Review: Transformer Prime; Best Android Tablet Yet

2012 is the year of many “firsts” for the new Asus Transformer Prime. The Transformer Prime is the first tablet that features Google’s new Android 4.0 software, which has been designed to consolidate phone and tablet software. It is also the first tablet to run on a quad-core chip from Nvidia, called the Tegra 3.

So does first mean best? Not in every sense of the word but in this particular case, it’s safe to say the Transformer Prime, on the market for $499, is currently the best full-sized Android tablet you can buy.

Primo hardware
The Transformer Prime is the second iteration of the popular 10.1-inch tablet which debuted last year. With 32 GB of storage we can say it is a good one.

The reason it is called “Transformer” is because of the optional $150 keyboard dock, but we’ll get back to that in just a bit. The slate itself uses premium IPS display at 1280 x 800 resolution. You can view your Transformer Prime from all angles and it will maintain its clarity and brightness. On top of this there is a handy option to pump up the brightness when you are using the device outdoors. Once toggled, the screen jumps to 600 nits. When you compare this to the iPad 2’s 380 to 400 nits, you can understand just how bright it can get with this setting that’s 50 percent brighter.

The device is 8.6 millimeters thick and weighs 586 grams, making it a very easy-to-hold tablet. The large bezel around the display makes it especially so; roughly one inch of the stuff. It has a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera which went superbly in my Skype tests. The only problem is, the camera is offset so I had to tilt the tablet just a bit to appear in the center of vision.

The rear camera boasts a nice LED flash and at 8 megapixels takes adequate, but not stunning photos. Video capture is supported up to 1080p, looks good, but just a bit soft around the edges.

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