 10 hours of 3G talktime - very common to most 3G handsets available in the market today. Also, like most handsets these days, it has 32 GB expandable storage slot. It has a Series 40 operating system which is a version of Java and that does not make it a smartphone. There is no front camera either in this handset. Its 64 MB RAM and 64 MB internal storage further dims it's whatever shine left behind.

No doubt a user commented on an online retailer's website, on Nokia 515, saying, "You got to be kidding me...if you are standing with this cell in an open street and someone asks the price, will they not laugh if they hear it's worth 10K? Hell I would laugh at the buyer."

As Nokia said, it has been "designed to impress" but Nokia clearly forgot to price it right to impress. Hope, the Nokia 515 has much more than what its feature suggests.

Jabra Solemate Mini launched for Rs 4,999

While festivals and holidays are around the corner, Jabra has announced the launch of its new ultra-portable Solemate Mini speakers.

According to Jabra, Solemate Mini comes with front-facing speakers "to ensure optimal performance with super bass response, and the choice of both wired and wireless mode"”.

"Its all-round rubber protection design makes it durable enough to handle regular scratches and makes it resistant to sweat, dust and splashes. With a long playback time and battery life of up to 8 hours, the Solemate Mini speakers can be easily paired using Bluetooth or NFC and wirelessly controlled from across the room," Jabra further claims.

Available in red, yellow, blue and black, the Jabra Solemate Mini is priced at Rs 4,999.

Top 5 camera apps for Android this Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights and firecrackers, but you could do much more to multiply the fun if you have an Android smartphone with the camera applications mentioned below.

Line Camera

The traditional camera application of an Android smartphone is not much use. That's why you should go for a third party app which will enable you to play around with the images you click and will give you elbow room to click pictures in different themes.

Though there are several camera applications on Google Play Store, you can try the new free Line Camera application, which has 5000 stamps, 100 frames, 20 unique filters, and 200 brushes. Further, you can share the pictures using this application over Facebook, Line messaging app, Flickr, Twitter and many other social websites. Its popularity is palpable from the fact that it has already been given five stars by over 1 lakh of its approx 1.5 lakh total users.

Intel's holdout against making ARM chips comes to an end

Unable to break through with its own mobile Atom chipset, it seems that Intel finally raised the white flag and has decided to begin manufacturing 64-bit ARM chips of its own.

The ARM architecture's supremacy in the mobile market has been a result of the varied and competitive core licensing terms provided by ARM Holdings. This has allowed a variety of manufacturers - including Samsung, Apple, Nvidia and many more - to use ARM's core designs to create integrated SoC's of their own. In 2010 alone, an incredible 95% of smartphones shipped with ARM-based CPU's.

It was obviously in Intel's best interest to stop resisting the adaptation of ARM in the mobile realm, and its decision to enter into the fray against other semiconductor foundries (most notably Samsung and TSMC) brings up some interesting permutations.

First, will Intel's historic rival chipset manufacturers like Nvidia and Qualcomm be willing to do business with it over rival foundries? Second, what sort of advantages will Intel's 64-bit architecture offer?

This also opens up some interesting possibilities for Apple, who would love to be able to break ties with Samsung as the primary supplier of the ARM-based Ax SoC found in its iPhone smartphones and Apple tablets (including the upcoming A8 chip). It's a process that's been hinted at in the past, and estimated to take as long as a year and a half and cost Apple between $1 - 3 billion.

Intel's potential ability to make high quality 64-bit ARM CPU's may be enough to entice Apple into taking the plunge, and perhaps even get an exclusivity agreement in the meantime.

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ZTE unveils a trio of Blade Q smartphones

ZTE has announced three affordable smartphones for the European market, which it hopes will help it grow its market share on the Old Continent.

The three new additions to the ZTE lineup are the 4.0" WVGA Blade Q Mini, the 4.5" FWVGA Blade Q and the 5.0" FWVGA Blade Q Maxi.

All three phones share similar internals. They are all powered by the MT6572 chipset with a dual-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-400 graphics and 1GB of RAM. The trio also comes with 5MP rear cameras capable of 720p video recording, VGA front snappers, 4GB expandable internal storage, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in charge of operations.

ZTE Blade Q Mini • ZTE Blade Q • ZTE Blade Q Maxi

The connectivity options for Blade Q Mini, Blade Q and Blade Q Maxi are also identical - you get 3G with HSPA support, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and FM radio.

ZTE Blade Q Mini, being the smallest of the trio, has a 4.0" TFT display with 480x800px resolution. It comes with the smallest battery too - a 1500 mAh unit.

The ZTE Blade Q has a 4.5" TFT screen with 480x854px resolution and 1,800 mAh battery.

Finally, the ZTE Blade Q Maxi packs a 5.0" TFT display with 480x854px resolution and has the biggest 2,000 mAh battery inside.

The pricing and availability of ZTE Blade Q Mini, Blade Q and Blade Q Maxi is yet to be detailed.

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