Asus Padfone 2 Specs, Features, Price and Release Date

The Asus Padfone is a very interesting device. It’s a smartphone cum tablet, as the name sort of implies. Although marred by a shaky start and below average sales, the Padfone was an innovative device. Asus has now  introduced the Asus Padfone 2, which will actually be an addition to its product lineup, rather than a replacement. It’s suitably impressive, the Asus Padfone 2 improves quite a lot of the Padfone’s shortcomings and is packed with powerful hardware. Read on for the Asus Padfone 2 specs and features.

Asus Padfone 2 Specs

The Asus Padfone 2 features cutting edge hardware that is sure to impress any tech aficionado. All this power is required too, since it powers a full size tablet. The tablet part of it is mainly a dock with extra juice, so all the work is being done by the phone part. Featuring a processor based on the new ARM Cortex A15 architecture, the Padfone 2 is touted to be at least 30% faster than its predecessor in all areas. Asus has also worked hard to keep the phone sleek and slim, it weighs in at just 135 gm and is just 9 mm thick. Here’s the complete Asus Padfone 2 specs:

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
• CPU: 1.5 GHz Quad Core Krait
• GPU: Adreno 320
• RAM: 2 GB RAM
• Screen: 4.7 inches Sharp Igzo Super IPS+ LCD Capacitive touchscreen, 1280 x 720 px (312 ppi)
• Storage: 16/32/64 GB, non expandable
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (30 FPS 1080P video recording), 1.2 MP front facing (60 FPS 720P video recording)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, NFC, MicroUSB 2.0 slot
• Battery: 2140 mAh
• OS: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, upgradeable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Asus Padfone 2 Features

The main feature here, is of course the ability for the Padfone 2 to be docked and used as a full featured tablet. The added bonus is that once it’s docked, the extra battery pack allows for much longer usage. There’s also native apps that allow for handwriting recognition, language translation and more. Asus has also improved its proprietary SonicMaster sound technology and has promised much better sound quality. The camera is another strong suit, the rear facing shooter is capable of 30 FPS 1080P video recording, and the front one is capable of full 60 FPS 720P video recording, which is a first. Turning the Padfone 2 into a tablet is simply a matter of  sliding the phone into the tablet dock slot, which comes with a 10.1 inch screen.

Asus Padfone 2 Price and Release

Initial pricing details for the complete combo of phone + dock (32 GB) suggest something around the $1000 mark. Higher storage variants will inevitably cost you even more dearly. Interestingly, most countries in Asia (India, Japan, Taiwan, UAE, Singapore, Thailand etc.) and Europe (Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Denmark etc.) are supposed to see the Padfone 2 in stores by the end of December, but no US dates have been announced yet.

So what do you think of the Asus Padfone 2 specs and features? Is it worth the steep price? Drop us a comment and let us know!