ASUS Fonepad & accessories review

[Mo5]

Welcome reader!

 

This is my first proper review on the forum. The product I've chosen to review is my new phone... or should I say tablet. The thing is, that I can say both as the name implies the device is both a phone and a tablet. Now that we've got the introduction out of the way, let's look at the specs.

 

SPECS 

 

The CPU it uses in an unconventional x86 based Intel Atom Z2420 along with PowerVR SGX540 and 1GB of RAM.

All of the Android 4.1 (Jelly bean) goodness is displayed on a 7" 1280x800 IPS screen.

It comes with built-in 8 (or in my case) 16GB of storage and 1 or 2 cameras depending on which model you go for (and where you live).

The front facing camera is 1.2MP and is able to record videos in 720p, while the back camera is less impressive with only 3.15MP.

The battery powering everything has a capacity of 4270mAh (16Wh).

 

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

 

The tablet's design strongly resembles the (old) Nexus 7 and the MeMO Pad HD7 - all built by ASUS unsurprisingly. This is a proven design and works very well if you hold the device one handedly, which you will need to if you will want to call someone. The biggest difference is the earpiece on the front and the materials used on the back. Unlike the Nexus or MeMO Pad HD7, it uses a metal back. On the back (top) we also find a cover for the MicroSIM and MicroSD card, which also acts like a 3G antenna and because of that it's made of plastic. If you think that the cover will fall off by accident you're wrong. It is secured very strongly and I even had problems taking it off the first time. Another thing we find on the back is a single speaker in a position similar to the iPad.

The power switch and the volume rocker are found on the top left side. The bottom has a MicroUSB and a 3,5mm headphone jack.

 

DISPLAY

 

The display used also comes from the Nexus 7. It's a 7 inch 1280x800 IPS panel, which means only 216PPI. That doesn't sound so impressive, but in general use it works very well. If you don't like how the display looks calibrated out of the box, ASUS offers you the ASUS Splendid utility which allows you to set all the color aspects how you want them to. I didn't tweak the settings at all, but the options are there.

 

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE

 

Because this is my personal device and I find benchmarks to be pointless, I'm going to tell you how the device performs in my day to day tasks. I'm not a big phone guy, but I do some internet browsing, watch some videos etc.

The hyperthreaded single core Atom processor ran smoothly throughout all the tasks I threw at it. The internet browser ran smoothly as did the menus. I tried playing HD Youtube videos and it ran them without any problems. I wouldn't do crazy multitasking though, because of only 1GB of RAM.

If there is anything that this device excels at it's the battery life. For my usage I was able to get it through 4 days. Yes, you heard me. 4 days. This is twice as long as I managed to get with my previous phone - Samsung Wave.

 

CALL QUALITY

 

The call quality is excellent. There is no unnecessary noise at either end, thanks to the noise cancelling mic and a quality earpiece. I didn't experience any dropped calls and the reception is good too.

  

 

ACCESSORIES

 

For my use I've also bought the ASUS VersaSleeve7 and the Riva Case 5107. The VersaSleeve has a leathery look and feel. It closes using magic... sorry, I meant magnets and it allows you to rest the tablet in 2 angles - one more suitable for typing and one for watching videos. Because I carry my phone everywhere with me I also needed a shoulder bag, because it wouldn't fit in any of my pockets. I decided for the Riva Case 5107. It's made from memory foam which is advertised to be both shock and water resistant. I haven't tried any of those features out, but I can say that it's fun to play with

 

CONCLUSION

 

If you can't decide whether you need a phone or a tablet, if you think that the Note 3 is too small or you just don't want to carry 2 devices with you, the Fonepad is an excellent choice. It is well built, the calling is excellent as is the battery life. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

 

*If you have any questions about it or you feel like I've missed something, don't be afraid to ask *

 

**Pictures coming soon**

 

[Goldilock]

doesn't X86 in android still require update?

[Mo5]

doesn't X86 in android still require update?

what update? Everything works just fine out of the box

[TheSLSAMG]

Very nice review!