Asus Fonepad

The latest creation rolling off the production line at Asus is the Asus FonePad: a 7-inch Android tablet that can make and receive phone calls.
Arriving with an extremely friendly £179.99 price tag when it launches on April 26, the FonePad is here to compete with the likes of the Google Nexus 7 (also developed by Asus), the Kindle Fire HD and the all-conquering iPad mini for your affections.
Interestingly, the Asus FonePad is notable for coming armed with an Intel processor rather than the Nvidia Tegra chips favoured by the majority of Android devices. The Intel Atom Z2420 on board clocks in at a speed of 1.2GHz and has a separate PowerVR SGX540 GPU for backup.
There's 16GB of storage space as well as the unbridled benefit of Android Jelly Bean arriving out of the box. But it's the smartphone aspect of the device that Asus is hoping will entice you.

The Taiwanese company believes the device is "ideal for people who value both the voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet".
It's not exactly wrong either. Once the 3.5-inch display of the iPhone 4S was considered sufficient, but the sales of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the recently revealed Samsung Galaxy Mega suggests we're getting happy with bigger screens.

That doesn't necessarily mean you're happy to walk around with a 7-inch slate clasped to your ear - but that's missing the point of the FonePad. You can use a headset when walking down the street, or prop it on a stand at your desk and use the speakerphone.
It's an attempt to answer the age-old dilemma of one general device or multiple specific devices.

We're going to go out on a limb and suggest the FonePad probably won't replace the Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or HTC One you carry in your pocket every day.
But Asus has tucked plenty of tech into the device and kept the price low enough that it certainly stands as a respectable tablet in its own right.

When tablets first started arriving back in 2010, it was the lesser known manufacturers that turned in cheaper options - usually by cutting every conceivable corner when it came to features and design. Now though, the big boys of the tech world have become very good at keeping those aspects alive at wallet-friendly prices.
The Asus FonePad features the accepted 7-inch screen and, from the front at least, looks the conventional Android tablet.

Jelly Bean's soft-touch navigation keys mean the face of the FonePad is devoid of physical buttons, leaving simply the black bezel with the Asus logo and camera lens on the top.
The rear of the tablet has more in common with Apple's iPad mini than the Asus-produced Google Nexus 7 thanks to a smooth metallic finish. Available in either "titanium grey" or "champaign gold", the metal adds an undeniably premium feel even if the grip isn't as good as the dimpled rear surface of the Nexus 7.

Asus has located the power button and the volume rocker on the left edge near the top of the tablet. The edge of the device is tapered and the buttons are set fairly close to the chassis, so hitting them in a hurry isn't always easy. Similarly, given the smoothness of the back, it can be a bit tricky adjusting volume with your thumb if you're holding the tablet one-handed with your left mitt.
The FonePad's 16:9 aspect ratio means its easy to grip around the back for anyone with small or medium sized hands. You'll be able to curl your fingers around the edge and hold it comfortably, rather than having to resort to holding it by one corner and obscuring part of the screen.

Naturally though, the tablet works best when gripped with both hands in a landscape mode. If you're gaming or watching the latest Game of Thrones, chances are you'll be holding it this way and the FonePad sits very nicely in a two-handed grip.
We mentioned that tablet manufacturers cut corners in the early days and some of that still survives - cost is cost, after all. The FonePad doesn't feature a rear-facing camera, so the back of the chassis is completely clean. By way of markings, you'll find an embossed Asus logo and the familiar Intel Inside mark at the bottom of the tablet.

If there's one thing as bad as holding a tablet up to make a phone call, it's holding a tablet up to take a picture. We feel fairly safe in saying here that the omission of a rear-facing camera is no great loss. If you're absolutely desperate for one, pick up the US version of the FonePad - that's got a 3MP rear-facing camera built in.
The only two ports on the device are the micro USB port and the 3.5mm headphone jack. These are both found on the bottom of the tablet with the headphone jack to the left of the charging port.

