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We’re a bit surprised it took this long for a company to make a 7 inch tablet that it wants you to make calls with. Asus announced such a device, the FonePad, and after seeing the spec list of this hybrid device, you just might be fine putting it up to your face for a call. Maybe not. We just got some hands-on time with the device, so read on to get some of our first impressions.
The FonePad is almost a phablet, but backwards: Predominantly a tablet, but with phone capabilities. That’s about it.
The Intel Atom based tablet packs a nice punch across the board, but we’ve definitely seen more powerful devices before. Nonetheless, rocking an Atom CPU and having phone capabilities certainly makes it a unique tablet.
The tablet feels nice and solid in the hands, and the metal construction is to thank for that. The left side of the FonePad houses the power/lock button and, and the right side is clean. You’ll find the micro USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom, and you’ll find an assortment of microphones around the device for phone calls and noise cancellation. The sub-par 3 and 1.2 megapixel cameras are found in their respective places.
The 1280 x 800 display provides nice viewing angles and is crisp and clear. Android 4.1.2 graces the screen nicely, and is relatively close to stock, save for a couple of tweaks and custom Asus applications.
The FonePad is definitely an interesting product, and it will be even more interesting to see who grabs one of these devices. Will you bite?
Check out the gallery below!
About The Author
Dusan Belic
Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.
