Asus has had a solid showing at CES 2013, unveiling its new Transformer Book TX300, the Transformer AIO and its Boxee-like Qube Google TV gadget. However, it hasn’t launched any smartphones, nor any dedicated low-cost Android tablets either; does it just not have anything new for us?
Not according to a spokesperson speaking to the Inquirer, it’s that the company is saving itself for Mobile World Congress, the all-mobile trade show which begins at the end of February in Barcelona, Spain. This is hardly a unique stance either, as LG even said the same thing during its press conference. Exactly what Asus saving for the event wasn’t divulged, but we’re promised MWC will be “huge” for the company.
So what could it have in store for us? One interesting new product rumored just before Christmas is a version of its hugely popular Nexus 7 tablet, just without the Nexus branding. Referred to as the ME172V, the Android 4.1 tablet may wear a $99 price tag in the U.S., although a $129 to $149 price is perhaps more likely. It’s specs are basic though, a non-IPS screen could have a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution for example, and it probably won’t have the Tegra 3 processor inside.
Anything Asus has on the smartphone side will, at the moment, come as a surprise. After all, the only Android phone it currently produces is the 4.7-inch screen model which makes up part of the quirky Padfone 2. Could it be bringing that device out as a standalone model? Or could it be merrily leaping aboard the 5-inch, 1080p tablet/smartphone hybrid train?
The company has said Android, “Remains a priority,” so while Windows 8 featured in Asus’ line-up at CES, MWC could turn out to be an all-Android affair. We’ll find out more at the show, which begins on February 25.
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