Freshly unveiled at the on-going Zenvolution launch event here in Taipei, ASUS has just unveiled the latest edition to its 2-in-1 offerings in the form of Transformer 3 series. Available in the form of Pro and standard models, one can’t help but to notice the similarities between the new Transformer series and Microsoft Surface.
Built with a metal kickstand that can be adjusted up to 170-degrees, the Transformer 3 Pro also comes standard with its own Transformer Cover Keyboard that features backlit keys and 1.4mm travel distance. Additionally, it is also equipped with a 12.6-inch display that has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920, pixel density of 275ppi, and 121% sRGB color gamut.
The Pro model is also equipped with up to Intel Core i7 processor as well as up to 16GB of DDR4-2133 RAM and 1TB PCIe x4 solid state drive. It also features a Thunderbolt 3 port that allows Transfomer 3 Pro to support desktop graphics card – up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 – through the ASUS ROG XG Station 2 external graphics card adapter.
Apart from that, ASUS has also come out with a Universal Dock for the Transformer 3 Pro which provides additional I/O ports for it including USB-C 3.1, USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and SD card reader. The new 2-in-1 device also supports the new Audio Pod which features four speakers that are designed to deliver 5.1 virtual surround experience.
Not to forget, ASUS has also designed an active stylus for Transformer 3 Pro which is called ASUS Pen that has 1,024 levels of precision.
Meanwhile, ASUS has also brought forward the standard version of Transformer 3 that is powered by the upcoming seventh generation Intel Core processors which suggested that it will be out way later than the Pro model. As opposed to the Pro model, the standard Transformer 3 is not equipped with a kickstand and relies on Transformer Sleeve Keyboard which has 2-position stand.
Just like the Pro model, the standard Transformer 3 is also built with the same 12.6-inch 2,880 x 1,920 display, USB Type-C connector and Thunderbolt 3 port. It also comes with four integrated Harman Kardon speakers alongside fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello.
Last but not least, the standard Transformer 3 also able to supports accessories such as ASUS Pen, Universal Dock, Audio Pod, and ROG XG Station 2. No actual release date were announced but we do know that the Transformer 3 Pro starts at USD 999 (about RM 4,111) while the standard Transformer 3 goes from USD 799 (about RM 3,289) onwards.
