There you have it folks. The Asus Padfone is about as real as a phone can be, now that Asus has formally unveiled the little beast here at Mobile World Congress.
What we’re looking at is a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a Snapdragon dual-core S4 chip from Qualcomm. You’ll find an 8-megapixel camera on the back equipped with autofocus and flash, along with a VGA front-facing shooter for video chat.
Memory shouldn’t be an issue with 64GB of internal storage (not including the expandable microSD option). Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, GPS and support for WCDMA and HSPA+ are also in tow. A 1,520mAh battery can also be found inside that 9.2mm frame.
But the Padfone has another trick up its sleeve. By now you should be familiar with Asus’ Eee Pad Transformer and/or Motorola’s Lapdock accessory. Similar to those, the Padfone can be docked in a station, which will not only extend the battery life of the device but also allow you to use it like a 10-inch tablet. Ah, the real estate!
There’s also an optional keyboard in case you need to tap out some hefty emails or something of the sort. And if that accessory didn’t get your blood pumping (perhaps you were hoping for something more Galaxy Note-esque), then the news of this Bluetooth stylus thingy should get the job done. It’s basically a stylus you can use with the tablet/smartphone that integrates Bluetooth, meaning you can use it to pick up phone calls too. You know, just in case you’re all strapped into the docking station and don’t want to tear everything apart.
Pricing is still a mystery but you can expect to see the Padfone in April.
