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!
