Padfone - Merging Smartphone and Tablet
It's a tablet. It's a phone. It's the Padfone. Sorry, we couldn't resist.
ASUS' biggest announcement at its Computex press conference, held one day before the official start of the biggest ICT trade show this side of the Pacific, was the new hybrid device, a marriage of tablet and smartphone. Of course, everyone in the room already had more than an inkling of what to expect, with ASUS starting the rumors with a teaser on its Facebook page. By the time we set off for the press-con, the news, the trademarked Padfone name and even images of the device were plastered all over the internet, including our .
So what exactly is the Padfone? Catch that and more in the video highlight of the event, followed by individual product details and pictures:-
ASUS' chairman did his best magician impersonation, waving his hands as he revealed the not-so-secret Padfone.
This is the ASUS press image of the Padfone showing the compartment where the smartphone is nestled inside its tablet 'shell'.
While the was about docking a tablet to a physical keyboard and transforming it into a netbook, the Padfone is a 10.1-inch tablet dock for a 4.3-inch smartphone. As some of you may have experienced, the smartphone is inadequate for some use scenarios due to its relatively small screen size. It's one of the reasons why tablets are taking off and why some users have both devices. However, besides the hassle of having to carry two devices, there are other inconveniences that have prompted ASUS to come up with its own solution in the Padfone.
The advantages of the Padfone include extended battery life and the use of a single 3G data plan and SIM card compared to two. In fact, the extra cost of a 3G data plan and the presence of hotspot tethering may be reasons why Wi-Fi only tablets appear to be more popular among consumers. A single data plan may not be to the liking of service providers, but consumers will appreciate this Padfone advantage.
The tablet dock also charges the smartphone when it's docked inside, thanks to the battery cell within the tablet. According to ASUS, switching between the devices will be seamless and dynamic, with your applications resuming smoothly after one docks the phone within. This means consumers decide what form factor is suitable for the application and move easily between the two, without the extra hassle of data transfers.
Details are still scarce about the gadget's specs, retail availability and even what flavor of Android will be used. Given its unique merger of smartphone and tablet form factors however, it appears that it can only be using the upcoming Android OS, , which Google claims to unify its current Gingerbread and Honeycomb Android OS. This would also place its availability in Q4 2011, since that's when Google is expected to launch Ice Cream Sandwich.
The hottest gadget at the ASUS press-con was clearly the Padfone.
It may still be a concept device and a mockup at this moment, but come Christmas, it may be found on retail shelves. Or it could be till next year, like what we have seen with the Pad Transformer or the Slider.
The 3D Tablet
Besides the Padfone, ASUS also announced a new 3D tablet. The company may not be the first to reveal plans for a 3D tablet (LG had previously announced one), but the 7-inch, ASUS Eee Pad MeMO 3D has a stylus to go with its glasses-free 3D display (1280 x 800 IPS, multi-touch capable) that will help it differentiate from other tablets. Not to mention that its portrait orientation will seem to make it a device designed for note-taking. It will run on the latest version of Android and comes with its own bundled MeMIC headset for mobile calls and music.
A 7-inch tablet that makes calls reminds us of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. But the 3D display, the portrait orientation and the stylus are all ASUS.
The stylus is hidden in the silver bezel near the bottom of the tablet when not in use.
Is the Eee Pad MeMO 3D handy and just right for note-taking?
The UX Series
Thin, light and shiny. That's the first impression we got of the attractive ultraportable notebook that ASUS revealed here; the UX Series will come with the latest Intel Core mobile processors (up to Core i7) and will have the option of SATA 6Gbps SSDs. All that in a package that measures just 17mm at its thickest point and with a feathery weight of 1.1kg.
ASUS claims that it's Instant-on technology enables the notebook to resume from its previous state in two seconds while it's capable of lasting up to a week when in hibernation mode (and 7 hours battery life). And USB 3.0 ports instead of Thunderbolt, which in our opinion, is the more practical move now.
The UX series of notebooks, with its shiny aluminum chassis, was the first product to be unveiled by ASUS' chairman, Jonney Shih.
Look at how thin this 12-inch ultraportable gets, as it tapers almost to the edge. It could be rather sharp though.
ASUS touts the unique 'spun' finish on the polished surface of the UX. We have to admit that it's pretty attractive, especially the whorls on the lids.
It looks to have a reflective screen. No specs yet about the display, but we expect 1366 x 768 resolution for its class.
A chiclet style keyboard that's the rage among many notebook manufacturers. But those metal keys look so cold and metallic.
We just can't get enough of the ASUS UX.
The N Series
ASUS has also continued its push into PC audio with a followup to its . Jointly developed with audio specialists Bang & Olufsen like the previous model, the new N Series notebook will again be focused on audio; there's now a dedicated external subwoofer for more authentic bass. Again, no details on the specs besides the expected Intel 2nd-gen Core processor and USB 3.0 support, but given its multimedia slant, we expect more than decent performance.
Fixing the bass is a major goal of the N series, with its SonicMaster technology. And it now comes with an external subwoofer unit.
The ASUS N55SF has a very smooth black, velvety armrest, a full sized keyboard and that focus on audio. It sounded rather impressive to our untrained ears.
We know you just can't get enough of these notebooks.
Eee PC Goes MeeGo
Intel's MeeGo operating system has not gained much traction since it was launched last year, but ASUS has supported the OS by having it on some of its Eee PC. This continues with the latest Eee PC, the X101, which will be one of the cheapest netbooks ever if ASUS has its way. The company is putting a US$199 price tag on the X101, with the MeeGo option and its lowest-end configuration.
Powered by Intel's MeeGo and Atom N435, the lightweight 10.1-inch Eee PC X101 is less than a kilogram and rather thin too. ASUS hedges its bet with an option for Windows 7 for the X101H model.
A pristine white Eee PC X101 looks like any other Eee PC netbook, but for once, it looks slim enough.
AIO ET2700XVT
While the tablets and notebooks took the majority of the attention, ASUS had two other new products at the press-con. The first is a stylish All-in-One (AIO), the 27-inch ET2700XVT. It has an HD IPS display for up to 178-degree viewing angles, a digital TV tuner and more importantly, a 10-point multi-touch feature. There are HDMI inputs and a Blu-ray drive to ensure that it's ideal of some HD entertainment.
It's easy to paint with your fingers on this 27-inch ASUS AIO.
The slim side profile of the ASUS AIO. You can see the Blu-ray drive here and we can report USB 3.0 ports too on the other side.
WAVI Xtion
ASUS' WAVI Xtion may be the first PC motion sensing controller system, but this device, first shown at CES 2011, is only just making the rounds at trade shows like this. The company knows that it needs the developers on its side, but though it uses the same technology as Microsoft's Kinect, it lacks the name awareness of the console accessory and it could be a while before it makes any waves in the mainstream market.
The Xtion peripheral hooks up with a display (like a TV) and a PC, allowing users to take advantage of its motion controls to navigate special applications like the Xtion Browser that are customized for motion controls.
Enjoy internet services with your hands and body using the WAVI Xtion.
Notice the sensor unit at the bottom of the TV that does the motion sensing.
That's all for the ASUS press-con that focused on the company's CE agenda. For those who are more interested in ASUS' traditional strengths in components, check back here as we'll be looking at Republic of Gamers (ROG) products next.
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.