Asus unwraps Padphone; combo of a tablet and a phone

Bangalore: In an exhilarating innovation, Asus has initiated a 'Padphone'; a mishmash of both a Smartphone and a tablet. The device consists of a pair of an Android Smartphone and an Android tablet. The Padphone was revealed by Asus at the ongoing COMPUTEX 2011 convention in Taipei. The Padphone sports a 4 inch display and is expected to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread for its Smartphone. It also shares the 3G data connection with the tablet which results in the usage of the same SIM card for both the devices. Similarly, the Asus tablet sports a 10 inch display capable of 1280x800 pixel resolution and runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. A special component is based at the back of the tablet for the Smartphone docking. Even more opportune, the Smartphone gets charged from the tablet's larger battery when docked. The exclusive docking compartment in the tablet carries a small slot for the exposure of the Smartphone's camera when docked. There is an absence of a camera in the tablet. As a result the Smartphone camera is used for both the devices. However the tablet consists of a front facing camera. To receive a call on the Smartphone the user can separate the Smartphone from its slot or use a Bluetooth hands free. Asus, which is tagged for its 'cost-effective and affordable' philosophy has merged both the devices for a common 3G data connection for economic use. Both the devices are expected to coincide with each other as they both are enabled with Android OS. The tablet is expected to be in two colours; Copper and black. Apart from all the conveniences, the Padphone also has few backlogs concerning the camera and managing calls. For now Asus has not provided any technical specifications, pricing details or a launch date for the device. Also followed were the displays of many other machines like the Eee PC X101 netbook and the new UX Series generation Core chips by Asus. Asus CEO, Jonney Shih said, "Breaking the rules and changing the status quo are the keys to our success, and we strive to offer customers an experience that surpasses their expectations." Apparently Asus will have its competitors for Its Asus UX Eee PC X101. Competitors like the Apple for its iPhone. The 11-inch Asus UX has an aluminum alloy shell with a polished finish. The chassis is 17mm at its thickest point and, like the MacBook Air. It uses SSD hard drives and even has an instant-on resume feature. The X101 is rumored to cost around Rs, 9000.