MWC 2013: ASUS Fonepad Goes Official with 3G Voice Features

Today, ASUS announced a new 7-inch tablet PC in its Android lineup, namely the ASUS Fonepad, a versatile device powered by a new Intel Atom Z2420 and featuring both smartphone and tablet PC capabilities in a single design.

The new device will hit the market with Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform loaded on top, with 3G voice and mobile data capabilities packed inside, as well as with a HD display with great viewing angles.

The new Fonepad sports a 7-inch screen with 10-point multi-touch, and a 1280 x 800 HD resolution, while the Z2420 processor inside it can deliver hardware-accelerated 1080p Full HD video decoding.

“It is ideal to have a larger screen with entertainment, social media and other online activities now playing an increasingly important part in our mobile lifestyles,” said Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman.

“The incorporation of 3G mobile data with full telephony support makes the Fonepad a perfect combination of tablet and phone in one single device.”

The Fonepad is set to arrive on the market in the UK with 16GB of internal memory and with a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 32GB of additional storage.

The new device also comes with a front 1.2-megapixel camera that enables video calling, as well as with ASUS SonicMaster audio technology with MaxxAudio 3 processing by Waves.

It also packs 1GB of RAM, a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, a 4,270 mAH battery, and a 3-megapixel photo snapper on the back.

“Extending our long history of collaboration, including most recently on the Ultrabook and Intel-based tablets, we are very excited to be partnering with ASUS again,” said Hermann Eul, Intel vice president and co-general manager of the Mobile and Communications Group.

“Intel's new Atom Z2420 processor delivers the power, performance and flexibility required to accommodate a range of devices and market needs. We think the ASUS Fonepad is a very innovative device in an emerging category of 3G tablets with telephony features.”

The new tablet-smartphone will arrive on the market in the UK in the second quarter of the year with a price tag of £179 ($270 / €205) (inc VAT) for the 16GB model. ASUS is not planning on launching it in the United States, Engadget reports.

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