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29 March 2024

Best of 2 worlds: Windows for work, Android for play

Published
By Joseph George

Asus has launched three new devices in the Middle East, including the one that uses Windows for Work and Android for play.

The Transformer Trio can seamlessly shift between Windows and Android operating systems.

The device, clearly built on the premise that Windows is for work and Android for play, runs the former when connected with the detachable keyboard and goes into Android mode when the display is separated from the dock.

The Trio, according to its name also has a third function, a desktop PC. One can simply plug in the device to a desktop monitor and make use of the advantages of a much larger screen.

When operating Windows, the device is powered by a 1.6GHz Core i5 or i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Separate the device and you have a 11.6-inch Android 4.2 tablet with a Full HD 1080p display, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

Asus also launched the Transformer Book T100, a 10.1-inch laptop cum tablet with an Intel Atom ‘Bay Trail’ quad-core processor. Unlike the Trio the T100 runs only Windows.

Asus has improvised the Fonepad with its Fonepad 7, that has added a voice calling feature, thereby making it the biggest phablet in the market today.

The updated version of the 7-inch Android device comes with full voice telephony with all smartphone features. It also features a faster HSPA+ 3G with up to 42Mbit/s download speeds.

Powered by a dual core Intel Atom processor, the device runs Android 4.2Full with HD display, dual-front speakers and weighs just 340grams.

Fonepad 7 features a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera, plus a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with a 100 continuous-shot ‘burst’ mode and 1080p Full HD video recording. The 3950mAh battery provides up to 28 hours of 3G talk time, 35 days of standby time and up to 10 hours of video playback.

The device is available with 8GB, 16GB or 32GB internal with options to expand through a microSD card.

The Trio is priced at Dh6,299 and will be available in the UAE from mid-December.

The T100 is priced at Dh1,699 and the Fonepad 7 at Dh899, and are already in stores across the UAE.

Asus, which continued to remain in the third position in terms of global tablet sales, trailing market leader Apple and contender Samsung, will face tough competition from new and emerging players in the market.

According to IDC data, Asus' third-quarter tablet market share stood at 7.5 per cent, much behind Apple's 29.6 per cent and Samsung's 20.4 per cent. Asus was followed by Lenovo with 5.5 per cent.

CEO Jerry Shen in a recent interview said the company is aiming to ship five million smartphones in 2014. The company plans to launch several new models during CES 2014.