Asus Transformer Pad TF300 Review

Just as you wouldn’t expect a Toyota Camry to outclass or outperform a Lexus ES350, you wouldn’t expect a company's midrange tablet to outclass or outperform its high-end one. And yet, that’s exactly what happened with the $399.99 Asus Transformer Pad TF300, an Android tablet with a 10.1-inch screen. Compared with the company's flagship model, the $499.99 Eee Pad Transformer Prime (which is, without question, drop-dead gorgeous and has one of the best-looking screens we've seen), the Transformer Pad TF300 is, in terms of performance and connectivity options, an all-around better device.

Before we go any further, though, we should note that we also liked the Transformer Prime—so much so, in fact, that we gave it our Editors' Choice award. However, despite the fact that the Transformer Pad TF300 has a slightly slower processor (more on that in the Performance section), it scored better on most of our benchmark tests. On the surface, this doesn’t seem to make sense, but processor speed isn’t the only performance-impacting factor. Specific operating system and firmware tweaks, as well as different types of memory chips and other circuitry, can also make a slate run better. For example, Asus used DDR2 for the system memory in the Prime, but stepped up to DDR3 memory for this model. Little changes like these can make significant differences in performance.

As of late April 2012, these two slates are the only ones we've seen built around the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. In addition to performing better on several of our tests, the Transformer Pad TF300 also provides support for 3G and 4G cellular Internet connectivity. The Transformer Prime supports only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. That said, as of this writing, 3G and 4G service for this tablet were not available in the United States, and we can't say when it will be. (Asus would not discuss its ongoing negotiations with cell-service providers.)

The Transformer Pad TF300 comes in two versions and three colors. You can buy a 16GB model for $379.99 and a 32GB version, the one we review here, for $399.99. (Paying $20 more for twice the storage seems like a no-brainer to us.) As shown in the image below, you can take your pick of red, white, or blue chassis—eventually. Only the blue model will hit the stores in spring 2012; you'll have to wait until June to get a red or white one.

               

             

We seldom put a slate through our rigorous evaluation process without finding something to complain about—but not so with the Transformer Pad TF300. Not only did it perform well on our tests, but it also turned in the longest battery life of any Android-based tablet we've reviewed. The screen displayed text, graphics, and videos well. Sound playback, as well as sound and video recording, were better than average. And, even though the design is not quite a work of art like its higher-priced predecessor's is, it's still a nice-looking tablet. Combine all this with its up-to-date processor and operating system (Android "Ice Cream Sandwich")—all for $400—and not only is it a great tablet, it's the best Android-slate value available to date.

Google Nexus 7 (2013) Review

In 2012, with the release of the Google Nexus 7 by Asus$268.60 at Amazon, Google literally redefined the compact-tablet market—erased the slate, you might say. It did that not by delivering anything truly ground-breaking, but instead by offering a premium-quality slate at an entry-level price. Nothing about the 2012 Nexus 7 was particularly new, apart from it being the first tablet at the time to run the incremental 4.1 (a.k.a. “Jelly Bean”) version of Android. But it was the first slate you could get for under $200 that wasn’t plagued by quality-sapping, cost-cutting compromises.

For starters, the 2012 Nexus 7 was the only budget-friendly tablet near its price built around Nvidia’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor. And, unlike most other entry-level slates at the time, Google (and the actual hardware manufacturer, Asus) didn’t compromise on screen or build quality. The display rivaled those we’d seen on tablets that cost $100 to $200 more, and its light, attractive chassis felt sturdy, well-balanced, and, well,expensive, in our hands. On the whole, it was a great tablet at a great price, resetting the standard for the entire market for compact tablets.

Here we are a year later, and Google has introduced the next generation of the Nexus 7$229.00 at Amazon, which goes under the same name; we’ve dubbed it the “Google Nexus 7 (2013).” The new Nexus starts at a $229 list price (for a model with 16GB of onboard storage), and it’s manufactured by Asus, like its 2012 predecessor. This time, though, not only has Google delivered a great product at a decent price (albeit one with a starting price $30 higher than the 2012 model's), but this time the new Nexus does bring a number of firsts to Android mini-tablets.

It is, for example, the first 7-incher to come with a super-high-resolution, true-HD screen (with a native resolution of 1,920x1,200, or 1,080p), and it supports wireless charging. (We'll discuss both of these features in detail in the Features & Apps section, a little later in this review.) It’s thinner and lighter than last year’s iteration, too, making it the leanest 7-inch slate we've tested to date. And it’s the first slate to run on Android 4.3. Version 4.3 may be an incremental update to the operating system, but early returns suggest that here it delivers significant performance boosts, especially in graphics processing.

In addition to all these exciting new changes, the Google Nexus (2013) is one great-looking, great-feeling tablet. As with last year’s model, our only real complaint is that this new model doesn’t let you increase its storage capacity. You’re stuck with either the 16GB that comes in the $229 version, or the 32GB in the $269 model (the one we’re reviewing here). Apparently, this lack of an SD slot didn’t dissuade many tablet buyers, though—if the sales of last year’s Nexus 7 and the stalwart Apple iPad Mini$299.00 at Apple Store are any indication.

As you’ve probably gathered by now, we really liked this tablet—so much so that our recommendation is simple: If you’re looking for a compact slate that doesn’t have to be an iPad, and your budget has any kind of flex at all, buy this one.