The original Asus PadFone, which first demoed at MWC 2012, has always been something of an enigma here in the UK.
Plenty of consumers were interested in the device, partly because of Asus' growing brand, but mostly because it was so damn strange. Yet the thing never turned up, with networks and retailers seemingly avoiding it like the plague.
One theory for this apparent aversion towards the device was not on account of the original PadFone being bad. No, apparently it was because networks don't like devices that share SIM-cards and data plans, as it means less potential money for them.
Another is to do with shortages of Qualcomm's 28nm S4 chipsets – apparently the company's yield wasn't big enough to supply Asus for a release in the UK, or so the theory goes. Either way – Asus has now confirmed that the PadFone 2 will be coming to the UK in Q1 2013, so all is forgiven.
We're also pleased to report that the PadFone 2 will be powered by Qualcomm's devastatingly fast quad-core S4 Snapdragon Pro chipset. Check out our benchmarks of that chipset here.
The Docking Mechanism
Asus has changed the design of the tablet's phone slot in order to facilitate easier docking. Before it was rather fiddly and involved a catch. This is no longer the case and the handset slips in with minimal fuss.
Once docked the handset is held securely held in place by rubber grommets, so you don't need to worry about it falling out. Build quality all round is excellent, as you'd expect from Asus, and transitioning from smartphone to tablet takes just microseconds.
Two devices, one data plan
Perhaps the biggest benefit of this type of device is that you only need one data plan for your smartphone and tablet. Another is that all of your data – email, games, notifications, apps, and contacts – remains synced across the two mediums.
The Smartphone
Asus has made some key changes to the 'Fone' aspect of the PadFone 2. The most obvious is the inclusion of a gorgeous 4.7-inch 1280x720 resolution display. It's crisp and highly detailed and also sports excellent viewing angles.
Taking its visual design from Asus' line of Zenbooks, the PadFone 2's smartphone-element is arguably one of the best-looking Android handsets we've seen all year, with its premium-grade build quality and minimalist styling.
The handset cuts a super-slim profile, tapering from 9mm to 3mm, and is very lightweight in the hand at just 135g. Looking at the device reminded us of Apple's iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It's a good mix that works well, further solidifying Asus' chops as a smartphone manufacturer.
Internals
Inside you're treated to the power of Qualcomm's brand-new quad-core S4 Snapdragon Pro chipset, which will be by far one of the fastest most power-efficient chipsets on the market once it becomes readily available in the latter part of Q4 2012.
The PadFone 2 supports EE's 4G LTE spectrum. It also features 2GB of RAM and will be available in two storage varieties: 32GB and 64GB.
SD cards are no longer supported, however, but Asus is providing users with 50GB of storage on its cloud solution, Asus Cloud, for two years, which does lessen the blow somewhat.
The tablet dock's 10.1-inch IPS 1280x800 display while not being up to the standard of the iPad 3 is still perfectly adequate, offering full HD visuals. The chassis is well built with smooth rounded corners and a well-proportioned bezel.
When fully assembled the PadFone 2, despite having a phone up its rear, is still lighter than Apple's iPad 3, which is quite a USP in itself.
Wrap-up & Pricing
As a concept the PadFone 2 is slightly out-there in that no one else is currently doing anything quite like it, which places Asus in the uneviable position of championing the idea with the general public.
Pricing for the PadFone 2, according to Asus, as is follows: €799 for the 32GB version and €899 for the 64GB version, with both price-points including the tablet dock.
Asus said that the device should retail for around £40 a month on contract.
We're looking forward to spending a lot more time with the device very soon.
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