Weighing in at 340g, the FonePad is slightly heavier than Apple's 308g iPad mini - but in day-to-day terms this slight extra bulk is barely noticeable. Part of the attraction of 7-inch tablets is undeniably the lighter load and you'll have no trouble holding this tablet one-handed while watching videos, or indeed, making a call.
If Asus does want to best Apple's effort, it can point to screen resolution as one way of doing that. The 1,280 x 800 resolution panel on the FonePad display benefits from an LED backlight with IPS technology and is exceptionally clear.

It won't usurp the 10-inch tablets for screen clarity but the contrast ratio and colour balance certainly looked all right to us and is more than serviceable for enjoying a movie or game on the move.
Unfortunately, the problem with premium metallic finishes and beautiful TFT-coated screens is the susceptibility to dust and scratches. It's no different here and the FonePad is certain to come off worse against keys and loose change if you leave it unprotected in your backpack. Our advice? Invest in a case.

There's 16GB of storage space as well as the unbridled benefit of Android Jelly Bean arriving out of the box. But it's the smartphone aspect of the device that Asus is hoping will entice you.

The Taiwanese company believes the device is "ideal for people who value both the voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet".
It's not exactly wrong either. Once the 3.5-inch display of the iPhone 4S was considered sufficient, but the sales of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the recently revealed Samsung Galaxy Mega suggests we're getting happy with bigger screens.

That doesn't necessarily mean you're happy to walk around with a 7-inch slate clasped to your ear - but that's missing the point of the FonePad. You can use a headset when walking down the street, or prop it on a stand at your desk and use the speakerphone.
It's an attempt to answer the age-old dilemma of one general device or multiple specific devices.

We're going to go out on a limb and suggest the FonePad probably won't replace the Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or HTC One you carry in your pocket every day.
But Asus has tucked plenty of tech into the device and kept the price low enough that it certainly stands as a respectable tablet in its own right.

When tablets first started arriving back in 2010, it was the lesser known manufacturers that turned in cheaper options - usually by cutting every conceivable corner when it came to features and design. Now though, the big boys of the tech world have become very good at keeping those aspects alive at wallet-friendly prices.
The Asus FonePad features the accepted 7-inch screen and, from the front at least, looks the conventional Android tablet.

Jelly Bean's soft-touch navigation keys mean the face of the FonePad is devoid of physical buttons, leaving simply the black bezel with the Asus logo and camera lens on the top.
The rear of the tablet has more in common with Apple's iPad mini than the Asus-produced Google Nexus 7 thanks to a smooth metallic finish. Available in either "titanium grey" or "champaign gold", the metal adds an undeniably premium feel even if the grip isn't as good as the dimpled rear surface of the Nexus 7.

Asus has located the power button and the volume rocker on the left edge near the top of the tablet. The edge of the device is tapered and the buttons are set fairly close to the chassis, so hitting them in a hurry isn't always easy. Similarly, given the smoothness of the back, it can be a bit tricky adjusting volume with your thumb if you're holding the tablet one-handed with your left mitt.
The FonePad's 16:9 aspect ratio means its easy to grip around the back for anyone with small or medium sized hands. You'll be able to curl your fingers around the edge and hold it comfortably, rather than having to resort to holding it by one corner and obscuring part of the screen.

Naturally though, the tablet works best when gripped with both hands in a landscape mode. If you're gaming or watching the latest Game of Thrones, chances are you'll be holding it this way and the FonePad sits very nicely in a two-handed grip.
We mentioned that tablet manufacturers cut corners in the early days and some of that still survives - cost is cost, after all. The FonePad doesn't feature a rear-facing camera, so the back of the chassis is completely clean. By way of markings, you'll find an embossed Asus logo and the familiar Intel Inside mark at the bottom of the tablet.

If there's one thing as bad as holding a tablet up to make a phone call, it's holding a tablet up to take a picture. We feel fairly safe in saying here that the omission of a rear-facing camera is no great loss. If you're absolutely desperate for one, pick up the US version of the FonePad - that's got a 3MP rear-facing camera built in.
The only two ports on the device are the micro USB port and the 3.5mm headphone jack. These are both found on the bottom of the tablet with the headphone jack to the left of the charging port.

