The Padfone Infinity is definitely the best
phone Asus has ever made, and it is a worthwhile upgrade from the PadFone 2
even for the specs alone. Thanks to new industrial design on the phone, we are
confident that it will be more noticeable than its two predecessors.
Almost 2 years ago, Motorola's
Android-in-Webtop-OS solution was kicked off the stage by ASUS' PadFone, the
first phone in the world was capable of completely powering a tablet module
from its own OS. The original concept took a while to materialize, but since
then the company has kept up with a surprisingly rapid product cycle. It was
only five months from the first PadFone to the PadFone 2, and now after 7
months, Asus was releasing the PadFone Infinity: a non-surprising full HD
update for both the phone and the tablet module. The phone itself also benefits
from a newer 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 SoC, as well as a new aluminum
body. So, does this upgrade package have what it takes to destroy the
"glass is half empty" mentality? Or would customers still prefer to
have two separate devices? Keep reading to find out.
PadFone
Infinity and PadFone Station
Hardware
Let's start with the phone. Like many of
the latest Android flagships, the Padfone Infinity comes with a 5-inch, 1080p
screen and a quad-core chip. In terms of resolution, viewing angle and color
gamut, the newer screen is a significant upgrade from the predecessor's 720p,
4.7-inch screen, even though the screens from both generations belong to
Sharp's LTPS line (not to be confused with the newer IGZO line, which is not
effective at this screen size. Unsurprisingly, the Infinity comes with a bigger
built-in battery - 2400mAh, which is a good bump from the old 2140mAh battery.
The primary camera uses the same Sony 13MP IMX091 sensor as on the PadFone 2,
but its lens has been upgraded from f/2.4 to a brighter f/2.0. At the other end
of the phone, the old 1.2MP front-facing camera has been replaced by a 2MP, f/2.0
module (it's an OmniVision OV2722 sensor, if you're interested), but the
backlit capacitive soft keys below the screen are still here.
Like
many of the latest Android flagships, the Padfone Infinity comes with a 5-inch,
1080p screen and a quad-core chip
The Infinity utilizes a brand-new design
that takes advantage of an aerospace-grade, twice-anodized aluminum alloy
construction. Instead of the signature Zen-ripple etching on the old
polycarbonate cover, the almost fully metallic Infinity features a vertical
brush pattern across its back - one that is ever so slightly curved when
viewed from either the top or bottom, which changes the thickness vary from 8,9
at the middle to about 6mm at the edges.
The
almost fully metallic Infinity features a vertical brush pattern across its
back
While the back's gentle curve creates a
comfortable grip, it stops dead at the straight sides and therefore produces
relatively sharp edges. In other words, the two previous Padfones had
well-rounded corners that fit our hands better. It would also be useful if the
screen bezels were less than 4mm thick, thus keeping the phone narrower.
However, there are compromises that we are willing to accept for the sake of
the Infinity's versatility, solid feel and clean look. How clean? The back is
dominated by the straight brushed-metal pattern, although there are a few
features decorating it as well. Near the top, you will find the usual camera
and its LED light, then at the bottom there's the "PadFone" logo
above a T-shaped NFC antenna band - a feature is available on some metallic
phones such as Xperia Ion, Xperia P and HTC One. The back side alone easily
makes this one of the best-looking devices ASUS has ever created. On the front,
the protruding, scratch-resistant Corning screen covers almost the entire
surface, leaving a shiny 1mm-wide chamfer from each side of the metallic body
to reduce the chance of shattering when dropped.
4 sides of the phone feature a matte finish
in the same color as the back - "titanium gray", "hot pink"
or "champagne gold" (Available colors may vary depending on the
region). Interestingly, the speaker is located on the right just above the
power button and volume rocker, so it's less likely to be blocked in many
scenarios. On the other side of the phone, you will only find one pin-ejection
tray for the nano-SIM card, making the Infinity the first non-Apple device to
adopt the new standard (the fake iDevices don't deserve recognition here,
obviously).
Interestingly,
the speaker is located on the right just above the power button and volume
rocker
The top and bottom sides actually consist
of well-disguised polycarbonate, allowing better reception through what's
otherwise an all-metal body. The top edge is only occupied by a 3.5mm headphone
jack, while the bottom houses the microphone and a micro-USB socket. Unlike the
Padfone 2, which has a 13-pin MHL connector, the Infinity's micro-USB port
integrates MyDP (Mobility DisplayPort) interface to double the performance of
MHL (with 5.4Gbps, allowing playback of 1080p60). It also provides a snug fit
with any ordinary micro-USB plug - something that Padfone 2 cannot do. Finally,
sandwiching the micro-USB port are two round sockets for the tablet module's
external antenna, serving cellular signal (worldwide model: WCDMA 900/2100 with
DC-HSPA +, and LTE 800/1800 / 2100/2600) as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and
802.11a/ac/b/g/n.
Sandwiching
the micro-USB port are two round sockets for the tablet module's external
antenna
