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The past, present and future of ASUS, according to its chairman
ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih talks about the early days of his company.
ASUS' PadFone X mini phone-and-tablet hybrid reaches AT&T
If you liked ASUS' PadFone X but weren't willing to pay that much for the combination of an Android smartphone with a tablet shell, AT&T might soon have what you're looking for. The carrier is bringing the PadFone X mini to the US on October 24th, when it will sell for $200 to GoPhone's prepaid customers. There's a lot of hardware here for the money, although it won't surprise you to hear that ASUS makes sacrifices to give you two devices for the price of one. The smartphone half is a bit better than the regular PadFone mini thanks to its larger 4.5-inch screen, but you're still looking at a dual-core Atom processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front shooter. You're also docking into a 7-inch tablet which houses little more than a front camera and an extra battery, so don't expect a night-and-day difference when you use the bigger screen. With that said, the PadFone X mini beats getting a budget smartphone by itself -- give it a look if you'd rather not buy a separate tablet.
Hands-on with the PadFone X: ASUS' phone-tablet hybrid arrives in the US
If you're a special sort of person -- I don't know, like a tech writer-- the ASUS PadFone is old news. Since June 2012, Engadget has reviewed three versions of the phone, which comes with a tablet-like dock allowing you to transform it into a big-screen slate. For our American readers, though, it's always been a curiosity -- the sort of thing you could read about, but were unlikely to import all the way from Taiwan. Now you can finally see it for yourselves: AT&T announced earlier today that an American version, the PadFone X, will go on sale June 6th, priced at $199 on-contract. As it happens, I received a loaner unit today at a press event, which means Engadget will have a review up soon, probably closer to the on-sale date. For now, though, I'll regale you with some early impressions of both the 5-inch phone and the 9-inch dock. Come with me if you want to live.
ASUS' modular PadFone X is finally coming to AT&T for $199
AT&T promised back in January that it would launch ASUS' PadFone X hybrid, but the device has been stuck in limbo ever since -- the carrier hasn't given out much more than specs for the phone-and-tablet combo. Today, though, there's finally a date to mark on your calendar. The PadFone X should be available on June 6th for $199 on a two-year contract, or $23 per month if you buy it on an 18-month Next payment plan.
Laptop mode finally returning to the ASUS PadFone line
When we last hung out with ASUS CEO Jerry Shen, the exec expressed his support for bringing back the keyboard dock to the PadFones, which would mean you'd get three form factors with one product: a phone, a tablet and a laptop. Now, we have a leak confirming that this is definitely in the works. Courtesy of an FCC document dug up by our friends at Mobile Geeks, we're looking at an "ASUS Mobile Dock Keyboard" (PF-06 or "TransBoard") which, for a change, uses Bluetooth instead of a physical docking interface.
ASUS PadFone Mini coming to the US for $249 (update: no immediate US plans)
ASUS is giving American tablet fans more than the PadFone X -- it just revealed at its CES event that the PadFone Mini will also be coming to the US for $249. The 4-inch smartphone and 7-inch tablet combo that will reach the US isn't quite the same as what surfaced in Taiwan, though. This version touts a phone with 1.6GHz dual-core Atom Z2560 chip, 8GB of storage and an 800 x 480 display rather than the Snapdragon, 16GB of space and 960 x 540 display from before. ASUS hasn't said exactly when we'll see this new Intel-powered PadFone, but we'll keep you updated. Update: We've added some hands-on photos, which you can find right after the break. Also, ASUS says that there aren't any current plans to bring the Mini stateside, despite giving the device US pricing.
ASUS brings PadFone X to AT&T with LTE-Advanced support and Voice over LTE
You can count the number of ASUS devices that have been carried by AT&T on two fingers, but the GSM network is ready to show off the duo's third collaboration. Dubbed the PadFone X, this is the first in the series to be sold in the US, which ASUS CEO Jerry Shen teased to us last month. The concept is exactly the same as previous PadFones sold in other parts of the world; the hybrid setup consists of a 5-inch smartphone that docks with a 9-inch tablet shell (or "station"), and your smartphone info carries over to the tablet when it's docked. In addition to its unique place as the first of its kind in the US, the X also boasts support for a couple of network features that haven't yet been activated on AT&T's network: Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and LTE-Advanced with Carrier Aggregation. Since pricing and availability for both the device and its unique features are still unknowns at this point, we have a strong suspicion that it'll launch as soon as AT&T is ready to activate its LTE-A network. Specs are relatively scarce at this point (AT&T tells us that we can expect more details at ASUS' press conference shortly), but we know that the device will feature Android 4.4 KitKat, full HD displays and a "large battery" of unknown size. We'll update the post as we hear more, and we expect to get some hands-on time with it soon. Update: Head over past the break to gander at some photos of the device(s) behind glass, ones that we took at the ASUS In Search of Incredible event.
ASUS PadFone Mini 7-inch tablet / 4.3-inch phone combo launches in Taiwan
Confirming the rumors and leaks, ASUS has revealed its new PadFone Mini in Taiwan. A smaller alternative to the existing PadFone Infinity -- a line which CEO Jerry Shen tells us will reach the US -- it combines a 4.3-inch phone with a 7-inch tablet dock. Confirming the leaked details, it's packing a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon MSM8226 CPU and 1GB of RAM inside, with a 960 x 540 screen on the phone and 1,280 x 800 resolution panel on its tablet. It has 16GB of storage and a microSD slot for expansion, with Android 4.3 software aboard plus 1,500 mAh and 2,200 mAh batteries in the phone and tablet, respectively. As Shen mentioned during our interview, there are also some special tweaks like the Hi-Light "Owl Mode" and high speed continuous shooting aboard. The specs are a step down from the higher-end Infinity series, but as a result ASUS can offer both parts for an off-contract price of NT$ 11,990 ($405). This one is still only planned for release in China, Russia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, but its unique combination of portability and price might make it worth bringing to the US as well.
