Well, we certainly know what ASUS has been focused on. Earlier this morning, ASUS unveiled quite a few devices in their upcoming lineup and they all seem to be of tablet origins. Of course, perhaps the most interesting is the ASUS FonePad Note, a 6″ phablet (I really hate that word, but don’t we all).
If it wasn’t already clear by the general design, then the moniker certainly makes it even more obvious. ASUS is taking on Samsung directly with this one, and their famed Galaxy Note series. The real question is will they succeed?
If you weren’t around earlier this morning when the news first broke, the ASUS FonePad Note will be powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom processor with 2GB of RAM to back it up. Even more interesting is the 1080p HD display with a brightness rating of 450 nits. Provided the colors are nice and rich, it looks like Samsung may have a little to worry about this year. I’m sure lots of people will still flock to the next Galaxy Note iteration over an unproven ASUS device, but we’ll see soon enough.
One killer for the ASUS FonePad is that it will not feature LTE support. Instead, it will only support 3G and see speeds of up to 42Mbps. Many will consider the lack of an LTE radio as unforgivable. The Galaxy Note III will most definitely support LTE when it finally arrives.
You didn’t really think ASUS would release a 6″ handset called the FonePad Note without a stylus, did you? Unfortunately, information about the stylus itself has been rather mum but the company will be loading the handset with unique ASUS apps that take advantage of the technology. Expect to see something very similar to Samsung’s current proprietary app offering.
Other specs include the following (and yet another recap of the important ones):
- Intel Atom Z2560 Dual-Core Processor with Hyperthreading Clocked at 1.6 GHz
- 2 GB of RAM
- 6 inch Full HD (1920—1080) Super IPS+ Display up to 450 Nits
- 3G Voice and Data with DC-HSPA+ connectivity up to 42 MBit/s
- Stylus with ASUS App Integration
- 8 MP Rear and 1.2 MP Front Camera
- Front Stereo Speakers
What do you think of the handset? Do you like the design and visual style? As it stands, would you consider the ASUS FonePad Note over Samsung’s next Galaxy Note device?