11 Great Features of ASUS PadFone 2

ASUS PadFone 2, the successor of PadFone 1, is a hybrid of an Android smartphone and dockable tablet. LiewCF was invited to the PadFone 2 launch event in Malaysia to have hands-on. Read on to learn about PadFone 2 features and my first impression.

1. Phone or Tablet, you decide

ASUS PadFone 2 is a hybrid of an 4.7-inch Android smartphone (PadFone 2) and 10.1-inch dockable tablet (PadFone 2 station).

PadFone 2 Station does not operate without PadFone 2 phone. It is a tablet display with big battery pack.

You simply slide the PadFone 2 into the Station and you get a 10.1” tablet computer. With Dynamic Display, it takes only 1 second for the display switching.

Since your PadFone 2 is also your tablet (after docked), you don’t need to worry about syncing data in between 2 devices. You also save money by sharing single data plan on PadFone 2 and Station.

Plus, you don’t need to bring a battery pack anymore. PadFone 2 get charged when docked in Station. Read more about PadFone 2 battery below this article.

2. Fast processor

PadFone 2 is powered by 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core, one of the fastest mobile processor today, and 2GB RAM.

3. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ready

It is running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. The OS is upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in December 2012.

4. Bright display

PadFone 2 phone 4.7-inch Super IPS+ display with 1280×720 pixels resolution at 312 ppi (read: Retina-like display). The glass is scratch resistant with anti-fingerprint coating. The display’s 550 nits delivers high brightness for easy reading even under sunlight. PadFone 2 Station 10.1-inch display is 1280×800 pixels, no Super IPS+.

5. Lightweight

PadFone 2 weighs only 135 g (with battery), the Station weight 514 g. The combination of two (649 g) is 40% lighter than PadFone 1, and lighter than iPad (662 g).

6. Long battery life

PadFone 2 build-in 2140 mAh Lithium battery provides up to 16 hours 3G talk-time or 13 hours WiFi web browsing. PadFone 2 Station uses a 5000 mAh Lithium battery to give up to 36 hours 3G talk-time, or recharge docked PadFone 2 for 3x times!

7. 13MP camera

PadFone 2 equips with a 13-MegaPixel F2.4 5-element lens camera that can capture up to 100 burst shots at 6 shots per second, while simultaneously recording 1080p HD video at 30fps, or 720p HD video at 60fps. PadFone 2 also has a 1.2MP front-facing camera.

The Station has a 1MP front-facing camera and use PadFone 2’s 13MP camera as rear camera when docked.

PadFone 2’s 13Mp camera can capture 100 burst shots at 6 shots per second. Tweet

8. Support LTE 2600MHz

PadFone 2 supports 42Mbit/s DC-HSPA+ and 100Mbit/s 4G LTE. The supported LTE frequencies are: 800MHz, 1800MHz, 2600MHz. That’s a good news for Malaysians, because our LTE operates on 2600MHz.

Good news! PadFone 2 supports Malaysia’s 2600MHz LTE! Tweet

9. Cloud storage

PadFone 2 storage size is 32GB, plus 50GB ASUS WebStorage for 2 years. 50GB WebStorage worth USD 60 per year.

10. AudioWizard

Both the PadFone 2 and PadFone 2 Station employ SonicMaster technology for superior sound with enhanced frequency response and improved audio clarity, fine-tuned by Waves, recipient of a Technical GRAMMY Award.

11. Multilingual apps

PadFone 2 comes with free ASUS apps: SuperNote and Instant Translation tool.

SuperNote app instantly converts handwritten notes made in multiple languages (English and Chinese) into editable text. Instant Translation tool translates any word, phrase or sentence in an email, web page or app at a touch.

Availability and Pricing

ASUS PadFone 2 (Black) is available in Malaysia on 13th December 2012 onwards. The White colour version to be available in January 2013.

The recommended retail price is RM2799 (PadFone 2 + PadFone 2 Station).

http://youtu.be/yjaZRKdyl4s

LiewCF’s First impression

PadFone 2 is very lightweight and slim. The back cover feels like plastic though. Display is great, camera is fast. Slide in and out from the PadFone 2 Station is easy 1-step movement. The Station holds tight and firm, and it won’t slide out when you carry the tablet up side down.

The hybrid combination almost gives you the best of two world: smartphone & tablet. “Almost” because the PadFone 2 Station is merely a 10.1-inch dummy display with battery pack without a PadFone 2 phone. PadFone 2 is the brain and soul for the Station.

When I shared the PadFone 2 pricing (RM2800/USD933) on social networks, many friends responded that “It is expensive!”.

It would be expensive if PadFone 2 is smartphone only (latest smartphone priced around RM2000). If you compare the price to a smartphone + tablet, then the prince PadFone 2 is okay. But, PadFone 2 is a smartphone with a display dock (not a working tablet). I think most people will buy if PadFone 2 with Station sell at RM2500. What you say?

➤ ASUS Malaysia