ASUS Transformer 3 Pro T303UA Hybrid – following in the footsteps of Surface Pro 4

At first glance, the Transformer 3 Pro looks very much like the Surface Pro 4, those square edges, the kick stand and magnetic keyboard. But it does not only look the part, the 2-in-1 hybrid from ASUS means business.

There is a new wave of hybrid machines in the market carrying the ‘Pro’ label. Think MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, the PC world is catching on too with their versions of ‘Pro’s from different manufacturers of course.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro T303UA 2-in-1 Hybrid PC

Just like the Surface Pro 4, ASUS Transformer 3 Pro feels a little bulky than compared to say Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, Huawei Matebook or iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

It does however comes with a lot of fire power, with sixth generation Intel Core i7 processor and PCIex4 Gen 3 SSD storage and SATA3 interface.

You can even connect an optional ROG XG Station 2 for gaming grade graphics or Audio Pod for better audio with quad speakers, 360° surround sound and 5.1 channel virtual surround.

 

The body is made from premium-grade metal, a far cry from plastic Transformer tablets we are use to. After all, this here is a Pro, and a Pro deserves aluminium-magnesium alloy goodness.

Given the bulk, it is still wights only 800 grams and measures 8.35mm thin. There are two colours to choose from, icicle gold or titanium gray and four ASUS Transformer Cover keyboard colours. The integrated metal kickstand has a 155° step less hinge and can go up to 170° angle.

What really makes the Transformer 3 Pro stands out from the rest is the 3K display, packing 2880 x 1920 pixels with an extra-wide colour gamut of 121% sRGB and 85% NTSC for more vivid and accurate colours.

There is a high resolution main (rear facing) camera with 13MP optics and front facing webcam camere with Infra Red at 2MP resolution. The IR camera takes the place of a finger print scanner, making use of Windows Hello it can scan facial features for instant login.

It also aces on connectivity with USB-C with data rate up to 10Gbps and Thunderbolt 3 port with data rate up to 40Gbps. For good measure, Asus has also thrown in a full size HDMI port.

Finally, just like the Surface Pro 4, why not go all the way and throw in a stylus. The ASUS Pen offers high-precision 1024 levels jotter for all those notes and ideas.

What You Need to Know

• 12.6-inch (16:9) LED backlit WQHD+ (2880 x 1920) 60Hz Glare Touchscreen with 85% NTSC – BIGGEST, HIGHEST RESOLUTION
• Intel® Core™ i5 6200U Processor or Intel® Core™ i7 6500U Processor
• 4GB / 8GB LPDDR3 2133MHz SDRAM Onboard Memory and 256GB/512GB SATA3 M.2 SSD storage with multi-format card ready
• 2MP front facing IR camera and 13MP rear camera
• Integrated 802.11AC, Bluetooth 4.1, combo audio jack, 1 x USB 3.1 (Type C), 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI and 1 x Thunderbolt 3 port.
• Built-in stereo 2W speakers and array microphone with Harman Kardon technology and ASUS SonicMaster Premium
• 39 Whrs Polymer Battery with quick charge 60% in 60 minutes.
• 298.8 x 210.1 x 8.35 mm (WxDxH), 800g

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is Microsoft’s most successful tablet to date and there is no shame in taking a cue from the best in the arena. The Surface Pro 4 is Microsoft’s way of saying, here is how it should be done and ASUS has taken the same proven formula and came up with ASUS Transformer 3 Pro. Will it be as popular as the Surface Pro 4, we think it has every potential. Given its later release, it has the upper hand with newer more energy efficient processors, faster memory and storage. For a quick comparison, here is the specification of the Surface Pro 4.

Surface 4 Pro Specifications

• 12.3-inch PixelSense display, Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI), Aspect Ratio: 3:2, Touch: 10 point multi-touch
• 6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7
• 4GB, 8GB or 16GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB SSD Storage
• m3 Intel HD graphics 515 or i5 Intel HD graphics 520 or i7 Intel Iris graphics
• 5.0MP front facing HD camera, 8.0MP rear facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD video recording
• 9-12 hours of video playback depending on configuration
• 11.50 x 7.93 x .33 in (292.10 x 201.42 x 8.45 mm), i5/i7: 1.73lbs (786grams), m3 1.69lbs (766grams)