15th November 2012- ASUS unveils the brand new Padfone2 , adding a new device to ASUS mobile phone/tablet lineup.
ASUS has already been in the smartphone marketplace for quite some time. Garmin-Asus branded phones, which were actually the first phones from ASUS, did not really take off. However, ASUS is now changing their strategy and direction to better meet consumers' needs. Taking a risk with smartphone/tablet hybrid devices, Padfone successfully launched into the market 2 years back, generating much news and excitement with these kind of devices. Today, we take a look at Padfone 2, the much improved version of Padfone, capable of being in the highest end android smartphone market segment.
Pre-registration begins
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| Padfone 2 launch event |
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| Front view of Padfone 2 |
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| Back view of Padfone 2 |
The first thoughts which came into my mind of the Android device(s) is that it's incredibly light. The tablet is significantly lighter than any other android tablet device. Other than that, it has a stunningly bright screen on the phone at 550nits. All the applications on the phone runs smoothly, possibly thanks to the Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz quad-core processor (which is also found in the current flagship HTC DNA Droid 1080p phone). Video recording on the device is superb with recording resolution of 720p at 60fps. With all the hardware goodness within ,there is nothing more you would want in this elegant device.
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| About Padfone |
Sadly, Padfone 2 only comes with Android 4.0.4 in the current version. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates will be rolling out in December, and will come pre-installed in the new Padfones.
Padfone 2 is a more complete phone as compared to its predecessor. However, there are some flaws which I found with the device.
There is a front 1.2 Megapixel camera for the phone. As you slot the phone into the dock and make it into a tablet, the front camera is disabled as it's covered. You are then limited to only using the built in front camera from the tablet, which is only 1Megapixel, essentially "downgrading" your device front camera capabilities. Although there shouldn't be much difference seen by users, I see this as a engineering problem by adding redundant hardware to the whole device. This problem can definitely be solved with a better design of Padfone.
To find out what happened during the media event, watch this following YouTube video. For a more detailed review of the Padfone 2, stay connected to The Tech Revolutionist until we get our hands on one of the review units.
Pre-registration begins
Pre-registration
for PadFone 2 begins tomorrow, 16 November. Consumers can log on to ASUS Singapore
FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/asus.sg for more information on registering their purchase
interest in the new gadget. Registered customers who purchase the device can
receive a 2-in-1 Stylus Pen (worth S$28) and PadFone 2 Station Sleeve (worth
S$68) for free. Pre-registration promotion is only valid between 16 November
and 20 November, and while stocks last.
Alternatively,
customers who would like to purchase PadFone 2 with a mobile plan can register
their interest for PadFone 2 with StarHub at www.starhub.com/padfone2 after 12 noon tomorrow. The registration portal
will close on 20 November. Registered customers who purchase the device from
StarHub can receive the 2-in-1 Stylus Pen (worth S$28) and PadFone 2 Station Sleeve (worth
S$68) for free. This offer is
only valid on a first-come-first-served basis, and while stocks last.
Availability and pricing
Starting 22 November, PadFone 2 will
be officially available at ASUS authorised retailers as well as at StarHub
Shops and selected authorised dealers.
StarHub will offer the ‘PadFone 2
(32 GB) + PadFone 2 Station’ bundle with a range of attractive mobile price
plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast LTE and DC-HSPA+ mobile
network. This phone-tablet hybrid will be available for purchase at all StarHub
Shops and authorised dealers. More details will be announced closer to the
launch date.
Consumers will also be able to
purchase PadFone 2 and PadFone 2 Station from open channels.
Recommended Retail Price (RRP) in Open
Channels
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32GB
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64GB
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PadFone 2 + PadFone 2 Station
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S$1,099
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S$1,239
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PadFone 2
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S$848
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S$988
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PadFone 2 Station
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S$328
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S$328
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Networks
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WCDMA
900/2100MHz
EDGE/GPRS/GSM
850/900/1800/1900MHz
LTE
800/1800/2600MHz
HSPA+ (DL: 42Mbit/s, 21Mbit/s, / UL: 5.76Mbit/s)
LTE (DL: 100Mbit/s / UL: 50Mbit/s)
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Operating system
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Android 4.0 Ice
Cream Sandwich (upgradeable to Jelly Bean)
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Processor
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Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro
Krait (Cortex-A15 class) quad-core (1.5 GHz) with Adreno 320 Graphics
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Storage / memory
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32GB / 64GB
eMMC Flash / 2GB LPDDR2 RAM / ASUS
WebStorage 50GB (2 years)
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Colour
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Black
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Connectivity
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802.11a/b/g/n
Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0 & NFC
3.5mm
audio jack, Micro SIM
ASUS 13-pin dock connector (supports Micro-USB 2.0 &
Mobile High-Definition Link
for HDMI connection)
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GPS
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Display
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4.7”
(1280 x 720, 312ppi), Super IPS+ (550 nits)
Scratch-resistant Corning® Fit Glass with
anti-fingerprint coating
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Main camera
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13MP BSI Sensor Sony Camera, f/2.4
Aperture, five-element lens,
auto focus with LED flash
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Front camera
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1.2MP
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Other
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G-sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, gyro
sensor, e-compass
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Battery
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2140mAh
Li-Polymer (non-removable)
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3G Talking time
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16 hours
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3G Standby time
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336 hours
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Video
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Video Playback: MPEG4/H.263/H.264 @ HD 1080p
Video Recording: MPEG4/H.263/H.264 @ HD 1080p
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WMA / MP3 / 3GP / AAC / AAC+
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Size & weight
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137.9 x 68.9 x 9mm
/ 135g
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PADFONE 2
STATION SPECIFICATIONS
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Colour
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Black
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Display
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10.1”
(1280 x 800, 149ppi) IPS with
capacitive multi-touch
Scratch-resistant
Corning® Fit Glass with
anti-fingerprint coating
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Camera
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1MP
front camera
13MP via PadFone 2 rear camera
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Battery
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19Wh (5000mAh)
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Connectivity
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3.5mm
audio jack via PadFone 2
ASUS 13-pin dock connector (Micro-USB 2.0 Host)
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External phone
antenna
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Wi-Fi & BT, GSM, WCDMA, & LTE receiver diversity
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Audio
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High-quality speaker with ASUS SonicMaster technology
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Size & weight
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263 x 180.8 x 10.4mm / 514g
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