Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 Review: The Best Android Tablet On the Market

The efforts made by Asus on the tablets market this past year are perfectly demonstrated by Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700, the newest tablet from Asus.

Asus Transformer was one of the best Android tablets on the market last year and now, one year later, Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 follows suit, as it represents a very good solution for those willing to purchase an Android tablet.

Before we begin with the review it’s probably a good idea to take a look at the technical specifications of the TF700, to get a better picture of what this tablet has to offer.

Technical Specifications:

Screen: 10.1”, 1920 x 1200 pixels, IPS+, with Gorilla Glass

Processor: Nvidia Tegra 3 @1.7 GHz quad-core CPU, GPU 12-Core

RAM Memory: 1 GB RAM

Storage: 64GB

Connectivity options: Wireless N, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G/4G-LTE (some models)

Sensors: accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, luminosity

Ports: micro-HDMI, proprietary docking port, microSD

Photo Camera: 8 MP with flash, 2 MP frontal camera

Battery: 25 Whr

Operating System: Android 4.0 IceCream Sandwich

Dimensions / weight: 263 × 180.8 × 8.5 mm / 586 g

Other: Asus SonicMaster speakers, two available colors, optional detachable keyboard, USB Port and SD card reader

Construction and design

We don’t think many will argue with the fact that Asus Transformer Infinity is one of the most beautiful tablets ever created. Measuring 263 x 180.8 x 8.5 mm and weight of only 586 grams, Infinity Pad is lighter than thinner than it’s main rivals.

Just like the Transformer Prime, the case of the tablet is built using aluminum, with a circular design around which we can see the ASUS logo.

The tablet is available in two colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold.

As a difference compared to Transformer Prime we have to mention the thin plastic line used at the top of the tablet, near the GPS and Wi-Fi modules. This is an important design difference and it solves the problems of the previous model.

On the back of the TF700 we can also find the 8 MP camera and the smooth grid of the speakers. Unfortunately, Asus used a single channel audio configuration, placed in the right bottom side of the case, which means that the speaker will be accidentally covered when you are holding the tablet, which will affect the audio quality.

We don’t have too many things to say about the front of the tablet. It includes the screen, webcam and a few sensors all covered by a Gorilla Glass protective layer.

Connectivity, Ports and Sensors

We see no change here compared to Prime or other members of the Transformer family, and the only change is the layout.

In the supper side you will see the on/off switch, microphone, volume keys. On the left side you will see the microSD reader, HDMI output, an additional microphone and the standard 3.5 mm audio jack.

In the upper side Asus integrated a third microphone, and at the bottom we have the charging connector, PC connector as well as two docking ports for attaching the dock station.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 comes with wide range of sensors, including gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and illumination sensor.

On the connectivity side we get Wireles N, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. The problems of the GPS module on the Transformer Prime tablet were solved by including the thin piece of plastic in the superior side of the tablet, near the radio antennas.

Asus used a two-antennas design on the Infinity Pad, which provides excellent performances when transferring files through a wireless connection.

External Keyboard

Just like other Transformer tablets, Asus Infinity can be equipped with a docking station which includes a QWERTY keyboard, a trackpad, external battery and a few new ports. The Infinity dock is identical to the dock of the Transformer Prime and it works great on both tablets.

The external keyboard is pretty thin, it has a weight of only 540 grams and it offers a USB port and SD card reader. The internal 22 Whr battery helps in increasing the autonomy of the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700.

The normal sized USB port allows you to attach the tablet to different accessories and peripherals. The SD card reader is compatible with the SDXC standard and will allow you to increase your storage space. The keyboard is generally alright, with well spaced keys and proper touch response, but for thick fingers the keyboard might prove to be too small.

The trackpad is pretty crowded and even imprecise. The two buttons integrated in the touch surface are pretty stiff and hard to press, but since the tablet has a touchscreen we doubt you’re be using them much.

Screen

If we were to mention one thing we like best about the Asus Transformer Infinity Pad TF700 that would be the screen. The screen has a size of 10,1 inch however we are dealing with a IPS+ screen displaying a Full HD resolution. And it looks great. The level of luminosity is good, so is the contrast and live colors.

Hardware and Software

Transformer TF700 is fast, probably the fastest Android tablet available right now. At least on paper, and we’re going to tell you why.

Under the hood you’re going to find the Nvidia Tegra 3 T33 platform funning at 1.6 GHZ ( multi-core  and 1.7 single-core ), helped by 1 GB of RAM memory and 16,32 or 64 storage space.

We are talking about the WiFI version of the Infinity Pad because the 4G / LTE version will be powered by Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4.

Unlike the Tegra 3 T30 ( Prime ) and T30L ( TF300 ), T33 should be a lot faster. The Performance, Eco and Balance modes in Android settings should help you switch between speed and power saver, based on our needs.

Two things you have to consider when judging the performance of the TF700: the Full HD screen has more pixels which are served by the same hardware components found on Prime.

The Android 4.0 OS is a solid operating system, which integrates services like Gmail, Maps, Places, Latitude, Navigation, Galk, etc.

Just like every Tegra 3 tablet, Asus Transformer Infinity Pad also gets access to Nvidia TegraZone, here you will find better games, especially created for highlighting the performances of the processor. You will not find many games though.

Infinity Pad does a very good job with videos too, and it is capable of playing HD videos from services like YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, as well as stored 1080p video

Photo camera

There are two cameras available on the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700: a frontal camera with a resolution of 2 MP and a 8 MP camera on the back, with auto-focus and LED Flash.

Battery Autonomy

You will get a 25 Whr battery and Asus says the battery provides 10 hours of autonomy. The autonomy is relative because it depends on what you are doing with the tablet.

Conclusion

Infinity Pad T700 is one of the best Android tablet we got to play around with so far. It looks good, solid, and it comes with an excellent screen. It also runs on the latest Android OS and it provides a versatile docking station, useful if you plan of using this tablet for office work.