Weighing in at 340g, the FonePad is slightly heavier than Apple's 308g iPad mini - but in day-to-day terms this slight extra bulk is barely noticeable. Part of the attraction of 7-inch tablets is undeniably the lighter load and you'll have no trouble holding this tablet one-handed while watching videos, or indeed, making a call.
If Asus does want to best Apple's effort, it can point to screen resolution as one way of doing that. The 1,280 x 800 resolution panel on the FonePad display benefits from an LED backlight with IPS technology and is exceptionally clear.

It won't usurp the 10-inch tablets for screen clarity but the contrast ratio and colour balance certainly looked all right to us and is more than serviceable for enjoying a movie or game on the move.
Unfortunately, the problem with premium metallic finishes and beautiful TFT-coated screens is the susceptibility to dust and scratches. It's no different here and the FonePad is certain to come off worse against keys and loose change if you leave it unprotected in your backpack. Our advice? Invest in a case.

There's 16GB of storage space as well as the unbridled benefit of Android Jelly Bean arriving out of the box. But it's the smartphone aspect of the device that Asus is hoping will entice you.

The Taiwanese company believes the device is "ideal for people who value both the voice communication features of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet".
It's not exactly wrong either. Once the 3.5-inch display of the iPhone 4S was considered sufficient, but the sales of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the recently revealed Samsung Galaxy Mega suggests we're getting happy with bigger screens.

That doesn't necessarily mean you're happy to walk around with a 7-inch slate clasped to your ear - but that's missing the point of the FonePad. You can use a headset when walking down the street, or prop it on a stand at your desk and use the speakerphone.
It's an attempt to answer the age-old dilemma of one general device or multiple specific devices.

We're going to go out on a limb and suggest the FonePad probably won't replace the Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or HTC One you carry in your pocket every day.
But Asus has tucked plenty of tech into the device and kept the price low enough that it certainly stands as a respectable tablet in its own right.

When tablets first started arriving back in 2010, it was the lesser known manufacturers that turned in cheaper options - usually by cutting every conceivable corner when it came to features and design. Now though, the big boys of the tech world have become very good at keeping those aspects alive at wallet-friendly prices.
The Asus FonePad features the accepted 7-inch screen and, from the front at least, looks the conventional Android tablet.

Jelly Bean's soft-touch navigation keys mean the face of the FonePad is devoid of physical buttons, leaving simply the black bezel with the Asus logo and camera lens on the top.
The rear of the tablet has more in common with Apple's iPad mini than the Asus-produced Google Nexus 7 thanks to a smooth metallic finish. Available in either "titanium grey" or "champaign gold", the metal adds an undeniably premium feel even if the grip isn't as good as the dimpled rear surface of the Nexus 7.

Asus has located the power button and the volume rocker on the left edge near the top of the tablet. The edge of the device is tapered and the buttons are set fairly close to the chassis, so hitting them in a hurry isn't always easy. Similarly, given the smoothness of the back, it can be a bit tricky adjusting volume with your thumb if you're holding the tablet one-handed with your left mitt.
The FonePad's 16:9 aspect ratio means its easy to grip around the back for anyone with small or medium sized hands. You'll be able to curl your fingers around the edge and hold it comfortably, rather than having to resort to holding it by one corner and obscuring part of the screen.

Naturally though, the tablet works best when gripped with both hands in a landscape mode. If you're gaming or watching the latest Game of Thrones, chances are you'll be holding it this way and the FonePad sits very nicely in a two-handed grip.
We mentioned that tablet manufacturers cut corners in the early days and some of that still survives - cost is cost, after all. The FonePad doesn't feature a rear-facing camera, so the back of the chassis is completely clean. By way of markings, you'll find an embossed Asus logo and the familiar Intel Inside mark at the bottom of the tablet.

If there's one thing as bad as holding a tablet up to make a phone call, it's holding a tablet up to take a picture. We feel fairly safe in saying here that the omission of a rear-facing camera is no great loss. If you're absolutely desperate for one, pick up the US version of the FonePad - that's got a 3MP rear-facing camera built in.
The only two ports on the device are the micro USB port and the 3.5mm headphone jack. These are both found on the bottom of the tablet with the headphone jack to the left of the charging port.

