Android Tablet Update

ASUS Transformer Prime owners who have experienced GPS issues with their tablet have been to hell and back. After several botched attempts at trying to fix weak signal issues with software updates, ASUS has moved forward with an alternative correction method. A week ago, word got out that ASUS was working on some sort of antenna dongle for the Transformer Prime. The dongle was said to be “very minimalistic,” and “flush fit with the bottom of the unit.” Today, we learned that is not quite the case.

Land of Droid has managed to score some pictures of the GPS dongle for the ASUS Transformer Prime that show just how “minimalistic” the dongle really is. Used with the Transformer Prime’s 40 pin connector, the GPS dongle is a bar shaped attachment that’s nearly as long as the Prime in landscape mode, and looks to be maybe an inch or two thick. It looks huge. And because of how it attaches to the Prime, it can’t be used with the keyboard dock or while it’s charging. The pictures of the GPS dongle found below are said to be of an engineering build, but won’t change much from the final product.

There’s two ways to look at the GPS dongle for the Transformer Prime. It’s great that ASUS is committed to their customers. They’ve worked long and hard to come up with a solution to the Prime’s GPS woes, and they plan on giving it out for free. On the other hand, it feels like the situation may have spun out of control.

ASUS made a poor decision in build materials and design which ended up affecting the performance of the final product. Instead of offering extended warranties and ridiculously huge GPS attachments, ASUS could have stopped production and recalled the Prime until things were straightened out.

Then again, plenty of Prime owners couldn’t be happier with their purchase, so maybe ASUS did the right thing in keeping the tablet on shelves. What do you think? Has ASUS handled the Transformer Prime’s GPS problems well, or is the GPS dongle the straw that broke the camel’s back? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Apple’s claim that the new iPad’s A5X processor is 4 times better in graphics performance shook things up a bit. NVIDIA soon responded that they would like to see more data proving said claim. The Tegra 3 manufacturer decided to simply buy an iPad and run its own tests. The guys from LaptopMag have decided to run their own tests, as well, from a subjective standpoint.

It’s a bit hard to put these tablets against each other. There aren’t many multi-platform benchmark tests, they use different software and their applications are optimized diffferently. But the site did what was possible, using GLBenchmark 2.1 (graphics), Geekbench (processing power), Peacekeeper and Sunspider (browser).

To be specific, the devices used were the new iPad and the ASUS Transformer Prime. On the GLBenchmark test, the iPad had a clear advantage. Apple’s tablet processed 6718 frames at 60 fps under the Egypt Standard test. This is reasonably high compared to the Prime’s 5,939 frames at 53 fps.

The GLBenchmark Geometric and Fill tests are what really show the advantage, though. In the Geometric test, the A5X chip was able to process 7,530,524 frames at 57 fps, compared to Tegra 3′s 3,523,926 at only 27 fps. As for the Fill test, the chart below will give you an idea of the iPad’s advantage.

The Tegra 3 processor managed to perform better in raw processing power, though. On the Geekbench benchmark, the new iPad got an overall score of 692, while the Transformer Prime got 1571. Tegra 3 dominated on the test’s integer floating point and memory subtests. But Apple did manage to be a bit better in the stream subtest with a 324 score (against Tegra’s 266).

For the browser benchmarks, two tests were run – Peacekeeper and Sunspider. The former is a general test and was pretty much a match (386×387). But the new iPad beat the Transformer Prime by finishing the Sunspider rendering test in just 1810 milliseconds while the Transformer Prime did the same in 2216 milliseconds.

But, what exactly do all these numbers mean to the general consumer? Not much. And we know that benchmarks aren’t exactly a great representation of better performance. What matters is how everything looks and feels once using the device for real tasks.

The Laptopmag guys know this as well, so they have done a hands on test with a couple games. Albeit, this test is also a bit hard to consider, as the team uses two Tegra 3-optimized games. These games take full advantage of NVIDIA‘s quad core CPU and 12-core GPU. On the other hand, the games are only optimized for the iPad 2, currently.

It is not exactly a fair match, at least until the developers catch up. After using Riptide GP and Shadowgun, both devices display their pluses and cons. The Transformer Prime showed better 3D effects, smoke effects, water graphics and shading. But the new iPad’s retina display really made a difference in colors, definition and text.

As already mentioned, the tests are not exactly fair in every sense. This is about the closest we can get to a real answer, though. And Apple’s claim that the A5X chip is 4 times better is not exactly a correct statement. It would be great to see the developers rolling out new iPad versions of these games with the same effects. Until then, the real answer will continue to be unclear.