ASUS CEO: The PadFone is coming to America in Q2 2014
ASUS has big ambitions with its PadFones, a unique phone-to-tablet convertible concept that was first introduced back at Computex 2011. While these devices are barely nibbling on the global mobile market (let alone entering the US), the company still stands by its "N+1" philosophy: "to add on a simple change which allows the product to evolve beyond its current capability." This is evidenced by its five iterations of transformable phones, including the new PadFone Infinity (A86) and the upcoming PadFone Mini. The question is: when, if ever, will the PadFone break out of its niche? CEO Jerry Shen reckons now is the time. What's more, he's going for a dual-series strategy, henceforth, with a high-end line for Europe and the US, and a "mainstream" line for Asia.
ASUS PadFone Mini 4.3 pictured ahead of its launch next week
We only just got a whiff of a smaller version of ASUS' odd PadFone series as it passed through certification, and now serial leaker @evleaks can show us what it looks like. As its name indicates, the ASUS PadFone Mini 4.3 shrinks the phone part of the device from 5-inches to a more mainstream size, while the pics suggest rumors of a 7-inch tablet portion appear to be accurate. Our Engadget Chinese colleagues have already been invited to an official unveiling in Taiwan on the 11th -- so far none of the devices have seen an official US release -- so check back Wednesday for all the full details and official specs.
ASUS's 4.3-inch PadFone Mini to debut in Taiwan next week
ASUS's PadFone hybrid Android tablet/phone series, weird as it is, seems to have found itself a niche. As such, the Taiwanese outfit looks ready to launch a new model, the PadFone Mini, according to a listing in the Global Certification Forum (GSF). That jibes with CEO Jerry Shen's earlier comments (translated) and a GFX Bench leak that showed Android 4.3, 960 x 540 phone resolution and a quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU. The tablet part was rumored to be 7-inches, but another listing at Taiwan's NCC showed that, based on the weight, it could be bigger than that. We should find out soon either way, but you may be disappointed if you're looking for 4G speeds -- unless there's another model, the GSF listing shows 3G radios only. Update: Well that was quick. Our brethren over at Engadget Chinese have just received an invitation -- pictured above -- for the PadFone Mini launch in Taipei next Wednesday. The little drawing at the bottom left of the invitation seems to confirm the smaller docking station as well. Stay tuned for more.
Weekly Roundup: iPhone 5s and 5c reviews, Droid Maxx review, iOS 7 available to download, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: ASUS PadFone Infinity hands-on, Nokia 'innovation reinvented' event, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: Moto X factory tour, which new iPhone to buy, Intel's Haswell Chromebooks, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Surprise! ASUS to launch 'the new PadFone Infinity' next Tuesday (updated with video)
Given the recent leaks, it's no surprise that ASUS is now readying the launch of its aptly named "the new PadFone Infinity." According to an invitation we just received, CEO Jerry Shen will be hosting an event for said device in Taipei next Tuesday, so we'll be there to get our hands dirty. For now, all we know is that this phone + tablet combo will look pretty much identical to the current model, except it'll likely get a more powerful Snapdragon 800 SoC inside, as well as a microSD slot and an all-white color option. Stay tuned for our coverage! Update: ASUS has just added a short, cheeky video (after the break) showing the smartphone leaving the orbit of its tablet companion. A countdown page has also appeared showing the six or so days left until the new new PadFone's "launch" on September 17th -- you can find it at the source.
New ASUS PadFone Infinity spied on camera, may arrive in September (updated)
There have been hints that ASUS' new PadFone Infinity could represent a little more than a speed boost; if newly leaked details obtained by ePrice are authentic, we may have proof. Photos included with the leak show an exterior design that's virtually identical to that of the current PadFone, save for the option of a white model. As previously rumored, the new smartphone would fit into the existing Infinity's tablet base. ASUS could make up for this conservative design with a speedy release, however. The ePrice sources claim that the new PadFone Infinity should launch in Taiwan during the third week of September, which would leave just a short wait for ASUS' fourth-generation hybrid. Update: We've also noticed that there could be a microSD slot, next to the SIM tray. If so, that would answer the complaints of more than a few existing PadFone Infinity owners.
ASUS PadFone Infinity with Snapdragon 800 could simply be 'The new PadFone Infinity'
Following the original ASUS PadFone Infinity (A80) with Snapdragon 600 SoC, rumors of a new "PadFone Infinity A86" (or "PadFone T004") go as far back as July 20th, with benchmark evidence showing a more powerful Snapdragon 800 enabling this mysterious device. While details are still light, several eagle-eyed PadFone fans have started noticing a new name on ASUS' tech support page: "The new PadFone Infinity." Assuming this is more of an official name and less of a placeholder, it looks like we'll be seeing an identical-looking device sporting Qualcomm's latest piece of silicon; and perhaps a launch is imminent -- maybe at IFA next week? But ASUS, it really wouldn't hurt if you guys can throw in a microSD slot plus a dedicated keyboard dock as well this time. Remember the original PadFone? Good times.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 15th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
The Weekly Roundup for 05.20.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The Daily Roundup for 05.21.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
