ASUS has officially announced the world’s first tablet featuring the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor – the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Cooperatively working with NVIDIA® to launch the first quad-core tablet in the world, the Eee Pad Transformer Prime features the innovative ASUS exclusive mobile dock, presenting a harmony of beauty and strength. ASUS CEO Jerry Shen says, “The combination between the Eee Pad Transformer Prime and Tegra 3 is the perfect fusion to deliver an uncompromising tablet experience. Together, we bring a whole new mobile computing experience to consumers around the world”. Echoing that sentiment, NVIDIA’s President and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang states, “The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is a category-defining product. Powered by Tegra 3, it brings us into a new era of mobile computing, in which quad-core performance and super energy-efficiency provide capabilities never available before. With Transformer Prime, ASUS has once again led the industry into the next generation.”

In addition to having superior multimedia performance, the Transformer Prime also boasts an 8.3mm ultra slim metallic spun finish with enhanced features including audio powered by ASUS SonicMaster technology, an 8MP rear auto-focus camera with LED flash and battery life rated for up to 18 hours when combined with the mobile dock. Pricing will range from $499 to $599**, with the mobile dock an optional accessory priced at $149. An official launch event with live demonstration is scheduled for early December when ASUS will unveil what happens when the Eee Pad Transformer Prime meets Ice Cream Sandwich.

Incredibly slim

Featuring an incredibly slim form factor, the Transformer Prime is a svelte 8.3mm thin and the only metallic tablet that weighs in at a mere 586g. It brandishes a metallic spun finish design made of aluminum for a secure yet extremely comfortable grip that comes in two gorgeous colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold.

Ultra performance

The Transformer Prime is the world’s first tablet to feature NVIDIA’s next-generation quad-core Tegra® 3 processor, creating a new breed of high powered tablet devices. With the quad-core CPU, 12-core GeForce® GPU and vSMP technology, the Transformer Prime delivers the best and fastest experience for tablet based multitasking, web browsing, full HD video playback and of course, games.

Unrivaled visual acuity

The Eee Pad Transformer already boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display, protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass, but the Transformer Prime goes further, upgraded with a brighter Super IPS+ screen that enhances the brightness of the screen for a better outdoor reading experience. A 1.2MP front camera allows for video conferencing while an 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash takes brilliant photos thanks to a large F2.4 aperture, back illuminated CMOS sensor, touch-to-focus depth of field and low light noise reduction to provide the clearest and sharpest photos. A first for any tablet, the 8MP camera on the Transformer Prime also has the ability to take full 1080p HD video.

Supreme sound

The Transformer Prime houses impressive audio, powered by ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology, renowned for crisp and acoustically accurate audio. It produces crystal clear sound with a wide sound range, increased sound fidelity, and distinct vocal enhancements not found on any other tablet in the market.

Unlimited productivity

The Transformer Prime is offered in both a 32GB and 64B model along with a micro SD card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack and micro HDMI port so sharing both what’s inside and on screen is quick and easy. However, the function that gives the Transformer Prime its namesake is the mobile dock, which gives new meaning to the term versatility. The innovative and convenient design seamlessly provides the user with a keyboard and touchpad, along with limitless expandability options via the USB port and SD card slot. Alone, the Transformer Prime has a battery life of up to 12 hours*, but when combined with the mobile dock, it lasts up to an incredible 18 hours*, the longest battery life of any tablet. Preinstalled application SuperNote is fantastic for its ability to take, draw or record notes, while Polaris® Office is great for staying productive with the ability to read and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MS Office 97-2007 version compatible) files.