Check out the video to see the game comparisons and hit the comments section to let us know what you think. How do you guys think we could reach a fair understanding of the processors’ performances?

As promised, Asus has delivered a bootloader unlock tool for their popular Transformer Prime tablet. On a Facebook announcing the tool Asus said, “we pride ourselves on delivering the best experience for our fans and users throughout our products’ life cycles.”

I’ve owned the Transformer Prime since it was first released last year and I’ve been impressed with the software support from Asus. They have already delivered the major update to Android 4.0 and several other minor updates that included bug fixes and improved performance. Google has yet to update some of their own Nexus devices to the latest version of Android, so that just shows you the speed at which Asus is moving.

Before you unlock your Transformer Prime, make sure you read all the details. It only works with the Transformer Prime model TF201 and the device must already be running Android 4.0. They warn that once you activate the utility you will not be able to recover your ASUS product (“Original Product”) back to original locked condition and the Revised Product will no longer be covered under the warranty of the Original Product.

The average consumer doesn’t care about unlocking their bootloader, but it’s nice to see Asus provide this option to the hardcore crowd. Hopefully more manufacturers, like Motorola, will adopt this practice on future Android devices.

Update: We just learned that ClockworkMod Recovery has already been ported to the Transformer Prime.

Is Android 4.0 mature enough to replace a desktop PC? I’m writing this post with Chrome Beta for Android on my Asus Transformer Prime and I think it’s almost there. Previously I was disappointed with the Browser performance on the Prime, but the recent software updates to Android 4.0.3 combined with the Chrome browser are starting to live up to my expectations.

Before there was almost no way I could get any real content creation done on the Prime, but it is now passable. The performance still does not match my Samsung ultrabook, but I have noticed great improvements since I first gave this a try last year. The keyboard lag with heavy web apps like WordPress is gone, scrolling is smooth, and my Logitech USB mouse works great.

I’m not the only one that thinks Android 4.0 is passable as a desktop operating system. Android enthusiast Christian Cantrell hooked up his Galaxy Nexus to a computer monitor, wireless keyboard with touchpad, and speakers to demonstrate the user experience. He notes that Android 4.0 has most of the functionality he could need, but the performance of the dual-core OMAP4460 in the Galaxy Nexus leaves a little to be desired.

Most Android manufactures have not really tried to push the envelope for this type of user experience, with the exception of Motorola. Their Atrix 4G was ahead of its time, but it clearly hinted where Android was going. We predicted over a year ago that Android, Chrome, and Google TV would merge onto a single device, and we are almost there.

Motorola’s webtop experience and lapdock accessory were both cool ideas, but the final experience just sucked. Now that Google is taking over Motorola and hardware continues to advance at a rapid pace, we will finally see Sanjay Jha’s original vision come true. Your smartphone will become your most personal computer and eventually replace your desktop or laptop PC.

ASUS is likely to be one of the first companies to produce one of these so called ultraphones. Their upcoming Padfone will dock into a tablet, that can dock into a keyboard, that can connect to any display. This modular design will be copied over and over by every other OEM.

We might still be another generation away from mobile processors that can deliver the PC-like performance we crave, but there are software solutions to fill the gap. NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang demonstrated this at CES. Apps like Splashtop provide a virtualized OS that delivers the same exact experience you would expect from a desktop PC.

As I wrote yesterday, I still think Chrome will one day overtake Android as Google’s platform for connected devices, but that could be a decade away. Over the next five years, I see Android becoming the number one operating system on all web clients.

I realize this might sound crazy and Windows still has 70-80% market share depending on the source, but who would have predicted that Android would become the top smartphone OS as fast as it did. Smartphone sales already overtook client PCs in 2011, and that trend will continue to accelerate.

What do you think the Android ecosystem needs to deliver before you would give up your PC?

The Android Bowl is finally over and we are still calculating the results for favorite carrier and manufacturer, but we are proud to announce the winners of the free Asus Transformer Primes from our friends @NVIDIATegra.

Our lucky winners of the first Android Bowl include:

• First Half winner:  fellster
• Second Half winner:  patrick848
• Overtime winner:  kenbr1960

If your name wasn’t called this round, don’t fret because we have plenty more giveaways planned for the coming weeks and months. Be sure to congratulate our winners and thank NVIDIA for awesome prizes!

Time has expired in our first Android Bowl, but the game is not over. All the teams fought hard and the score is too close to call, so we are headed to overtime! The game will end soon, so join up with your favorite Android team and leave a comment below to win. If you already played in the first two halves you can still participate in overtime, but make sure to invite your friends to play so your Android team will grow larger and come out on top.

