Asus officially unveils Padfone at Computex 2011
Albeit an unfinished prototype
Published: 31 May, 2011
Last week Asus teased fans with an advert on Facebook which suggested it was going to reveal some kind of tablet/smartphone hybrid at this week's Computex 2011. That's exactly what it has done in the form of the Padfone, basically a tablet which is powered by a smartphone that fits into the back of the device. It looks like the tablet part of the equation will be little more than a touchscreen, battery and speakers, only coming to life when the smartphone is placed in the back.
Some are calling it exciting, some ridiculous, though it's hard to judge when the model revealed is just an unfinished prototype. Motorola has enjoyed some success though with its Atrix Lapdock and the Asus Padfone seems like the natural evolution of this idea.
There aren't any specs to pore over at the moment but Asus claims it will be able to seamlessly share data as well as 3G internet access. It is known that the phone portion will feature a 4.3" display and the tablet a 10.1" display. Also when inside the tablet the smartphone will be able to recharge the phone from its larger battery.
Unlike the Atrix when the phone is docked in the tablet the Padfone will use the phone's operating system, adjusting the size of the smartphone's display without any need for upscaling or upconversion.
As well as specs details of how much this will cost are non-existent though hopefully it will be more reasonable than the Motorola Atrix and its accompanying dock.
Stealing a bit of Asus' thunder, revealed on the internet before the Padfone over the weekend, was the TransPhone device which similarly offers a smartphone which slides into the back of a tablet. Specs are a little more forthcoming for this device and it's expected that the phone will feature a 1.2GHz processor, SVGA screen and USB and HDMI connectivity.
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