Weighing in at 340g, the FonePad is slightly heavier than Apple's 308g iPad mini - but in day-to-day terms this slight extra bulk is barely noticeable. Part of the attraction of 7-inch tablets is undeniably the lighter load and you'll have no trouble holding this tablet one-handed while watching videos, or indeed, making a call.
If Asus does want to best Apple's effort, it can point to screen resolution as one way of doing that. The 1,280 x 800 resolution panel on the FonePad display benefits from an LED backlight with IPS technology and is exceptionally clear.

It won't usurp the 10-inch tablets for screen clarity but the contrast ratio and colour balance certainly looked all right to us and is more than serviceable for enjoying a movie or game on the move.
Unfortunately, the problem with premium metallic finishes and beautiful TFT-coated screens is the susceptibility to dust and scratches. It's no different here and the FonePad is certain to come off worse against keys and loose change if you leave it unprotected in your backpack. Our advice? Invest in a case.

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
	SIM	Micro-SIM
	Announced	2013, February
	Status	Available. Released 2013, April

Body	Dimensions	196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4 mm (7.73 x 4.73 x 0.41 in)
	Weight	340 g (11.99 oz)

Display	Type	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	800 x 1280 pixels, 7.0 inches (~216 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes, up to 10 fingers

Sound	Alert types	Vibration, MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

Memory	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	8/16 GB, 1 GB RAM

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	Speed	HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

Camera	Primary	3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus (selected markets only)
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, 720p
	Secondary	Yes, 1.2 MP

Features	OS	Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Intel Atom Z2420
	CPU	1.2 GHz
	GPU	PowerVR SGX540
	Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Titanium Gray, Champagne Gold
		- SNS integration - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player - MP4/H.264/H.263 player - Organizer - Document viewer - Photo viewer/editor - Voice memo/dial - Predictive text input (Swype)

Battery		Non-removable Li-Ion 4270 mAh battery (16 Wh)
	Stand-by
	Talk time	Up to 9 h

Misc	Price group

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Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

The Transformer range of Android tablets has become the jewel of Asus's crown and the best alternative to Apple's new iPad.

Along with the Asus Transformer Prime and the Asus Transformer Pad 300, the most recent tablet – the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity – keeps the excellent keyboard docking station that made the range famous and adds (among other things) a much improved high resolution screen.

Outwardly, the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is almost identical to its predecessor, the Transformer Prime. The tablet - highly priced at £600 in the UK and $600 in the US for the 64GB version - has the same brushed metal and concentric circle design.

The chassis is crafted from aluminium and you'll find a 10.1-inch Gorilla Glass display staring up at you when you lift the tablet out of the box.

There are subtle differences, however. The Transformer Pad Infinity is a hair thicker, with 0.2mm of added girth, although weight-wise it stays at the same 635g as the Prime – lighter than the new iPad.

The real difference lies in the beefed up resolution of the screen. As with Apple's new iPad, Asus has taken its original model and crammed more pixels onto the display.

You're given a 1920 x 1200 resolution in place of the Prime's 1280 x 800, although the brightness has been kept at 600nits.

Elsewhere, the similarities continue. The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity runsAndroid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We haven't heard yet whether anAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean update is inbound, although it's sensible to assume we will see one before the year is out.

Power is provided courtesy of the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core CPU - which has become de rigueur for top-tier Android tablets. Special mention goes to the Infinity Pad's gaming prowess, since the fantastic screen and beefy processor will combine to run any game you'd care to download from the Google Play store.

Any Android fan should undoubtedly have this at the top of their next-purchase list, but for those who still aren't too certain, there's plenty here that sets this aside from the glut of other tablets on the shelves. Read on to find exactly what makes this so special.

The 10.1-inch form factor from the original Asus Transformer Primecontinues with the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, and among the new crop of 7-inch tablets such as the Google Nexus 7 and the rumoured iPad Mini, there's still a lot to be said for having a larger device.

Portability might be compromised, but if you want to browse Flipboard or play a game on the sofa at the end of the day, that larger display will come in handy.

