CeBIT: Asus to ship 10in tablets with Android Honeycomb

HANOVER: Asus has confirmed that its forthcoming 10in Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Pad Slider tablets will ship with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, as the firm looks to keep pace with competitors including Motorola and Samsung.

The Eee Pad Transformer is a hybrid device featuring a 10.1in WXGA touch screen with a resolution of 1,280 x 800. It is powered by a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor together with 1GB DDR2 RAM, and comes with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage.

The 3G version weighs 695g, but this still makes it lighter than similar devices including the Apple iPad and Motorola Xoom. The Transformer will also ship with a docking station, allowing users to turn the tablet into a laptop with a fully functional Qwerty keyboard.

During our hands-on, the tablet clipped effortlessly into the dock and felt secure in place. Asus quoted up to 16 hours of battery life, and it will be interesting to see how close the device gets to this claim during testing.

Other key features include a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera and 5-megapixel camera on the rear, as well as integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Asus said that the Transformer is due to start shipping in April with a starting price of €399 for the basic 16GB Wi-Fi model. This rises to €699 for 64GB of storage and 3G connectivity.

The Eee Pad Slider, meanwhile, will come with near identical specifications including the same 10.1in WXGA screen and Android Honeycomb 3.0 operating system. However, it will be more expensive.

The Slider also comes with a full Qwerty keyboard, but this is not detachable and, as the name suggests, slides out from under the display. Prices for the Slider will start at €499 for the basic 16GB version, rising to €799 for the 64GB model.

Asus also showcased a 7in tablet dubbed the Memo. This will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz dual core processor, support for HSPA+ connectivity, and 1080p HD video playback capabilities. It will start at €499 for the 16GB and €699 for the 32GB options.

Exact release dates are still up in the air, but Asus said that the Transformer will start shipping in April and the Slider possibly in June.

However, with plans to ship the Wi-Fi devices first, those wanting 3G models could be in for a longer wait.

It appears that Asus has worked hard to eliminate the bugs which resulted in the tablet being pulled from display at the BETT trade show in January.