Taiwanese PC maker Asus took the wraps off a series of devices at Computex today, with the headliner being the Transformer Book V — a device that wants to be everything all at once.
The Transformer Book V is what Asus terms a “five-mode, three-in-one converged laptop” that features a Windows and Android laptop and tablet, as well as an Android smartphone. The design is such that the laptop has a detachable 12.5-inch screen that becomes a separate tablet, and a five-inch smartphone that docks into the tablet.
As a laptop, the Transformer Book V runs both Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4 KitKat. It includes a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad, and features a dedicated button to switch between the two operating systems. It runs on a Intel core processor and features a 12.5-inch HD IPS display with touch support. It also comes with 1TB of storage.
As a tablet, the Transformer Book V can switch between Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4 KitKat with a tap on the screen. It also means that users get access to both the Google Play Store and Windows Store for a wider variety of apps. The tablet comes with built-in storage of up to 128GB.
The Transformer Book V also features a 5.5-inch Android phone that runs Android 4.4 KitKat and has LTE support. It is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor and a 2500 mAh battery that is said to provide up to 10 hours of web browsing time.
It seems like a report that surfaced earlier this year about Asus being pressured to shelve its dual-OS PCs may not hold true after all, with the launch of this Transformer Book V.
Other than the Transformer Book V, Asus also unveiled the Transformer Book T300 Chi, a detachable notebook which it claims has the “world’s thinnest 12.5-inch tablet display.” The two-in-one device has LTE support and is equipped with a 2560X1440 WQHD IPS display.
Asus also showed off its next-generation Fonepad today, the Fonepad 8 — an eight-inch tablet with built-in 3G connectivity powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3560 1.8GHz quad-core processor. With a bezel of only 5.06mm, and a 1280X800 HD IPS display, Asus says the Fonepad has a 72.2 percent screen-to-body ratio that gives the “largest viewing area of any eight-inch phablet on the market.” It also features dual front speakers for better clarity of sound.
At the same time, Asus also unveiled its next-generation MeMO Pad Series, which includes a number of seven- and eight-inch tablets that tout different stand-out features.
As a traditional PC manufacturer, Asus has been trying to break out of its mold by building a large variety of devices, but it seems like its dual-OS laptop and tablet convertibles are the ones that have the best chance of competing in the increasingly-crowded market of gadgets.
Headline image via Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images
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