ASUS has officially unveiled the second generation of the Padfone smartphone and tablet combo, dubbed as Padfone 2, in both Taipei and Milan yesterday. The launch event in Milan was live-streamed on ASUS’s official website. Padfone 2 features quad-core processor, LTE connectivity and a completely redesigned Padfone Station tablet. Read on for more details.
Hardware-wise, the Padfone 2 features a larger, 4.7-inch Super IPS+ HD display with 1280×720 resolution and 312 ppi. It sports a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and three option of internal storage : 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. In addition to that, you get 50GB worth of ASUS WebStorage provided free for two years. There is however no microSD card expansion.
Other features include a 13 MP rear camera with auto-focus, LED flash and f/2,4 aperture, 1.2 MP front-facing camera, a 2140 mAh battery, LTE connectivity and Bluetooth 4.0. Padfone 2 is available in black and white flavors.
On the software side, Padfone 2 will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, which is not the latest Android OS. However, ASUS has promised to deliver Jelly Bean update soon.
Next, on the all-new sleek Padfone tablet dock station. It’s thinner and lighter at just 649g (weight of Padfone 2 and Padfone Station combined). Padfone Station now features a 10.1-inch IPS display at 1280 x 800 resolution and 149 ppi. The tablet dock has a 5500 mAh worth of battery capacity which is enough to recharge the docked Padfone 2 three times over.
Check out some of Padfone 2 videos below.
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Availability and Pricing
Padfone 2 is available in black and white flavors, with three models for sale – 16GB, 32GB or 64GB.
PadFone 2 will be launched before the end of December in Europe (Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden) and Asia (Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and U.A.E). Availability in other countries will be announced at a later date.
As for the pricing, Padfone 2 will be selling at a price range between $600 to $750. It requires another $200 for the Padfone Station.
