Hypothetically, Apple Inc.'s New iPad and its predecessor, the iPad 2, are remarkable lookalikes in terms of technical specifications. But there are a few details, both technical and design-oriented, that make the latest iPad stand out.

The superior display and much improved processing power are among the major features that will certainly help the device stay ahead of its arch rivals in the tablet market for quite some time.

However, that doesn't mean that Apple won't be threatened for the crown. When it comes to raw processing power, the yet-to-be-released Asus TF700T Transformer Prime, sporting a quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A9, does stand out in the crowd.

After its predecessor reportedly had some design flaw, Asus decided to come out with the next version - Transformer Prime TF700T. Apart from the original specifications, the tablet will have a bigger battery, better screen resolution, new back panel, and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera. The device will be launched in the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, updates in Apple's New iPad are really smart and on-target. Armed with a full HD display with 3.1 million pixels, a four times faster processor and 4G LTE capability, the device is a stunner.

Let's have a look at the specifications of ASUS Transformer Prime TF700T, in comparison with the features of Apple's New iPad, which we can call the iPad 3 for clarity.

Display: Transformer Prime TF700T tablet sports a 10.1-inch high-definition Super IPS + LCD capacitive display with Corning's Gorilla glass protection providing a resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels at 224 pixels per inch (ppi) density in 178 degrees ultra-wide viewing angle.

On the other hand, the Retina Display on the new iPad features a 2048 x 1536 resolution, 44 percent greater color saturation, and 3.1 million pixels - in the same 9.7-inch space. According to Apple, that's four times the number of pixels in iPad 2 and a million more than an HDTV.

Form Factor: Weighing 586 grams, the Asus tablet comes in dimensions of 263 (height) x 180.8 (width) x 8.3 mm (depth). On the other hand, the Apple device comes in dimensions of 241.2 (height) x 185.7 (width) x 9.4 mm (depth). The Wi-Fi only model of the New iPad weighs 652 grams while the Wi-Fi + 3G model weighs 662 grams.

Memory: The ASUS tablet has 1GB RAM and 32/64 GB storage capacity with a microSD card slot giving an extra 32GB support. When it comes to the new iPad, the device also has 1GB RAM and is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. It lacks an external microSD card slot.

Operating system: The ASUS tablet features Google Inc.'s Android OS 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a layer of the latest Waveshare UI. On the other hand, the new iPad runs on iOS 5.1, an incremental update to the iOS 5.

Processor: Asus TF700T Transformer Prime features Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, ULP GeForce GPU. On the other hand, the new iPad is powered by a dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics.

Connectivity & Network: Asus TF700T Transformer Prime has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 2.1 version with EDR, and USB 2.0 version while the new Apple tablet comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 version technology, and 4G LTE for both AT&T and Verizon models. Below are the specifications:

Wi-Fi + 4G for AT&T model: LTE (700, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Wi-Fi + 4G for Verizon model: LTE (700 MHz); CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Camera: The Asus tablet sports an 8 megapixel and 3264x2448 pixels camera with LED flash and autofocus features and a secondary 2 megapixel camera for video calling. The camera in Transformer Prime also offers 1080p video playback capability.

The new iPad features a 5 megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with support for 1080p video recording. However, the front-facing camera is the same as that on iPad 2 (VGA quality). Apple claims that iSight camera uses advanced optics to give the best picture possible. With a ƒ/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens, it can capture light efficiently to produce a sharper overall image.

Battery: In terms of battery life, Transformer Prime TF700T has a 25 Wh Li-polymer Battery while the new iPad comes with 42.5 wh rechargeable Li-polymer Battery with up to 10 hours of usage.

Applications: The Asus tablet comes with 400,000 apps in Marketplace while the new iPad comes with more than 200,000 dedicated iPad apps and a total of 585,000 in App Store.

Pricing: Asus Transformer Prime TF700T is likely to cost $499 for the 32GB version and $599 for the 64GB version.

Coming in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models, the pricing for Apple's new iPad starts at $499 at the base model and goes up to $829 for the 64GB WiFi + 4G + 3G model. While the device will go on sale March 16, preorders are already available.

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