Asus is expanding its Padfone lineup with a new 4 inch smartphone that connects to a 7 inch docking station to become a tablet. It’s called the Padfone mini… not to be confused with the Padfone Mini 4.3 which Asus launched in Taiwan in December.
The new model has a smaller display, an Intel Atom processor rather than a Qualcomm chip, and features the new Asus ZenUI user interface for Google Android.
Like other members of the Padfone family, the Padfone mini is a 2-in-1 device. The smartphone is the brains of the operation, featuring a processor, memory, storage, wireless connectivity, cameras, and more. But you can connect the phone to the tablet station when you want a larger display and extra battery life.
Asus includes software that will automatically resize apps depending on the size of the screen you’re using.
The Padfone mini has an Intel Atom Z2560 processor, 1GB of RAM, Â 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an 8MP rear camera, and 2MP front-facing camera. It currently runs Android 4.3, but Asus says an Android 4.4 update is on the way.
The phone has an 800 x 480 pixel IPS display, while the tablet has a 7 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel screen. There’s a 4.5Whr, 1170mAh battery in the phone and an 8.3Whr, 2100mAh battery in the tablet station.
Asus says the phone supports HSPA+, 802.11n, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, and the phone will be available in black, white, red, blue, and yellow.
Is it even going to be available in the US this time? Or, will there at least be an international model compatible with our networks?
I have a feeling they either didn’t answer those questions, or the answer is just no
They really should have moved this concept forward sooner.
Unless I’m missing something major, I’m looking at my Galaxy Note 2 which splits the diff in size, blows the resolution(s) and battery life away and does more for the dollar.
-and that’s the Note _2_.
that is a ridiculously tiny battery in the phone