Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Hands-on with the PadFone X: ASUS' phone-tablet hybrid arrives in the US


If you're a special sort of person -- I don't know, like a tech writer-- the ASUS PadFone is old news. Since June 2012, Engadget has reviewed three versions of the phone, which comes with a tablet-like dock allowing you to transform it into a big-screen slate. For our American readers, though, it's always been a curiosity -- the sort of thing you could read about, but were unlikely to import all the way from Taiwan. Now you can finally see it for yourselves: AT&T announced earlier today that an American version, the PadFone X, will go on sale June 6th, priced at $199 on-contract. As it happens, I received a loaner unit today at a press event, which means Engadget will have a review up soon, probably closer to the on-sale date. For now, though, I'll regale you with some early impressions of both the 5-inch phone and the 9-inch dock. Come with me if you want to live.


I've only had a short time to play with the PadFone X, but so far, at least, it seems much more comfortable to use in its native handset form. The phone, which rocks a 5-inch screen (small by today's standards) is easy to hold. It's not the thinnest handset I've ever held, but it's light and in fact, I think that slight thickness might actually make it easier to grip. The 1080p display is sharp too, and the viewing angles are good enough that I was able to peek at some guy's email from off to the side, even with me sitting a couple feet away (apologies, dude).


Design-wise, the PadFone X has more in common with ASUS' new budget Zenfone line than it does the last-generation PadFone Infinity. The removable back cover is made not out of brushed metal this time, but instead smooth, plain plastic. It's inoffensive, but definitely not as premium as some other flagships you'll find on AT&T's shelf. Clearly, then, your $200 isn't buying design flair so much as specs. Specs and, well, innovation.


Speaking of the sort, let's talk about that tablet dock. The screen itself measures nine inches diagonally, and there's of course a phone-sized slot in the back where you slip in the handset. To be clear, the dock is a paperweight without the phone inside; even in tablet mode, the phone's Snapdragon 800 chipset is running the show. By the way, performance throughout feels smooth, as you'd expect with such a top-of-the line processor. ASUS' skinned version of Android KitKat might come as a bit of a surprise, especially to Android purists, but it's hardly the heaviest skin I've seen.


In use, the whole thing feels heavier than your typical tablet, not least because there's a big ol' hump around back where the phone is. That said, the bulge also creates a natural resting spot for your hands, so it's hard to totally knock it when the ergonomics might actually make sense. And the tablet's resolution -- 1,920 x 1,200 -- is fairly sharp for a 9-inch screen. Also, the dock contains its own 4,990mAh battery -- a big improvement over the 2,300mAh cell inside the phone. So even if you find tablet mode a little unwieldy, the dock is a good accessory to have handy -- you never know when you'll need a spare battery. All told, the two combined should last through 10 hours of video playback, according to an ASUS rep (we'll of course be the judge of that in our full review).


So far, I've covered just what comes in the box: the phone and the tablet dock. There will be some other accessories, though, including a set of folio cases ($80) and a Bluetooth keyboard dock ($99). Some early thoughts: you might want to think hard about the keyboard. Not only is it cramped and flimsy, like a netbook's, but certain fairly important keys are either hidden or hard to reach. Both the quotation mark and apostrophe, for instance, require you to hit a special Function key, as opposed to the usual left Shift button. As such, typing on it doesn't feel natural. (Here's a mental image for you: an old colleague, a tech editor, at the AP, peering over my shoulder, trying to no avail to help me find the apostrophe.) If I were you, I'd look into other Bluetooth keyboards before buying ASUS'. Everything else, though (the tablet, dock) has a little more promise. More on that in our full review, of course.


Filed under: , ,


Comments


Source: AT&T


Related Posts:

1 comment:

  1. medical cannabis on August 13, 2019
    weed vaporizer for sale online
    Buy pre Rolled joint online
    weed bongs for sale online
    Butylone (BK-MBDB) for sale online
    Mephedrone (4-MMC) for sale online

    Blue Dream Seeds for sale online
    Blueberry Seeds for sale
    Blackberry Kush (Hybrid) for sale
    Mango Kush – Hybrid for sale online
    Blackberry Kush Cannabis Oil for sale
    buy high grade Cannabis Cherry Oil for sale
    Cannabis Dark Chocolate Truffles for sale
    Cannabis Banana Bread for sale online
    Oxycodone
    Percocet 10/ 325
    Norco - ( Hydrocodone Bitartrate/ Acetaminophen ) 5 mg/ 325 mg
    Percocet 5/ 325
    endocet 10/ 325
    hydrocodone-ibuprofen (brand name:vicoprofen)
    suboxone
    subutex
    watson 540
    Dilaudid 8mg
    Soma 350mg
    Adderall 30mg
    Ritalin 10mg
    Tramadol ( Ultram) 50mg
    Ketamine Powder
    VIAGRA 100MG
    4-Fluoromethamphetamine
    analgesic chemical CB1 and CB2
    Ketamine hcl crystal powder
    Ephedrine Hcl Powder
    Bulytone (bk-MBDB)
    MDPV
    Phentermine
    Ketamine
    Methadone
    Nortriptyline
    Ephedrine
    Medical marijuana, Heroin
    buy marijuana online top grade
    buy top grade medical cannabis online
    buy weed online store USA
    buy cannabis oil online top grade
    buy cannabis chocolate online
    oxycodone for sale online pharmacy
    buy Xanax online dispensary
    Buy cannabis seeds online
    Buy high grade weed edibles
    All our delivery is discrete please serious inquiry only. Our service are fast
    cbd card needed for purchase!!
    buy Afghan Seeds online
    buy AK-47 Seeds online
    Bubblegum Seeds online for sale
    Adderall XR 20mg for sale
    Buy 5Fur-144 online
    Codeine Phosphate 30mg for sale online
    Diazepam 10mg for sale online
    Lortab 10/500
    Morphine Sulphate 30mg for sale
    Percocet 10/325 Mg for sale online
    U-47700 for sale online
    https://www.buycannabisonlineshop.com/
    E-Mail: info@buycannabisonlineshop.com
    WhatsApp:...........+1(720)642-5534
    text/ call..............+1( 213)478-9518
    weblink.... https://www.buycannabisonlineshop.com/product-category/weed-strains/

    ReplyDelete