Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the current Android tablet wunderkind – but is it too late to the party? CES 2012 is just weeks away: expect to see a parade of shiny new Android 4.x and Windows 8 tablets, many running Nvidia’s quad-core Tegra 3 processor. First to actually hit stores could well be the Eee Pad Transformer Prime – now confirmed to hit Australian stores in January, possibly with Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed.
Asus Australia confirmed its plans in a tweet late last week, and though no pricing was mentioned, it’s worth nothing that US pre-orders are underway for US$499 (32GB) or $US599 (64GB).
Notice the specs table below mentions being upgradable to ICS? Here’s what Asus Italy said on its Facebook page on December 15 (Google translated):
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Ice Cream Sandwich: Transformer Prime will have when it comes preinstalled on the market in Italy (except for delays of Google). ICS will also be available on the first Eee Pad Transformer, but only after Prime.
So the Transformer Prime will definitely get Android 4.x ASAP — and hopefully Aussies will get it pre-installed too. Even if not, it’s really nice to hear it’s a lock-in. Samsung hasn’t given any indication on ICS for the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Asus Italy also confirmed that:
[The Eee Pad Transformer Prime] will be sold only in Verson WiFi. In no country in the 3G version will be available as the spread of Android phones with support for tethering is pushing users towards a convergence of phone contracts “data” that does not justify the adoption of a second 3G device. It’s a decision taken upstream from our HQ.
More: Meet The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, The World’s First Supercomputer Tablet
On paper, the specifications of this tablet absolutely blows all other tablets out of the water. Aside from being the first to use Nvidia’s new quad-core (plus one) Tegra 3 a.k.a. Kal-El processor (click here for an amazing demo of what it can do), it looks gorgeous. There’s a lot to drool over: