Asus has come up with a new and innovative hybrid concept called the Padfone. Imagine having a device that performs as a phone or a tablet computer, well the Padfone does just that. It’s really quite a brilliant idea and the very first of it’s kind. Will it catch on? We’ll find out the answer to this question soon enough.
You might be asking yourself what’s the advantage of such a device over a standalone smartphone or tablet pc. There’s a few answers for that. Let’s begin with the fact that the Padfone is a money saver for starters. Instead of having separate data plans with one or more carriers for your smartphone and tablet the Padfone lets you share connections. In other words, you can access the Internet from a shared 3G connection between your phone and pad. This way you only get one bill instead of two.
Your pad can be used as a secondary battery charger for your phone which is also very convenient. Another advantage is a hassle-free way to transfer data by using one simple data pool.
How Does the Padfone Work?
Simply dock your phone inside the pad’s shielded docking bay to merge the two devices together. It tucks in quickly to create a seamless transition from smartphone to tablet. This enables you to enlarge your screen size any time you wish and also share installed applications.
Asus Padfone Demo Video
Watch this demo video and see the Asus Padfone in action.
Final Thoughts
I believe the Padfone is quite unique, truly clever and perhaps even a game changer. Whether it will catch on for sure and become a popular mainstream product is yet to be seen but I can personally see a market for such a device. I can also see this making life a lot more simple for app developers. Instead of having to develop more than one version of the same app they can create one that is cross-compatible.
It’s uncertain at this time what OS the Padfone will use but my guess is Google’s upcoming Android OS codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich. Of course this new OS was announced a couple of weeks ago. Basically, while we’re on the topic of merges, it’s the Gingerbread and Honeycomb OS merged into one. It’s kind of like a go anywhere and run on any device type OS which will work flawlessly on both smartphones and tablets alike, at least that’s the plan.
What are your thoughts on this product? Please post your comments below!