The ASUS PadFone Infinity (A80), an LTE-enabled 5-inch smartphone that transforms into a 10.1-inch tablet when docked to the companion PadFone Infinity Station is now available in Malaysia. First previewed at the “We Transform” press event in August, the PadFone Infinity features Android 4.1 and next generation quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor.
Infinitely sleek
The ASUS PadFone Infinity continues the PadFone DNA with its sleek unibody design crafted from aerospace-grade aluminium. The device in smartphone form measures 143.5 x 72.8 x 8.9mm and weighs 141g.
The 5-inch screen sports 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution with 441PPI pixel density, so plenty sharp and crisp for videos, high-res photos, games and apps. The display, naturally, is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass (which smartphone doesn’t nowadays) and comes with anti-fingerprint coating.
Performance packed
The device is packed with the latest 1.7Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chip with the zippy Adreno 320 GPU. The PadFone Infinity also comes generously with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage as standard. ASUS is also throwing in two-year’s worth of 50GB ASUS WebStorage for free.
The PadFone Infinity keeps up with the latest smartphone trend with a 13MP main camera with an f/2.0 five-element lens that features a dedicated image signal processor for capturing high-quality low-light images. The processor allows the smartphone to capture up to 100 sequential shots at 8fps while simultaneously recording 1080p Full HD video. Additionally, the device can output 1080p Full HD video via its microUSB compatible MyDP port. Impressive.
I, Transform
The value proposition of the PadFone Infinity of course is its ability to transform into a 10.1-inch tablet. By docking into the PadFone Infinity Station, you get not only a bigger display but also extra battery capacity (5,000mAh) of up to 40 hours. The PadFone Infinity Station has enough juice to fully recharge a docked PadFone Infinity up to three times. The smartphone device itself has a large 2,400mAh battery, good for a quoted 19 hours of 3G talk time and 410 hours of standby time.
It isn’t all about hardware innovation, as ASUS has new and exclusive ASUS apps bundled with the device including SuperNote 3.1 for note-taking, Story for creating stunning photo albums and ASUS Echo for voice control.
Pricing and Availability
The ASUS PadFone Infinity (A80) and PadFone Infinity Station are available now as a bundle for RM2,699.
Initial Impressions
I reviewed the original PadFone last year and found it an interesting concept but ultimately flawed due to its luggable form factor when docked, and its overall weight. I did like it as a phone though as it had nice build quality, performance and battery life.
The PadFone 2 launched at the tail end of 2012 was a much better product with a thinner, lighter form factor and good performance to boot.
With the PadFone Infinity (A80), ASUS has packed even more performance into its 2-in-1 concept, and continues to improve and refine the device. While its now back to being heavier than its predecessor, it’s also due to its bigger overall screen size.
I’ll reserve more comments until I get my hands on a review unit. Stay tuned!
