New ASUS tablet with high-res display unveiled in benchmarks

Android tablets are a dying breed, but ASUS won't give up without a fight. A 9.6-inch tablet was outed in the GFXBench database, carrying decent specs for an upper mid-range model. The device is powered by the MediaTek MT8173 SoC, which seems to be incorrectly listed as a "dodeca-core" (12-core) processor. Rather, it's a quad-core CPU built on a dated 28nm process. On a related note, MediaTek is, indeed, working on a 12-core chip.

The CPU is supplemented by the PowerVR GX6250 graphics unit, hopefully fast enough to power the 2048 x 1536 resolution screen without major hiccups. Added to that are 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 7MP rear camera, and a 4.7MP front cam. The tab runs Android 7.0.

ASUS' plans for the device aren't immediately clear, though the price for it should be rather affordable. Last month, the brand launched the $405 ZenPad 3S 10 which boasts similar specs, but is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC. We can't know for sure whether these tablets are compelling enough to compete with Apple's $399 iPad Air 2, however.

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source: GFXBench via Digital Trends