First came the smartphones. They were followed by tablets. It was
simple—two distinct devices with very different screen sizes and functions. But
then Tablets became smaller, smartphones grew bigger and thus emerged a new
class of huge phones (or small tablets) known as "phablets".And just
when you think you have figured it out, Asus has introduced the PadFone
X—a 5-inch smartphone sliding into the back of a 9-inch tablet. Think of it as
the ‘anti-phablet’.
The idea of buying one device instead of two is certainly
appealing and at just $199 two-year contract,
the PadFone X has become an intriguing
device at an amazing price. Despite some flaws, this is one combo device that's
worth checking out.
The Asus PadFone X is a five-inch Android smartphone that has
features you’d probably find in today’s high-end devices like a full HD
display, 13-megapixel camera and quad-core processor. The alteration being that
this smartphone can be converted into a 9 inch tablet by docking it with the
Padfone Station.
| Other People Are Reading | |
| Top 10 Technology and Hacking Based Hollywood Movies | Top 5 Best Battery Life android smartphones |
SPECIFICATIONS:
|
General
|
|||
|
Release date
|
January 2014
|
||
|
Form factor
|
Touchscreen
|
||
|
Removable battery
|
No
|
||
|
Display
|
|
|
|
|
Screen size (inches)
|
5.00
|
||
|
Touchscreen
|
Yes
|
||
|
Type
|
Capacitive
|
||
|
Resolution
|
1080x1920 pixels
|
||
|
Hardware
|
|
|
|
|
Processor
|
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
|
||
|
RAM
|
2GB
|
||
|
Internal storage
|
16GB
|
||
|
Camera
|
|
|
|
|
Rear camera
|
5-megapixel
|
||
|
Flash
|
yes
|
||
|
Front camera
|
No
|
||
|
Software
|
|
|
|
|
Operating System
|
Android 4.4
|
||
|
Java support
|
Yes
|
||
|
Browser supports Flash
|
No
|
||
Hardware:
PadFone X
smartphone:
The PadFone X is a high-end smartphone. You will find a 5
inch high resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display in a phone about the size
of the HTC One (M8).
It runs on a Snapdragon 800 procecssor with 2GB RAM. This makes it
really powerful.
The back can be removed to reveal the microSIM card and microSD
expansion slots (expandable to 64GB). The battery is non-removable.
PadFone Station:
The display on the Station is 9 inches with the FHD resolution.
When you flip it over you will see the large docking area for the smartphone.
You simply slide it down in place to use the PadFone X in tablet form. The
Station will not turn on or do anything without the smartphone docked into the
back.
With the phone in the back, the tablet is a bit bulky. Thankfully,
Asus made the two sides less thick so you can hold onto the PadFone
Station comfortably with two hands. This is not a tablet you want to read in
bed and have fall on your face though so use with caution in that position.
Software:
The PadFone X runs the latest version of Google’s Android
operating system (KitKat 4.4.2), and Asus has largely left the user interface
alone. But the phone is cluttered with extraneous apps from AT&T. But you
can disable these apps in the Settings menu.
Asus designed the PadFone X so that when you slip it into the
dock the interface changes into a tablet look and feel. They did a pretty good
job with the Dynamic Display software that switches between phone and tablet
forms with apps not just getting bigger, but more useful.
Design:
Asus hasn’t put much effort into designing a colorful,
metallic, or curved phone. The edges are rounded though the matte finish
does help it feel just fine in your hand. It does feel solidly constructed and
definitely does not have a cheap feel to it.As a standalone smartphone, the
5-inch PadFone X' design is attractively low key.
There are no physical buttons on the smartphones
face. The top edge is home to a 3.5mm jack, while the bottom includes the
handset's microUSB port and two slots where the PadFone is docked to the
tablet.
Measuring 5.7 x 2.9 x 0.39 inches and weighing 5.5 ounces, the
PadFone X is nearly the same size and weight as the 5-inch HTC One M8, which measures 5.8 x 2.8 x 0.37 inches and
weighs 5.6 ounces.
Camera:
A 13-megapixel PixelMaster Camera captures amazing images for this
device. Photos captured using this camera were sharp and high quality with
bright colors.
Full-HD videos taken with the PadFone X were clear and colorful. Thanks to its Snapdragon 800 powerful processor, the
PadFone X can shoot 4K videos.
The PadFone X's smartphone gets the better front cameras of the
two, with a 2-MP camera versus the tablet's 1-MP shooter. The phone's selfie
camera captured the best photos, with more details and colors visible compared
to those taken with the tablet.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
·
High-end hardware specifications.
·
Great value for price and also provides dual environment usage.
·
User friendly UI
·
High resolution display.
Cons:
·
Bulky and plain design.
·
1 inch bezel around the Padfone Station makes it unattractive.
·
Too many bloatware by AT&T.
Pricing and Availability:
The PadFone X is sold along with the PadFone Station only. With a
two-year contact you can pick up the combo for just $199.99. This is even less
than prices of the flagship smartphones by other companies.
The no-contract price is $549.99 which is lesser than most high
end smartphones of today having full prices in the $600-$850 range.
Conclusion:
This may seem like a bulky and plain device at first sight but
this may well be one of the best devices available at entry level mid-range
phones. If the High-end specifications are not enough to get you on board,
getting a smartphone and a tablet at this price surely will. This device is
just the beginning of a hybrid technology revolution that is going to emerge.
If you liked this article then please like and share it.
Also if you have any queries then drop in your questions in the
comments.
To keep yourself regularly updated with our articles by email subscribe us.
To keep yourself regularly updated with our articles by email subscribe us.
<
Other People Are Reading
|