Asus has added yet another 7-inch tablet to its portfolio. Called the FonePad, Asus has categorized this 7-inch device as a phablet simply because it works as a tablet and also boasts of the ability to make calls.
The FonePad runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Asus says that the device will be upgradable to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The 7-inch IPS display on the tablet has a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. It has the Intel Atom Z2420 CPU clocked at 1.2GHz along with 1GB of RAM. It has 8GB built-in storage expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. It also has the ability to house a SIM card, which can be used for voice calling as well as data. It has 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0.
The rear of the tablet has a 3MP camera and the front has 1.2MP camera for video calling. The FonePad has a 4270mAh battery, which the company claims, will last for up to 9 hours. The FonePad will be available from the last week of April at an MRP of Rs. 15,999.
“Users now want a better screen with entertainment, social media and other online activities and this is playing an increasingly important part in our mobile lifestyles,” said Mr. Peter Chang, Regional Director – South Asia & Country Manager, System Business Group, ASUS India. “By incorporating 3G mobile data connectivity with full telephony support, we have made the ASUS Fonepad the perfect combination of a tablet and phone in one single device at an affordable price”
“Innovation is key to success in the mobility segment and that’s our biggest strength. The ASUS Fonepad is a great example of bringing to the market what consumers want; an innovative product that addresses the emerging market, with a large screen size in a mobile device that runs fast with responsive applications,” said Debjani Ghosh, Managing Director- Sales and Marketing Group, Intel South Asia. “This is just the beginning. We will significantly increase the urgency to introduce a range of innovative and differentiated offerings that will shape the future of this segment.”
For Rs. 15,000 users can also consider picking up the Nexus 7, which is Google’s flagship 7-inch tablet running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean but it doesn’t house a SIM card slot. The Nexus 7 is made by Asus for Google.
If you have a budget of Rs. 15,000 and are looking to pick up a tablet with the ability to make calls, you can take a look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, iberry Auxus CoreX4 3G tablet, iBall Slide 3G and more before making your purchase decision.