The Prizes

We’re picking a winner from a random comment from the first half, second half, and overtime who will receive an Asus Transformer Prime, with dock, direct from @NVIDIAtegra. Check back after the Super Bowl is over for the complete list of winners.

How to win

People never seem to read the content of these posts, so I’ll keep it as simple as possible.

1. Login or register
2. Pick you carrier and manufacture team on the Edit Profile page
3. Leave a comment on this post

Though some will lament the fact that the ASUS Transformer Prime was released with several issues, ASUS has continued to impress us with its commitment to updates for its flagship tablet. Earlier this month, ASUS pushed out an update to Ice Cream Sandwich which brought with it fixes to several of the software hiccups plaguing the Prime (including GPS and WiFi performance), along with the wonderment of Android 4.0.

Users of the Transformer Prime are still reporting that their devices are randomly locking up during various use cases (hit the source link to peruse the 400+ threads), requiring a reset to restore the tablet back to proper working conditions.

ASUS Technical Marketing Manager Gary Key has taken to the XDA developers forum to provide an update on a few bugfixes its working on. Mr. Key has indicated that ASUS is aware of the lockup issues affecting some Transformer Prime owners, and has indicated that the company will be pushing out an update that fixes this issue sometime in early February.

Further, ASUS recognizes that some users are still seeing issues with WiFi/Bluetooth fallout, and is asking users having this issue to send him a private message on XDA with a serial number so they can more closely investigate the issue.

We’ve written about our appreciation of ASUS’s commitment to frequent updates and customer service before, and folks such as Mr. Key are quickly propelling ASUS to become one of our favorite manufacturers because their actions back up their commitment to customer service. Devices are always going to have unforeseen problems pop up over time, and it’s good to see companies like ASUS firmly committed to making it right.

Maybe you already saw the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 parody on reddit, but did you check out the new Asus Transformer one yet? Videos after the break.

ASUS has managed to make itself one of the most popular Android tablet manufacturers. Not only are its devices featuring the best specs, but their prices are almost unbeatable and those updates are coming quick. ASUS is not quite ready to give up on the OG Transformer, and the Ice Cream Sandwich update might be coming sooner than we expected.

Soon after the ASUS Transformer Prime got its Android 4.0 treatment, Android was informed that the update to the OG Transformer would start rolling out during early February^[1]. It looks like this update might be coming earlier than it seems, though. ASUS has mentioned via Facebook that the update is currently in the process of being approved by Google. As soon as Google gives it thumbs up, things are set and ASUS can start rolling out the update^[2].

In other news – it seems like the Transformer Prime will not be getting a 3G (or 4G) antenna. Despite recent reports that ASUS would release a 3G-capable Transformer Prime, ASUS has reported that it does not plan to add 3G data connection to the Prime, and that it is currently not in their plans (according to Focus Taiwan)^[3].

This device may lack that functionality, but there is definitely a market for all data-hungry users. ASUS also mentions that they do plan to add this feature to other high-end products in the “Transformer family.” That might take some time, though, so lets not hold our breath on this coming anytime soon. Instead, we will have to rely on WiFi and tethering for our data fix for now.

There is no doubt that the option to connect to the internet outside WiFi connectivity would be nice. ASUS makes it all up with its offerings, though, and they definitely know how to keep their costumers happy. Many of us would say that timely and consistent updates are better than 3G/4G connectivity, as is affordable price points, which is something ASUS is very well known for.

The simple fact that ASUS is updating its past-generation tablet tells a lot about the company. What do you guys think? Would you be willing to upgrade to a data-connected tablet?

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) is rolling out to the ASUS Transformer Prime tablet today, a full two days earlier than previously anticipated. Engadget has posted a hands-on with the Transformer Prime post-update and found that the quickness of the device is vastly improved with ICS, especially when it comes to web browsing; websites that previously took 10-20 seconds to fully load now do so in about 6.

There are a few user interface tweaks in the Ice Cream Sandwich update, the most noticeable being the upgrade to the Roboto font scheme Google developed. With the ICS update comes the swipe to dismiss notifications feature, which comes in handy on tablets where the resolution is high enough that the “x” next to the notification you want to dismiss is so small.

Though the upgrade won’t magically upgrade your device to the Transformer Prime TF700T that ASUS announced yesterday, it will make your Transformer Prime tablet feel like a brand new tablet. If you haven’t received your OTA update yet, be sure to head into settings and manually check for the firmware update.

Once you’ve upgraded to ICS, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how Google’s latest and greatest OS is treating your Transformer Prime tablet.