ASUS CEO Jerry Shen has revealed that the company’s PadFone will be coming to the US during the second quarter of 2014. The executive told Engadget they have a big operator planned for the launch but stopped short of revealing exactly which carrier would be the first to deliver the device.
In addition to not revealing which carrier would carry the device, we also don’t know exactly which PadFone will hit US shores. Shen only let on that it would be a higher-end version of the Infinity and hinted that it could include an improved keyboard dock, something that was absent from the PadFone 2. He also promised that a more mainstream (cheaper) lineup was destined for Asian markets.
Once the US is in the bag, Shen said they have no problem tackling Europe with the same product.
Similar in practice to the Motorola Atrix 4G from a few years ago, the ASUS PadFone Infinity consists of a capable 5-inch smartphone that can also be used to power a 10.1-inch tablet. Simply dock the handset into the back of the tablet and you’re off to the races.
In related news, ASUS also unveiled the new PadFone Mini in Taiwan. This smaller combo ships with a 4.3-inch smartphone alongside a more portable 7-inch tablet. It’ll initially be available in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Russia and Singapore, Shen, said. No word yet on when or if it’ll eventually show up in the US.
