Hasta La Gadget!

ASUS’s freshly announced docking PadFone 2 phone/tablet hybrid will arrive in Europe and Asia before the end of December, complete with a newly-designed dock that can hold the smartphone even if shaken violently. The clever bay – even though it lacks the protective door of the first-gen PadFone – is the result of 2.5 years of development time, and can withstand being bumped, smacked around, and generally mistreated. Check out the video demo of that after the cut.

The switch between phone use and tablet use takes just over a second now, the layout of the screen automatically changing to suit the larger, 10-inch panel of the tablet, or the smaller 4.7-inch panel of the phone itself. Together, they’re just 649g, and the tablet section has a battery capable of recharging the phone three times over.

Inside, there’s a 1.5GHz quadcore Snapdragon S4 processor paired with 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of flash storage, and DC-HSPA+/LTE for getting online. The phone has a 13-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video recording, and there’s Corning Fit Glass on top of the 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 Super IPS+ phone display.

Europe (Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden) and Asia (Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, U.A.E) will get the PadFone 2 before the year is out, with availability in other countries following on after that. Pricing is €799 for the 32GB model – for phone and tablet – with another €100 getting you twice as much storage.

ASUS PadFone 2 super-shake dock test demoed ahead of December release is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

After the leaks began exactly one month ago, ASUS has just made the ASUS PadFone official in Taiwan and Milan. If you have missed what the PadFone 2 is about, here’s a quick overview: the PadFone concept is a smartphone that can turn into a 10.1″ (1280×800) tablet called PadFone Station, by snapping the phone into a tablet shell. While the phone is connected to the PadFone station, it gets  charged at the same time, thanks to the 5000mAh tablet battery.

The ASUS PadFone 2 comes with a 2140mAh battery (not user replaceable), a 4.7″ (1280×720, 550 nits) Super IPS+ display a Snapdragon S4 Pro (+external modem), which is one of the fastest chip available right now. In the back, there is a 13 Megapixel camera with a large f2.4 aperture, which should perform nicely in low-light. The fact that the camera can capture video at 60FPS in 720p caught my attention as 60FPS can make a huge difference, especially for sports videos.

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Asus Padfone 2 leaked, Asus Padfone 2 confirmed to get LTE connectivity,

Well look at this! Our lucky buddies over at Engadget Chinese managed to get an early hands-on with the brand-spanking new PadFone 2 from ASUS. As we mentioned earlier, the bulkiness of the original model is totally gone and we’re still blown away by the combo’s new weight. But first, the phone: in our hands, it really just feels like an enlarged version of the original PadFone, especially with the ripple pattern on the back, as well as the plastic chin at the bottom along with the slightly tapered aluminum bezel. We do love the new and larger Super IPS+ screen, which is much sharper than the old PenTile Super AMOLED display, and it no doubt has better outdoor performance as well. Additionally, the Android soft keys are no longer virtual — you can access them below the screen at any time, and we dig that.

While docking the phone into or pulling it out of the PadFone Station is hardly a challenge, there’s some sort of magic that keeps the phone tucked into the bay no matter how hard our pals shook the tablet upside down (please don’t try this at home) — the geared rubber grip along the two sides of the bay are somehow responsible for this. The back of the PadFone Station has a rubbery texture that’s essentially identical to its predecessor’s, making it just as comfortable to hold, but only time will tell how durable the coating is. Software-wise it’s just as snappy on the tablet as it is on the phone, and we noticed the switch between phone mode and tablet mode is now a tad quicker as well. It’ll probably be easier to see once we have our English hands-on video, so stay tuned.

Update: We’ve finally managed to upload our hands-on video — it’s right after the break. Watch how we kept shaking the PadFone Station upside down and the phone still stayed inside its bay (again, don’t do this at home, kids!). Also, we have a demo of the phone’s Instant Dictionary feature. It’s very handy.

Update 2: We’ve just been informed that the magical grip mechanism in the docking bay took over two years to develop. Nice one, ASUS!

Continue reading ASUS PadFone 2 hands-on in Taipei (updated with video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, ASUS

ASUS PadFone 2 hands-on in Taipei (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As it said it would back in September, ASUS just unveiled its smartphone-in-a-tablet PadFone 2 in Taiwan, showing off its sleek design and upgraded specs. This unique tablet/smartphone combo features a smartphone that slides into a slot on the back of its accompanying tablet. The PadFone 2 features many upgrades over the original PadFone, getting everything right that the original fell short of.

The smartphone features a 4.7 inch Super IPS+ 720p display, a quad-core APQ8064 Qualcomm processor, and a 13MP BSI Sony camera sensor, as well as a 1.2MP front camera for chat sessions. Speaking of the camera, it records 720p at a whopping 60fps, which is outstanding, and 1080p at 30fps, and can take up to 100 continuous full-resolution images. The slate itself is much thinner than the original PadFone slate, and lacks the docking bay cover.

Other features include 2GB of RAM, a 2,140mAh (fixed) battery, the same Corning Fit Glass used on the Nexus 7, NFC, and 50GB of Asus WebStorage. Sadly, there isn’t a microSD card expansion slot. As for connectivity, the PadFone 2 has WCDMA 900/2,100MHz radios, and LTE 800/1,800/2,600MHz radios in the global model. According to Engadget, the LTE model will be available for North America, Australia, and Japan. For now, the device runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, but ASUS says a Jelly Bean upgrade will be available soon.

As for the slate itself, it measures in at 10.1 inches with a 5,000mAh battery, and a weight (sans smartphone) of 514 grams. With the smartphone attached, the weight increases to 649 grams, which is over 200g lighter than the original PadFone. The PadFone 2 will be available in Taiwan “as early as next week,” and can be purchased without the slate Station for the USD equivalent of $620 to $750. With the Station, the price jumps another $200 or so. According to Engaget Chinese, Hong Kong will be the launch point of the PadFone 2, with no word on where its headed after that.

[via Engadget]

ASUS PadFone 2 smartphone-in-tablet announced in Taiwan is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The folks over at evLeaks have done it yet again, this time around it would be the Asus Padfone 2 that is under the focus of our microscope. The Padfone was first introduced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year, where it played upon the concept of a phone that can be docked into a tablet-like contraption – something that Motorola did attempt in the not too distant past, although they did not manage to make a meal out of it. Asus’ attempt with a sequel could prove to be true, with what seems to be the Padfone 2 – or at least, press renders of it being leaked out to the masses.

The Padfone 2’s phone segment will be different from that of the Padfone, where it will no longer come enclosed fully in the tablet’s casing. The phone also does seem to come designed in a teardrop tapered shape, making it thinner towards the edges. Some of the rumored specifications include a more generous 4.7” display and a 13-megapixel shooter. Another confirmed specification would be the inclusion of LTE connectivity. All in all, we hope to know more about it this coming October 16th, which is the date where many widely anticipate Asus to make an official announcement on the Padfone 2.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Asus Padfone 2 confirmed to get LTE connectivity, Alleged ASUS Padfone 2 specs leaked ahead of announcement,