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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 $249. The 4-inch smartphone and 7-inch tablet combo that will reach the US isn't quite the same as what surfaced in Taiwan, though. This version touts a phone with 1.6GHz dual-core Atom Z2560 chip, 8GB of storage and an 800 x 480 display rather than the Snapdragon, 16GB of space and 960 x 540 display from before. ASUS hasn't said exactly when we'll see this new Intel-powered PadFone, but we'll keep you updated. Update: We've added some hands-on photos, which you can find right after the break. Also, ASUS says that there aren't any current plans to bring the Mini stateside, despite giving the device US pricing.
ASUS PadFone Mini 7-inch tablet / 4.3-inch phone combo launches in Taiwan
Confirming the rumors and leaks, ASUS has revealed its new PadFone Mini in Taiwan. A smaller alternative to the existing PadFone Infinity -- a line which CEO Jerry Shen tells us will reach the US -- it combines a 4.3-inch phone with a 7-inch tablet dock. Confirming the leaked details, it's packing a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon MSM8226 CPU and 1GB of RAM inside, with a 960 x 540 screen on the phone and 1,280 x 800 resolution panel on its tablet. It has 16GB of storage and a microSD slot for expansion, with Android 4.3 software aboard plus 1,500 mAh and 2,200 mAh batteries in the phone and tablet, respectively. As Shen mentioned during our interview, there are also some special tweaks like the Hi-Light "Owl Mode" and high speed continuous shooting aboard. The specs are a step down from the higher-end Infinity series, but as a result ASUS can offer both parts for an off-contract price of NT$ 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.
ASUS roadmap reveals bold smartphone ambitions with 5-inch 'MeMOFone'
If an ASUS roadmap unveiled at a conference in Taiwan pans out, we'll soon see a mini-me version of the PadFone Infinity, an 8-inch MeMO Pad, and more. The slides came out during the "Hero Innovation Wow Experience" portion of an investors call, showing that ASUS intends to build on recent MeMO Pad and PadFone hybrid momentum. In particular, the so-called MeMOFone HD 5 reveals the name of a standalone smartphone ASUS intends to launch in the US for those who don't need a tag-along tablet -- which jibes with recent comments it made about such a handset. Other than a likely 5-inch MeMOFone size gleaned from ASUS's overly elaborate naming scheme, there's no indication of specs, release dates or prices for such devices, of course. At least ASUS fans will know what to look forward to, though -- check after the break for the tablet strategy slide.
