Gather round folks and behold he latest in a line of fights between great Android tablets. Who’s going to come out on top and who’s going home to their mommy?! For this round we’ve got the latest from Google, the Nexus 10 and the most advanced offering from ASUS in the form of the Transformer Pad 700. Both have high-resolution displays and both come with recent versions of Android but, which one of these is more equal than the other? The Nexus 10 may well be the newcomer to this party but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have plenty to bring to the table because it certainly does. Never before has an Android tablet coming pack so much but, ASUS’ top of the line Transformer certainly comes with some stunning specs of its own. Are the added extras from ASUS enough to take on the Nexus 10? Read on to find out.
The Specs
ASUS Transformer TF700
Questionable naming aside, the Transformer series has been pretty successful for ASUS and for some time now was the standard in Android tablets, there was no other tablet to buy at one point other than the Transformer Prime. Of course, things have changed since then and there is now more choice but, ASUS are still using the same formula that they’v been doing since the Transformer TF101 that shipped way back when with Honeycomb. The Infinity – as it’s also known – comes with a stunning display and while it might not be up the same standard as that of the Nexus 10 it’s still really quite good and makes for brilliant moving viewing. Let’s not forget that the Transformer line is a great tablet if you want an everything device, with the added keyboard dock you can begin to get some work done with it. Of course, you’ll be relying on questionable Office Suites and Google Docs but, if you’re in the business of doing a lot of typing and minor spreadsheeting, the TF700 and the keyboard dock will work wonders for you on the go.
Pros
- The added benefit of the keyboard dock is brilliant, the fact there’s a trackpad there makes working a lot easier with Android. The keyboard might not be the best but, it is going to help you do more things on the go.
- The keyboard is also a massive battery, making this last a lot longer than any other laptop would, around 14 hrs of use.
- The screen is a vivid and beautiful IPS display and will make Full HD movies pop
- There’s a whole host of connectivity available here, HDMI out as well as full-sized USB on the keyboard dock for external hard drives etc
- For what you’re getting it is really quite pricey.
- Some say that the trackpad can be a little unruly
Google Nexus 10
There’s been so much said about the Nexus 10 that you’ve probably heard it all before. Google and Samsung have come together once again to make something truly brilliant and this time around it’s not a phone but one of the best tablets on the market. Period. Whether that be Android or iPad. The iPad has the apps but here, the hardware is stunning and the Nexus 10, to me, seems more like a siren’s song to developers than it does something for the real world. Of course, this isn’t a bad thing as the more developers that come to Android, the better. It’s no secret that Android on tablets isn’t doing as well as it should be because of the poor amount of tablet optimised applications and with this, Google might entice another wave of developers to the platform. The screen on the Nexus 10 is the real killer here and it’s absolutely gorgeous but, with little content to take advantage of such a canvas it’s a little bit of a letdown. It might only have a dual-core processor inside, it is a Cortex A15 and that makes all the difference in everyday stuff. It might not be the most feature packed Android tablet but, it does have the best screen in a tablet.
Pros
- Stunning 2560 x 1600 display is brilliant for reading, watching films or anything really.
- 2GB of RAM makes Multitasking a breeze.
- Unique design will help it stand out of the rest of the pack.
- Phone apps are going to look even worse at this resolution.
- Not a lot of apps or content is ready to take advantage of such a high-resolution.
And The Winner Is…
While the Nexus 10 has a whole lot of potential there really isn’t anything to suggest that the Nexus 10 will take off and become a success, despite the fact that it’s now sold out on the Play Store. Where the Nexus 10 has potential, the Transformer TF700 has real world experience, ASUS has been doing tablets like this for some time now and when it comes down to it, you can do a whole lot more of the TF700 than the Nexus 10. The keyboard dock is a killer add-on and it’s something a lot of people have been reaping the benefits of for some time now, not only does it provide a decent platform for proper typing but it also near doubles the battery live of the tablet. There’s not a single laptop out there that will last as long as this and it still comes in without all the heft of the everyday laptop. Office Software for the tablet – or any Android tablet for that matter – might not be that good but Google Drive is getting better and if you do a lot of typing this is the perfect tablet for you.