After teasing us for a week, ASUS today unveiled the Padfone, a device which combines a 4.3-inch smartphone and a 10.1-inch tablet computer.
The Padfone has been specifically created to fulfill a demand for both smartphone and tablet users. It is a first of its kind innovation that allows you to switch seamlessly between pad and phone for a user experience that best-fits your activities, at any time. Internet access from the 3G network connection is shared between the phone and pad, as data storage is streamlined through a single storage pool.
ASUS claims that the Padfone design eliminates the need for multiple SIM cards as the tablet uses the phone’s 3G connectivity when the two are connected. The tablet can also recharge the smartphone when docked using its larger battery.
ASUS did not release final hardware specifications (it will use Android but whether it uses Ice Cream Sandwich remains to be seen) and only promised a tentative fall release.