New iPad vs Asus Transformer Infinity TF700: The Final Verdict

The whole tech community seems to have been mesmerized by Apple's New iPad which was released Wednesday.

While most people are fiercely intent on getting Apple's latest device come hell or high, there are a couple of tablet rivals out there which pose some serious competition to the New iPad.

One of the tablets worth mentioning is Asus's latest Transformer Infinity TF700, which was first unveiled at the CES show in January.

So far, there have been a fair amount of reports elucidating the tug-of war scenario between these two tablets. But now that Apple has officially given the low down on the New iPad and with a head-start Asus had provided earlier on the Infinity TF700, a final verdict on how these tablets measure against each other can now be pronounced.

Here's a round-up of specifications concerning the two devices:

Form: Transformer Infinity TF700 has an ultra-thin 8.5mm profile and weighs 586 grams. The device sports the same aluminum backing used on its predecessors. The New iPad is relatively thicker at 9.4 mm and is on the heavier side at 652 grams.

Display: Apple has finally adopted the ultra-high resolution display for its New iPad, a feature Apple fanatics have long been pining for. With an impressive 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 2048x1536 resolution display at 264ppi, the tablet sports one of the sharpest displays one can find in the market.

Infinity TF700, on the other hand, features a Super IPS + LCD capacitive screen at a relatively lower 1920 x 1200 resolution and a pixel density of 224 ppi. The Asus tablet's display is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass, and the New iPad gets the special oleophobic coating that's fingerprint-resistant.

Processor: Apple has integrated the A5X dual-core chipset in the New iPad and a quad-core GPU that Apple reckons is four times faster than the Tegra 3 processor found in most Android tablets. The TF700 is still impressive with a quad-core Cortex-A9 processor clocked to 1.6GHZ and a ULP GeForce GPU that runs on Android 4.0.

Camera: Another highly debated feature that Apple has brought to light is the stunning 5 megapixel iSight camera with a CMOS sensor setup which allows for HD video recording at 1080p. The camera also comes equipped with a fifth lens and a hybrid IR filter for viewing crisper and sharper images. The tablet also sports a front-facing VGA camera for videoconferencing, which Apple touts can shoot video up to 30 frames per second. However, like its predecessor the device apparently lacks support for flash.

In comparison, Transformer Infinity TF700 sports an 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash in addition to a 2-megapixel secondary on the front.

Battery: According to reports, Asus Transformer Infinity comes with a 25Wh Li-polymer battery that claims 12 hours of battery life.

In comparison, the New iPad's 42.5Wh battery gives up to 10 hours. That's still impressive given the high resolution display that the new tablet sports.

Connectivity/Ports: The New iPad includes a 30-pin dock, 3.5mm and Bluetooth 4.0. The device connects at 21Mbps HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, as well as 4G LTE on both AT&T and Verizon LTE networks. According to GSM Arena, the Infinity TF700 sports a micro HDMI port, an optional dock connection, 3.5 mm audio, and Bluetooth 4.0. The device is also said to support HSDPA at 21 Mbps and is likely to come up with 4G LTE connectivity as well.

Apple has thus established its dominant hold in the tablet arena once again, with a much more powerful processor, a stunning display and an impressive camera setup one can ever find in the market.