Asus launches the Eee Pad Transformer with 16-hour battery life and Android 3.0

At the last CES event, Asus showed off a quartet of new tablets, meant to compete with the iPad and Android leaders. Then in February, rumors circulated about a secret weapon that Asus was preparing to dethrone Apple's iPad. And we're inclined to believe that they were referring to the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet, which was officially announced on Friday.

The most unique feature of the Eee Pad Transformer is its docking capability, which resembles that of the Motorola Atrix 4G. But instead of the device plugging into a display/keyboard combo, the Eee Pad Transformer merely connects to a keyboard. That keyboard, we might add, boosts the tablet's battery life to an impressive 16 hours. The tablet alone has a battery life of 9.5 hours.

Beyond its novel keyboard/battery dock, the Eee Pad Transformer has a compelling set of specs. It is the first Asus device to feature Android 3.0, and run on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It also features a 10.1-inch, 1280x800 resolution screen, equal to that of the Motorola XOOM. The tablet has a 5MP rear-facing camera that shoots HD video, and a 1.2MP front-facing camera.

Included are features like Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, HDMI output, digital compass, 3.5mm headset jack, and accelerometer. You can also choose between 16GB and 32GB versions. There's no official word on pricing, but a European retailer leaked a €399 ($565) pricetag. The Eee Pad Transformer is available for pre-order in Taiwan, will go on sale on March 30th in the U.K., and is expected in the U.S. some time in April.

source: SlashGear