Computex 2011: ASUS Rolls Out Padfone

At Computex 2011 ASUS is showcasing one of the most interesting and questionable devices at the expo. We're talking about Padfone, a hybrid of a tablet PC and a smartphone.

ASUS hasn't disclosed the complete list of specifications so far, but the idea is quite clear. Padfone features a full-fledged smartphone with a 4.3-inch screen inserted into a kind of docking station that is also a 10.1-inch tablet PC. At that, the smartphone is the core, and the tablet PC is merely an extention.

If you need to use a large screen, insert the smartphone into a special bay and Padfone will work as any other tablet PC. The smartphone is based on Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, and the tablet PC shows an upscaled version of its GUI. The larger part also powers the smartphone from its battery, and features a webcam, stereo speakers and a few expansion ports. The smartphone has Micro HDMI and Micro USB ports, a 5-megapixel camera that you can also use via the tablet PC (there's a round hole in the cover for that).

Well, we've seen smartphones with docking stations offering expanded functionality (e.g. Motorola Atrix), but ASUS's solution is clearly more original. The question is whether it will be in demand, though. But the company is very optimistic: they promise that Padfone will have turned from a concept to a ready product by winter holidays (when sales peak in the U.S.), and will sell for a price similar to that of Eee Pad Transformer.

Source: ASUS

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