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Asus Transformer, Prime, TF700 and 300: Price, specs and release dates

UPDATED: It’s all getting a bit confusing in the Asus camp with all the TF releases and Transforming Androids – can’t someone just break it down and clearly identify all the Transformers, list their specs, pricing and availability? Of course we can, after all, the Transformer range is without a doubt the strongest line of Android tablets out there and we’ve relished our time with each and every one. So here it is: Recombu’s Transformer breakdown in numerical order:

Asus EeePad Transformer TF101

Out now, the original Asus Transformer was the source of all this TF-loving. Still hugely popular, its SRP hasn’t dropped since release and it’s available for around £430.

Packing a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor and a 10.1-inch 1280×800 display, the Transformer is still a very current tablet thanks to its ICS update, despite being the oldest of the bunch. It has the most impressive array of connectivity ports on its docks with 2-USB ports and an SD card slot and even packs a mini-HDMI on the tablet itself with 16GB of storage and micro SD expandability.

Asus EeePad Transformer TF201 (Prime)

Out now, but difficult to come by, the Asus Transformer Prime retails for £499 with the keyboard dock in tow.

This is a premium product with a spun metal finish on the reverse of its skinny all metal chassis. Sharing the original Transformer’s form-factor, it sports an up to 1.4GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, the most powerful commercially available mobile processor currently on market.

On top of power, you also get a dock and ports, this time, one USB port and an SD card slot as well as 32GB onboard memory. On the tablet itself is a micro HDMI port, a micro SD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Asus EeePad Transformer TF300

Available now: we’ve now had confirmation the TF300T will cost £399 including the keyboard dock and will be available from Curry’s and PC World online in early May and in-store in late May. It will be available in other stores in June.

As with the Asus Transformer Prime, there is a quad-core Tegra 3 processor on-board, however this one’s clocked to 1.2GHz as opposed to 1.4Ghz on the Prime. It also sports a plastic body though does have the addition of 3G.

Additional ports are as found on the Asus Transformer Prime, however the camera doesn’t have a flash.

Read our Asus EeePad Transformer TF300 review

UPDATE (4/5/12): If you want to pick up a Transformer Pad 300, Asus have just informed us that both PC World and Currys will indeed be stocking them in store and online from the 18th of May for £399, you can pre-order now.

Asus EeePad Transformer TF700 (Infinity)

We now know that the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 (as it’s now called) is set to launch August 31st. It aims to better the original Asus Transformer Prime in two ways. Firstly, the TF-700 sports a better screen and secondly, it fixes the GPS issues the all metal body bestowed the Asus Transformer Prime with. Pricing is now sited by Asus as being set at £599, which based on our prediction for £600, sounds about right.

Otherwise, specs remain similar to the Asus Transformer Prime. With the same keyboard dock you get a single USB port and an SD card slot. The body itself also shares the microSD card slot, microHDMI and proprietary charging port as standard.

While we’ve touched on the screen, this is the real focus of the TF700. Not content with being an IPS+ panel a la Prime, the resolution is better than full HD at 1920 x 1200. Given the quad-core processor and aspect ratio, this makes the Asus TF700 the perfect device to watch full HD content on.

UPDATE (24/7/12): We went hands-on with the Asus Pad Infinity TF700 just the other week and it’ll be available in the UK from the likes of Amazon.co.uk as of August 31st. For both the tablet and laptop dock, it’s available for £599, stock is likely to be scarce for both the Champagne Gold and Amethist Grey versions, but if you’re interested, we suggest you head over there now and reserve a spot. Check out our full hands-on article here or you can watch our video below.

That’s the TF or Transformer line from Asus in a nutshell knowing what we know now. Having reviewed the original Asus EeePad Transformer and the Asus EeePad Transformer Prime and played with them all, we can attest to it being the most exciting range currently available. Which one’s right for you? Hopefully this article has made your deciding easier. If you’ve any questions about the Transformer line or want to share your thoughts about the tablet-top form-factor Asus has introduced, just leave a comment in the box below.

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