We just reported that Asus has showcased off its Padfone 2 – phone/tablet docking combo, a different transformer at its event in Taiwan. As expected earlier, Asus has also made the Padfone 2 official in Milan. Padfone 2 looks nice than the original Padfone and it has also got a larger, high-res display with up to 550nits brightness. Thanks to Sharp’s IGZO technology Asus has confirmed that the new Padfone 2 will start hitting the stores by the end of this year in Europe and Asia.
Providing the “incredible mobile flexibility”, the Padfone 2 slides vertically into the back of the tablet, instead of sliding horizontally like the predecessor. Asus also dumps the gawky door on the new Padfone 2 Station for a sleek dock.
If you need a specs refresher of the Asus Padfone 2, here it is:
# 4.7-inch HD Super IPS+ display with 1280 x 720 pixels of resolution
# 312 PPI
# Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz
# 2GB of RAM
# Boots Android 4.0.4 ICS OS and will be “upgradeable to Jelly Bean shortly”
# 13 MP “high-performance” rear-facing camera with F/2.4 BSI sensor capable of 6 shots per second, 100 continuous shots at full resolution, 1080p HD video recoding @ 30fps, 720p HD recording @ 60 fps
# 1.3MP front camera for making video calls
# 16GB or 32GB or 64GB storage options and NO microSD card slot
# Free 50GB ASUS WebStorage space for two years
# NFC and a fixed 2,140mAh battery that provides up to 16 hours 3G talk-time and 13 hours Wi-Fi web browsing
The Padfone 2 Station features a 10.1-inch 1280×800 display and 5,000mAh battery. PadFone 2 Station’s 5000mAh battery lasts up to 36 hours 3G talk-time. At the event, ASUS manager has revealed Padfone 2 will land on the U.S. soil by the end of the year. Tablet Station’s internal battery can recharge the docked PadFone 2 three times over.
For more information, read: Asus Padfone 2 Full Specifications.
The 32GB Padfone 2 (including a the 10.1″ tablet Station) will be available to purchase in Europe for €799, and the 64GB model goes for €899. In Asia, the Padfone 2 Station alone will be available for NT$8,990 ($310). Customers can grab the unsubsidized Padfone 2 for NT$17,990 ($620) and NT$21,901 ($750) for the 16GB and 64GB models, respectively.
Here is the list of the areas of Europe and Asia, where the Padfone 2 will be launched by the end of this year:
Europe: Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden).
Asia: Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and UAE).
No word on the U.S. pricing details yet. We are not sure yet which US carriers will launch the Padfone 2. But, we will let you those juicy details as soon as we hear them.
Source: ASUS