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is 8.5mm thin by itself, and a chunkier 17mm when you connect it to the keyboard dock. The aluminium frame is very attractive, and the concentric circle design will throw off the light like spokes on a bicycle wheel.

The only downside to this design, as far as we can tell, is that the grip isn't as firm as when the rear of the tablet is given a slight rubberised coating, à la the BlackBerry PlayBook or Fujitsu Stylistic M532.

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is heavier than other tablets – such as the Fujitsu – but it won't cripple your biceps after 30 minutes reading an ebook.

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity is also a well-built device. The aforementioned Gorilla Glass display will stand a real pounding, and the rest of the chassis feels like it can take the inevitable knocks that occur out on the road.

You won't find any physical buttons on the front of the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, thanks to Ice Cream Sandwich's soft key arrangement, and even the sides of the tablet are relatively free from clutter. On the left-hand side is a micro HDMI port, next to the 3.5mm headphone jack.

There's also a slot-loading microSD port that enables you to ramp up the storage space by 32GB. Without the microSD, you get 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, depending on which model you opt for.

The volume rocker and power button are both located on the top of the tablet, while the bottom is reserved for the Asus proprietary port that connects the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity to either a charger or the keyboard dock.

Keyboard dock

Like previous Asus Transformers, the keyboard dock is the ace-in-the-hole with this tablet, enabling you to turn it into a Tegra 3-powered netbook. The dock locks into place firmly, and to release it you simply flick the switch at the base of the hinge.

Beyond an extra input method, the dock also gives you a full-sized SD port, a USB port and a second Asus port for charging both the dock and tablet together.

The keyboard boasts its own battery that extends the battery life of the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity to around 14 hours.

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It should also be mentioned that it is a fantastic keyboard in its own right. The isolation-style keys give you enough travel to be comfortable and Asus gives you as much spacing as possible between the keys.

The trackpad is, understandably, a little on the small side, and using a cursor on Android takes some getting used to. More than once we found ourselves using the keyboard along with the touchscreen for navigation.

Screen

We've touched on the screen already, but it really is the standout feature of the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, and deserves closer scrutiny.

Firstly, it won't touch the new iPad's mammoth 2048 x 1536 resolution, but for the majority of consumers that shouldn't be much of an issue.

You get crisp, clean 1080p video on the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, and the colour balance is excellent. The reflective screen will cause you problems if you try using it outside, but then show us a tablet where this isn't a concern.

If we were to gripe, it would be that the connections could be improved. The single USB port is USB 2.0 and, ideally, we'd have it upgraded to 3.0, which would enable us to read/write data to the tablet 10 times faster. Also, we give you 24 hours before you lose the unsecured rubber cap that covers the port.

Full Spesification's For Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

GENERAL	2G Network	N/A
	SIM	No
	Announced	2012, February
	Status	Available. Released 2012, July

BODY	Dimensions	263 x 180.8 x 8.5 mm (10.35 x 7.12 x 0.33 in)
	Weight	598 g (1.32 lb)
		- Optional mobile dock with standard QWERTY keyboard and trackpad

DISPLAY	Type	Super IPS+ LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	1920 x 1200 pixels, 10.1 inches (~224 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 2
		- ASUS Waveshare UI

SOUND	Alert types	N/A
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	32/64 GB storage, 1 GB RAM

DATA	GPRS	No
	EDGE	No
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP, EDR
	USB	Yes, v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Features	Geo-tagging
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps
	Secondary	Yes, 2 MP

FEATURES	OS	Android OS, v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), upgradable to v4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Nvidia Tegra 3 T33
	CPU	Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9
	GPU	ULP GeForce
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, compass
	Messaging	Email, Push Mail, IM
	Browser	HTML5, Adobe Flash
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Amethyst Gray, Champagne Gold
		- SNS integration - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - HDMI port - MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC player - MP4/H.264/H.263 player - Polaris Office editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint; PDF viewer) - Photo viewer/editor - Organizer - Predictive text input

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Po battery (25 Wh)
	Stand-by
	Talk time	Up to 9 h 30 min

MISC	Price group

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