An Android smartphone that doubles as
a tablet
Asus has a tradition of making devices that
transform from one gadget into another, the latest of which is the Padfone 2.
This 4.7in Android smartphone comes with a tablet, which can’t work without the
phone. The phone slides into a slot in the back of the tablet, bringing it to
life. The idea is that you have just one device with one set of apps and files
instead of juggling two.
Asus
Padfone 2
Because the Padfone 2 morphs from a compact
smartphone into a large-screened tablet, there’s no need for the screen to be
4.7in, which is big enough to be awkward for people with small hands to use. A
more sensible size would be 4in.
It has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, so
onscreen text is sharp. The screen is fairly bright, but it can still be a
struggle to see outside in sunlight, although this problem afflicts many other
smartphones too.
Games and other demanding apps ran smoothly
thanks to the powerful 1.5GHz quad core processor. The phone has plenty of
space for storing apps as well as your own files because it has 32GB of
built-in storage. There’s no micro SD card slot so you can’t add more storage,
but 32GB should be enough.
Compared with other Android phones, the
Padfone 2 isn’t a looker, but it’s certainly sturdy. A silver band runs around
the edge while the concentric circles etched into the back panel give it an
easy-to-hold ribbed texture. The plastic design creaks a little under pressure,
though.
The
Padfone 2 isn’t a looker, but it’s certainly sturdy
When we took photos using the rear-facing
five-megapixel camera in broad daylight, the colors looked accurate. But a
surprising amount of noise meant some finer details were lost. This problem was
especially noticeable in low light where photos were too blurry and smeared to
use.
Call quality on the Vodafone 3G network in
the West End of London was mediocre. Calls were muffled and too quiet using the
built-in earpiece, while callers on the other end said we sounded too loud and
our voices were distorted. But the background bustle of a construction site was
reduced to a just audible hiss. If you’re willing to pay for EE’s pricey
contracts, the Padfone 2 supports fast 4G LTE mobile broadband speeds.
Asus has included a handy app for blocking
calls from specific numbers. It won’t help with many nuisance calls from
companies that hide their numbers, but we found it useful for temporarily
barring calls from friends and family when at work, while letting through more
important calls from colleagues.
One oddity of the device is its
non-standard USB port. You have to use Asus’s special cable, but the
non-standard connector is necessary to provide the power to charge the
smartphone and tablet simultaneously.
Use Asus’s widgets to change the special phone-related settings
Tablet
Of course, what sets the Padfone 2 apart
from other smartphones is the included tablet, or the Padfone Station as Asus
calls it. Slide the phone into the slot on the tablet’s back and the phone
vibrates to confirm a successful connection. Without the phone, the tablet is a
useless shell - the phone provides its processor, rear camera’s USB port and
wireless connections.
Of
course, what sets the Padfone 2 apart from other smartphones is the included
tablet
The combined weight of the device is 650g,
which is similar to other 10in tablets. The tablet has a smooth, soft-touch
rear that’s unlikely to slip out of your hands. The build quality feels disappointingly
cheap though, flexing under pressure far more than we would like. Although
there’s a noticeable bulge where the phone slots in place, the tablet as a
whole doesn’t feel ungainly or unevenly weighted when you hold it.
The interface and apps don’t feel quite as
smooth in tablet mode as they do in phone mode, but the difference isn’t huge.
Battery life is long in either mode. On its own, the phone lasted just under 11
hours when playing continuous video. The tablet has an extra battery of its own,
adding an extra eight-and-a-half hours of video playback time.
Asus hasn’t made too many changes to the
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean interface, either in phone or tablet mode, so it works
much like any other modern Android device. Most of the changes have been made
to accommodate the combined phone-tablet features of the Padfone 2. A widget on
the home screen shows the charge of the two batteries, while another lets you
choose how to answer calls when the phone is docked with the tablet - either by
removing the phone, or by using the speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset.
The Android interface and apps switch
fairly well from phone to tablet and vice versa, but it’s not quite as smooth
as it could be. Unless they’ve been specially tailored for the Padfone 2, almost
all apps will shut down when docking and undocking the phone. If you’re in the
middle of a task that involves lots of apps, reopening them all can be a
nuisance. Some settings, such as folders for organizing apps on the home
screen, differ between phone and tablet.
The biggest disappointment with the tablet
is its low- resolution screen. Although the 1280x800 pixel resolution roughly
matches that of the phone, onscreen text is nowhere near as crisp as it is on
rival tablets such as the iPad 4 and Nexus 10, whose screens have far higher
resolutions.
It’s a shame the Padfone 2 isn’t as
versatile as the original Padfone, which also came with a keyboard dock and a
stylus that doubled as a handset for answering calls. Asus has already
announced the Padfone 2’s successor, the Infinity, which will have a 1080p
resolution on both the phone and tablet screen. There’s little point in holding
out for it, though, as Asus has yet to confirm if the Padfone Infinity will be
available in the UK.
Despite these drawbacks the Asus Padfone 2
is still a clever combination of tablet and smartphone. It’s no more expensive
than buying a separate tablet and smartphone and it’s a good alternative to
huge smartphones which, at 5in or even bigger, approach the size of some
tablets.
Despite
these drawbacks the Asus Padfone 2 is still a clever combination of tablet and
smartphone.
The device is especially attractive if you
want mobile internet access on a smartphone and tablet, but don’t want to have
two separate 3G contracts or fiddle around with tethering.
Our stamp of approval
Our Buy It! stamp of approval is a sign
that a product has exceeded our high expectations in both quality and value. If
you see the Buy It! logo you know we were impressed with the product and we think
you will be too. The Try It! Stamp is our equivalent award for software and
services that are free of charge.
Prices
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best price we have been able to find on the web. Prices may change following
publication.
How we test
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Our star ratings
We provide a clear verdict for every
product we review. Each verdict is accompanied by a star rating.
Here’s what those stars mean:
- An excellent purchase: 5/5
- A good purchase: 4/5
- Ok by us: 3/5
- Below average quality: 2/5
- Very poor quality: 1/5
Verdict
A clever device that effectively combines a
smartphone and tablet, but it’s not as slick as it could be
Ratings: 4/5
Key points
·
Smartphone with clever tablet dock
·
Smartphone-tablet integration a little rough
·
Not as versatile as original Padfone
·
Good battery life
·
Creaky build quality
·
Large phone
·
Low resolution tablet screen
Best price online
·
Website: www.snipca.com/8824
·
Price: $899
More information
·
Website: www.snipca.com/8850
Alternative - Google Nexus 10
Google
Nexus 10
·
Price: $479
·
One of the best 10in Android tablets yet
·
Ratings: 5/5
·
Website: www.snipca.com/8022
