Looks like ASUS design and innovation are once more making a difference. This time it’s PadFone, the smartphone/tablet combo device that ASUS has just let people get a close look at during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which concluded yesterday.
We had a chance to canvass for the opinions of various folks from the media, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many noted the futuristic approach the PadFone takes, and how it offers a glimpse at the shape (or perhaps shapes) of things to come.
“If modular computing is the future, ASUS is trying to get a head start with the PadFone. . . . I’m fascinated by the concept” – TIME
Or to put it more succinctly:
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future” – Engadget
Others reacted well because they realized PadFone is the first true form factor extender for smartphones on the market. It’s not just a bigger screen, it’s literally two forms for one data plan, and the seamless transition between the two factors is also something that has not been accomplished previously.
“The first genuinely usable combination of a powerful smartphone with a tablet dock that would use the smartphone’s hardware” – T3
When two become one
Practicality is clearly important for many, and from an actual person’s perspective, PadFone offers multi-scenario versatility that cannot be ignored, a fact acknowledged by many.
“It’s an ingenious idea that has numerous advantages for casual computing on a day-to-day basis” – Expert Reviews
The impetus behind the creation of PadFone has been the desire among ASUS product management and designers to evolve a new category, one that really brings the smartphone and the tablet together without sacrificing the benefits of either, all the while giving consumers the ability to choose form factors on the spot. Previous attempts at this have not been so successful, typically resulting in simple docks that didn’t add to the experience, and often actually detracted from it with cumbersome mechanics. This isn’t the case at all with PadFone, quite the opposite, something media have recognised.
“ASUS could be onto another winning hybrid concept” – The Inquirer
Yes, we agree here at Tech in Style, having spent much time with PadFone to our enjoyment. And not to be boastful, but these reactions sort of echo the success of other category-defying ASUS products, like the various members of the Eee PC family, and more recently, our buddy ZENBOOK.
Now that PadFone is an officially-unveiled product, you can check out the product page!
Lee