The Asus Padfone looks to be the future of smartphone-tablet hybrids. Like the Motorola Atrix 4G before it, the Padfone replaces two devices and at the same time transforms a consumption device (smartphone) into a productivity tool (tablet). Before you write the this off as just another tablet, have a look at the top five reasons the Padfone should be your next smartphone.
1. Two screens are better than one
Sure, 4.3-inches sounds great on a paper, but as anyone who has used a tablet knows — bigger is better. The seamless transition between the 4.3-inch smartphone to the 10.1-inch tablet dock on the Asus Padfone is a godsend. If you’ve ever carried a smartphone and tablet around imagine how nice it would be to dock the phone and have access to the same information on a significantly larger display.
Not only does the larger display make navigating the web easier, but it turns the Padfone into a creation device when paired with a Bluetooth keyboard. Adding a keyboard to the mix transforms this consumption device into a mobile office workhorse without breaking the bank.
2. Battery life is king
As much as I love a good product spec sheet, a smartphone lives and dies based on battery life. In the case of the Asus Padfone, the tablet dock houses its own battery which powers the 10.1-inch display while simultaneously charging the 4.3-inch smartphone. Not only do you get the benefit of the larger display, but you’ll never have to worry about carrying your charger so long as you have the tablet dock.
3. Why pay extra for a tablet?
As a laptop user, justifying the price of a tablet is cause for concern. Entry-level netbooks offer similar and quite often better performance then even the fastest dual-core tablet. If you’re like me and buy your smartphones SIM-free, the hefty cost of upgrading phones leaves little room for a £499 tablet in my gadget budget.
The Asus Padfone solves this problem. Once available, the smartphone-tablet hybrid will kill two birds with one stone and likely save me a considerable amount of money compared to two separate devices.
4. Two devices, one SIM card
One of my biggest gripes with current tablets is the need for a separate data plan or tethering add on. On one hand the 3G-enabled tablets add GPS capabilities not found on their WiFi counterparts, but the monthly fees and 2-year contracts are a considerable trade off. If you currently pay for data on your smartphone why should have have to pay again, on your tablet?
The Asus Padfone uses a single SIM, sharing the data plan between your smartphone and tablet with ease. Instead of two plans with two contracts, you have a single commitment which extends to both devices while offering nearly all the benefits of standalone units.
5. Android updates
Presently there’s no guaranteed updates in the land of Android (although plans to change this are underway). One of the few promises Asus made at its Padfone announcement is that once available, the smartphone would ship with the latest build of Android. This type of guarantee is significant since the tablet dock rescales the smartphone interface. Quite simply, the shelf life of your devices is secure.
While some may argue the lack of Android Honeycomb on the tablet dock is an issue, consider this — Google is moving toward a unified smartphone-tablet OS, Ice Cream Sandwich. In addition, the overwhelming majority of Android apps are designed for its smartphones.
Coming Soon | Asus | TBD
