Asus Transformer Prime Still on Schedule for Dec. 19: Report

Last week's buzz, pointing to the delay of the highly anticipated ASUS Transformer Prime until next year, may be false as a fresh report from SlashGear indicates that the tablet-cum-netbook hybrid is on schedule for Dec. 19.

On Friday, SlashGear ran a piece on the alleged delay, which was blamed on WiFi problems. In response to the rumor, the weblog reported receiving a statement from Asus that the tablets will start shipping in about a week.

At this point, we still show to be on schedule to start shipments the week of 12/19. I will provide an update once I have additional information, an Asus spokesperson said.

The report also states that Asus is trying to find the source of the misinformation on the supposed delay.

Should the rumors prove untrue, it would certainly mean good news for those eagerly awaiting the first quad-core processor for mobile devices. With the Transformer in such high demand, mega-retailers like Amazon have apparently run out of stock and, in the process, cancelled pre-orders.

What sets the device apart is the laptop-like functionality, thanks to the keyboard docking station. The Transformer is expected to cost $499 for a 32GB model and the higher 64GB model will cost $599.

With beefier specs than most Android tablets, this quad-core proves to be a real challenger to the popular Apple iPad 2, making it one of the top tablets to look out for this year.