CES 2014: ASUS unveils Transformer Book Duet TD300, VivoTab Note 8, PadFone Mini, & 3 ZenFone smartphones

The ongoing Consumers Electronic Show (CES) 2014 has already seen a number of interesting product launches by the likes of Samsung, Sony, Acer as well as homegrown manufacturer Micromax (you can read our coverage of the same here and here). In this article, we are going to talk about a series of products launched by ASUS.

In total, the company has launched 6 products that include Transformer Book Duet TD300, VivoTab Note 8, PadFone Mini, and three ZenFone smartphones. Here is a look at the specifications of all the devices.

Transformer Book Duet TD300

As the name already suggests, the device is capable of functioning as both an Android or Windows 8.1 tablet and a notebook. Users can simply switch operating systems with a single push of the 'Instant Switch' button or a virtual key on the tablet. The device sports a 13.3 inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution), and has 128GB of SSD storage, which can be further expanded up to 64GB with a microSD card. In addition, a keyboard dock houses a 1TB hard disk drive.

It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor with Intel HD graphics and has 4G of RAM. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi, while the dock is home to a USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, a LAN port, and a HDMI port. In addition, Transformer Book Duet has a front-facing HD camera with a built-in digital mic for video chats, and comes with ASUS SonicMaster technology for true-to-life sound through the tablet's twin speakers. The dimensions of the tablet are 342.7mm x 216.3mm x 12.9mm, while the dock measures 340.9mm x 217.6mm x 16mm. Together, they weigh around 1.9kg.

PadFone mini

This latest addition to the ASUS PadFone family is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor, and runs on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system (upgradable to Android 4.4 KitKat) with ASUS ZenUI user interface. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 64GB with a microSD card. As its name suggests, PadFone mini can double up as a 4 inch smartphone as well as a 7 inch tablet.

Both the 4 inch (800 x 480-pixel resolution) and 7 inch (1280 x 800-pixel resolution) TFT LED backlit displays use IPS+ (in-plane switching) technology. In addition, to ensure a seamless experience when switching between smartphone and tablet modes, PadFone mini's DynamicDisplay technology resizes apps according to the display being used.

The device sports an 8MP autofocus rear camera (with BSI sensor) comes with ASUS PixelMaster technology, which includes many easy-to-use options including High Dynamic Range (HDR), PanoSphere, Smart Remove and All Smiles. The camera can also record full high-definition videos (1080p) and capture still photographs while shooting video. PadFone mini also comes with a 2MP front facing camera for video calling.

On the connectivity front, the device has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 3G and comes with a microSD card slot. The dimensions of the smartphone are 124.42mm x 61.44mm x 6.3-11.2 mm, while the tablet station measures 199.85mm x 119.43mm x 13.91mm. PadFone mini's combined weight is 376gm (116 of the smartphone and 260 of the tablet station). It also comes with dual-SIM capability and ASUS has provided a total battery capacity of 3,270mAh in the device (1,170mAh in the smartphone and 2,100 in the tablet station). It will be available in five colours that include black, white, red, blue and yellow.

VivoTab Note 8

The device has an 8-inch HD IPS display (1280x800 pixel resolution) and is powered by an Intel Atom Z3740 processor. It runs on the Windows 8.1 operating system, has 2GB of RAM and comes with up to 64GB of solid-state storage, which can be further expanded an additional 64GB with a microSD card. The device also comes bundled with unlimited ASUS WebStorage for a year.

On the camera front, this one has a 5MP rear camera as well as a HD front facing camera for video calling. The dimensions of the device are 220.9mm x 133.8mm x 10.95mm and its weight is 380gm. The tablet also comes with a stylus based on Wacom technology and will offer up to 8 hours battery life, according to the company.

You can read about the detailed specifications of each of the ZenFone smartphones here. Also, keep track of this space for more CES 2014 dope.