The PadFone X smartphone/tablet hybrid from ASUS seems ready to hit the U.S. market, as the device has just stopped by the FCC.
ASUS unveiled its new PadFone X combo at the International CES 2014 back in January, stirring plenty of interest. The device is part of the company's PadFone line of hybrid products and is an intresting combination between a smartphone and a tablet.
If the latest FCC appearance is any indication, the hybrid will soon be ready to make its debut on the highly-competitive U.S. market. The FCC listing suggests an imminent launch on AT&T's network.
In terms of specifications, the PadFone X hybrid has plenty to offer. On the smartphone side, it comes with high-end specs similar to the new PadFone Infinity. The PadFone X boasts a 5-inch full HD display likely with a resolution of 1902 x 1080 pixels, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 2GB of RAM, and the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.
On the tablet side, ASUS went for an interesting setup. While the PadFone Infinity measures 10.1 inches and the smaller PadFone Mini comes in at 7 inches, the new PadFone X comes with a 9-inch dock. The slate also sports a full HD screen with a presumed resolution of 1920 x 1200, and it also rocks an extended battery, as expected.
ASUS has already confirmed that it will release its PadFone X in the U.S. exclusively to AT&T, but has yet to reveal any further information. This means that the device's launch date, price tag, and other such details remain a mystery for now, but that may change very soon.
"We are committed to delivering our customers the most innovative and compelling device portfolio, Jeff Bradley, AT&T Senior Vice President of Devices, touted in a press release back in early January. "The PadFone X is first of its kind in the U.S. It combines leading technology, a beautiful design and a remarkably seamless application experience - all on the nation's fastest and most reliable 4G LTE network. This allows consumers to run their smartphone apps instantly on a vivid 9-inch tablet display. The magic of it is that the experience is not just bigger, it's better than on a traditional smartphone."
"AT&T and ASUS share a passion for innovation and we are very excited to bring the ASUS PadFone X to the U.S. market. Our technology is capable of instantly turning a premium smartphone into a tablet, giving consumers the ultimate experience on both devices. Together, we look forward to bringing more choices to consumers," added ASUS Chairman Jonney Shin.
The PadFone X's appearance at the FCC suggests that the hybrid is finally ready to make its highly-anticipated U.S. debut, and ASUS is expected to offer more details shortly. We'll keep you up to date as soon as we hear more, so stay tuned.
