Meet the ASUS PadFone X Mini -- the Hybrid Phone and Tablet
Does low cost phone and tablet hybrid live up to the hype?
— -- Many great trends have been the marriage of two separate ideas.
The mullet hair style brought "business in the front, party in the back." A skirt and shorts got together to create the functional and questionably fashionable skort. And who could forget the 1998 movie BASEketball, featuring a hybrid of the two sports?
Go ahead and add the ASUS PadFone X Mini to this list.
The $199 package is a smartphone and tablet coupled together that gives users dual functionality and an incredible bang for your buck.
Like many of the other items mentioned on the above list, it's definitely gimmicky, but the Android-running mash-up does have its redeeming qualities.
Coming on the heels of a larger version released earlier this year, the PadFone X Mini boasts a 4.5-inch smartphone that can seamlessly dock with a 7-inch tablet in one simple click.
It's worth noting that the tablet only works when the smartphone is docked behind it. However, the transition between working on both screens is seamless, making it ideal for playing games or reading a book on the train, then switching over to take a call.
The PadFone X Mini is powered by an Intel processor and is the first LTE smartphone available in the United States using the company's chips, according to ASUS. Internet browsing speeds were adequate, as was the device's camera.
Battery life is where the device stands out -- with up to 15.8 hours of phone talk time available. ASUS said battery life can be stretched to 28.3 hours of talk time when the smartphone is hooked up to the tablet.
The PadFone X Mini is available now on AT&T's prepaid GoPhone service, making it ideal for teens getting their first device and people who aren't heavy users of their smartphone or tablet but still have a need for both.
