We’ve heard of tablets with keyboard docks: Asus Transfomer TF300 and laptops with hinges enabling the use of a tablet: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga. But ever wonder if all three devices can be put into one? The Asus PadFone demonstrates this very well, and it looks a lot like a futuristic tape recorder too. The smartphone (PadFone) can be inserted into the back of the tablet (PadFone Station) like a tape into a tape recorder and like the TF300, there will be a keyboard dock for the tablet. It has also been confirmed that there will be contract prices from phone carriers. The smartphone itself will be priced at $610 US, the smartphone, tablet and bluetooth stylus which doubles as a headset will value $850 US, and the whole package including the keyboard dock will cost a total of $980 US.
There is no current release date for the PadFone in America but as of April 20th, Taiwan will be the first to purchase them. Asus has also stated that those who preorder the PadFone will receive an extra battery along with it. The PadFone’s stylus is quite interesting because it can been used as a bluetooth headset, but that’s not the best part. The PadFone Stylus Headset has an alert system (vibration and/or ringer) which is activated when you’ve left it behind so you won’t lose it.
The entire PadFone package includes three batteries in total which allows for up to 9 times more battery life than the phone itself. With the PadFone Station you get an extended 5 times battery life and with the dock attached, another 4 times increasing your overall battery life to 9 times the original phone’s battery in case you’re ever in a need for a long lasting device.
As advertised by Asus, the PadFone will have seamless transitions between the smartphone and station. There won’t be anymore constanting syncing between the two devices either because the PadFone provides all of the PadFone Station’s processing power and storage when the two are docked. You can even continue a game you started without having to start all over when switching between devices as well.
Another perk of the PadFone is that when docked, the PadFone Station uses the PadFone’s 3G connection for internet access, which means you will only need to pay one plan for two devices. Taken for the Zenbook, the Zen design is implemented onto the PadFone providing a comfortable grip while keeping its elegant look and feel. The PadFone Station also enables the use of a back camera by utilizing the PadFone’s 8 Mega Pixel camera.
But enough of the exterior, let’s move onto the dealbreaker, the specs. Running on Android ICS 4.0, the PadFone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual-Core 1.5 GHz CPU with 1 GB RAM. Storage comes in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB and there is a microSD slot for extra memory expansion. The PadFone is 4.3 inches with a 960×540 resolution on a Super AMOLED with Capacitive Multi touch panel. The PadFone Station on the other hand will be 10.1 inches with a 1280×800 resolution on a Capacitive Multi touch panel as well.
Check out ASUS PadFone – Expand Your World
