A serious contender
The design of the ASUS PadFone 2 is very
similar to that of the original PadFone, although a little longer and wider to
accommodate the bigger 4.7-inch display. ASUS shaved off 0.2mm in thickness to
keep the PadFone 2 (9mm) in line with the other top Android phones such as the
HTC One x+ (8.9mm) and SamsungGalaxy S III LTe(8.6mm).Handling-wise, the
PadFone 2 is comparable to its counterparts.
The
design of the ASUS PadFone 2 is very similar to that of the original PadFone,
although a little longer and wider to accommodate the bigger 4.7-inch display
ASUS ships the PadFone 2 with Android 4.0
(Ice Cream Sandwich). The main reason for not having the latest Android OS is
due to the extra time required to integrate ASUS’ DynamicDisplay, a technology
that automatically adjusts the PadFone’s display layout when docked into the
PadFone Station. To compensate for this, ASUS did bundle a handful of software
features on the PadFone 2 such as Instant Dictionary, Audio Wizard, and ASUS
Studio.
Instant Dictionary is an app that
translates foreign languages and checks word definitions. The number of
languages supported is quite extensive, including Spanish and Russian.
ASUS
ships the PadFone 2 with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
Another highlight of the PadFone 2 is its
new Station accessory. The Station is where the PadFone 2 docks, thus converting
the smartphone into a tablet. The Station also acts as a secondary power source
with a 5000mAh battery. Being thinner and lighter, the combined weight (649g)
of the PadFone 2 and its Station is slightly lighter than the fourth-generation
iPad, which starts at 652g.
Armed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM, the PadFone 2 delivers a smooth user
experience. Scoring 5297 in our Quadrant benchmark test, which is way above its
rivals, proves that even the numbers agree with us. On top of that, its
4.7-inch Super IPS+ display, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, is one of
the best in the market with sharp text and accurate colors.
Photos
turned out to be very impressive
The 13-megapixel rear camera boasts a
Digital Still Camera-class Sony BSI sensor with a five-element lens, f/2.4
aperture, and a dedicated image signal processor. Photos turned out to be very
impressive.
Unfortunately though, when it comes to
battery performance, the PadFone 2 struggLED to make it through the day with
frequent messaging and Internet surfing. Still, having the Station around can
come in handy for a quick charging session while on the road.
With
the PadFone 2 inserted, the combo is still lighter than the new iPad alone.
The PadFone 2 is a compelling choice for
consumers who can’t make up their minds if they need a tablet companion. Aside
from its below-average battery life, the PadFone 2 is probably one of the best
Android smartphones you can get at the moment.
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Specifications
§ Type: Smartphone
§ Operating System: Android (Ice Cream
Sandwich [4.0])
§ Screen Size: 4.7 inches
§ Internal Memory: 16 GB
§ Camera: 13 megapixels
§ Dimensions: 5.43 x 2.71 x 0.35 in
§ Weight: 4.76 oz
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