The Transformer Pad Infinity, the latest in Asus' tip-top line of tablets with click-on keyboards, will be out in the UK at the end of August for £600.
With a gorgeous spun-metal finish and highfalutin componentry like a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and a mighty 1,920x1,200-pixel 10-inch screen, the Infinity is the apex predator of the Android ecosystem.
The only problem? There's a smaller, nippier beast in the jungle, a raptor to the Infinity's T-Rex, and that's the Nexus 7. It might have a 7-inch 720p screen and no expandable memory (or fancy keyboard dock), but the Nexus 7 has the same powerful chip and it's a third of the price.
It's built by the same company, Asus, but the Nexus 7 is subsidised by Google to the extent that it's losing money on the £159 8GB version. The Big G wants Android to be taken seriously as a tablet platform, so it needs great-looking full-size apps -- and to get those it needs a thriving user base so developers know they'll make money.
The Nexus 7 also comes with the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean, while the Infinity's Ice Cream Sandwich software will be updated at some point in the future.
The Infinity is altogether a more meaty proposition, however, much better suited to doing serious business than tapping on a touchscreen. But I can't help feeling that if the keyboard is important to you, you'd be better off with a small-screen laptop running Windows, such as the £850 Asus Zenbook, or the bigger and cheaper Toshiba L830 or Asus U36JC.
It's also fair to mention that some Transformer models had problems with Wi-Fi earlier this year, with one online retailer pulling the Transformer Prime from sale. Asus was adamant that there was no widespread fault.
Initially available from Amazon, the Infinity is coming to the UK in a £600 Wi-Fi-only 64GB model, with no other memory or 3G versions on sale. When my colleague Andrew saw the Infinity at Mobile World Congress in March, a 3G version bafflingly had a weaker dual-core Snapdragon chip, compared to the high-end Tegra 3 in the Wi-Fi unit, so perhaps that's why there's only one model here.
Would you hunt down this formidable Android animal? Or are you leaving the big game to others and chasing the more humble Nexus? Take a shot in the comments, or track me to my natural habitat -- the lush, verdant CNET UK Facebook page.
Update 2pm: Added detail from Asus on model available.
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Comments 11
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anonymous 25 July, 2012 16:35
Isn't the screen on a nexus 7 1280x800 not 720p as said the the article.
anonymous 25 July, 2012 18:38
lol dont comment if you know nothing. 720p is a minimum of 720 horizontal lines on the screen. As it is 1280x800, it has a 800 horizontal lines and thus its above the minimum for 720p (barely)
anonymous 25 July, 2012 18:42
Too much for a "not quite a laptop" device.... £399 and I'd be all over it...
Dan Bambridge 25 July, 2012 18:57
Was waiting for this but looks to be just too pricey. Am I right in thinking that's £600 bundled with the dock like the Prime was?
Think I may just give in and get the Nexus 7...
Howard10000 25 July, 2012 21:05
The Nexus 7 is indeed very nippy.
But the screen is dim - they should have got Samsung to build it.
It feels chunky in the hand.
And the sound quality is shocking.
Everyone I have shown mine to is disappointed with it.
I don't even like Apple products very much but an IPad is easily worth twice the price of a Nexus 7.
markiwyn 26 July, 2012 10:29
I have been lusting for the infinity for ages. It definately gives ipad a run for its money in terms of hardware and software. However, I have issues with this report.
I agree that the Nexus 7 is much better value better and beats the Infinity hands down in this respect but, come on! The Infinity is a totaly different beast.
If the keyboard is important then why is this not ideal. The keyboard is important to me and this is ideal for me. Im just not bothered too much about alot of word processing. I think the author should say that if producing documents, spreadsheets and presentations is something you do a lot and you want to do complicated things with them then a laptop with windows would be better.
I dont think its fair to say that the Prime had wifi issues as this is not the Prime, CNET have not tested the Infinity and clearly Asus have addressed this issue by having a plastic strip at the top. So why mention it at all or at least mention that they have addressed it and you will report on the wifi performance when you have tested it.
Putting the article aside, for me, although I want this so bad, I was hoping that it would be about £400 - £500 but £600 is very pricey and probably prices me out. Yes the elephant in the room is the lack of developers and from what I read from various sources The Big G have to change their ethos when dealing with them as well as ensure that developers have an easier time developing the different versions of android or at least reduce the amount of versions. I have not read anything that sugests The Big G are doing something ground breaking to turn this around so I may be buying a tablet that in terms of apps is dead in the water i.e. how long will it take Sky to sort out SkyGo for Jelly Bean?
So is Ipad still better because of the apps and price? What do you think guys.
stuffstarter 26 July, 2012 13:59
I agree with markiwyn. Why have you decided to mention the wi-fi issue on a different machine?
Also about the only thing that the two compared machines have in common is the processor. 7" vs 10", 720p vs 1080p, no-keyboard vs keyboard, 8gb vs 64gb.
The Nexus sounds like a great machine and so does the Infinity but a comparative review seems startlingly unhelpful.
anonymous 27 July, 2012 00:26
that's far too expensive, when compared to the acer a700 which is £420 rrp but cheaper in real life. i don't get the hoohah about the keyboard, all android tablets will take a keyboard by either blutooth or usb anyway. kudos for not mentioning ipad
markiwyn 27 July, 2012 13:09
I think the keyboard is important as its attached to the tablet and so can be used as a laptop which makes the combination very portable. I assume it would be awkward using a bluetooth keyboard on your lap whilst having to try and balance the tablet on the bus, in a car, on the train. In addition, the keyboard with the infinity extends the battery life to crazy lengths more than any other tablet.
CNET.com shows the The Acer to be the poor cousin as it has 1.3GHz Tegra 3 and DDR2 RAM and stutters alot. The Infinity has 1.6GHz Tegra 3 and DDR3 RAM and can handle the demands asked of it.
I must reiterate and agree with the consensus, its is far too expensive though. A hundred pounds more than the Acer might be acceptable but £600? Nah mate!
Betul76 26 October, 2012 10:34
It states above that this product should have been available to buy at the end of August we are now coming to the end of October and still we are unable to buy it. Does anyone have any ideas when we can buy this.
Thank you.
markiwyn 27 October, 2012 06:52
I don't think that you will find it in stores but you should find it online. Put in google and select shopping and you should get a list of online stores who have it.