Asus Fonepad
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“For those genuinely interested in a phablet, the Asus Fonepad is a bit of a bargain. It does the job of two devices for a budget price. However, you'll need to be prepared to make sacrifices including practicality and, in this case, no rear camera and slower performance issues. Not to mention the inevitable Dom Jolly impression, should you decide to use as a phone without a separate earpiece.”
“Although it can make calls and send text messages, the Asus Fonepad is clearly not an ideal smartphone replacement, although you can totally use it as one. Just bear in mind that the tablet isn't made to be carried in a pocket, obviously, and its call quality leaves a lot to be desired. The Fonepad, however, stands out with being a good-looking, 3G-capable slate with a quality screen and enough battery power to get you through the day. But most importantly, it can be owned for as low as $250, which is a very reasonable price considering what you get”
“I really want to like the Fonepad, and in some respects I do. For the price, this is a very competitive device with fantastic battery life, Jelly Bean and the ability to make calls. Sadly, the internals let it down, and I fear that its low price point price may have led to the decision to use the Intel Z2420. It just doesn't feel nearly as smooth and snappy as the Nexus 7, which is similarly priced and a full year old. It hampers the overall experience, which is otherwise typically good from ASUS. The biggest issue is the way it's marketed by ASUS, almost more as a phone than a tablet. Holding this to my head in public was awkward to say the least. With headphones, it's a great idea — an all in one that is both a proper tablet and a full featured smartphone. But please, don't hold it to your head”
“We can’t recommend the Fonepad for everyone. The phone feature is interesting, but we suspect that only a fraction of users will actually use it. The device lacks the portability that we expect from a primary communication device, and using it alongside a phone implies either shelling out for a new SIM or the hassle of constantly swapping the SIM cards between the two devices. Bottom line, don’t think of the Asus Fonepad as a replacement for your phone, but as a decent tablet with 3G that can actually take phone calls.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Not to be confused with the Asus Padfone, the Asus Fonepad offers a hybrid phone and tablet experience. At 7″, the device is fairly unwieldy for critics to use as a regular phone without the aid of a headset. Most experts agree that it won’t replace a standard smartphone, especially when taking its mediocre call quality into account. Still, a major perk of the Fonepad’s phone aspect is its ability to connect to the 3G network without tethering. This gives users the ability to connect online anywhere, even if there is no WiFi available.
As a tablet, the Fonepad didn’t wow reviewers. The 7″ screen offers a decent resolution of 1280×800 pixels, which equates to 216ppi. According to experts, the display delivers wide viewing angles due to its IPS technology and crisp image details. Unfortunately, Wired says, “The brightness settings don’t allow it to get particularly vivid…” and critics mention that the tablet is very difficult to read under bright light situations.
With a 1.2GHz single-core Intel processor and 1GB of RAM, the Fonepad consistently scored low in system benchmark tests. After test driving, however, most critics were surprised by its good day-to-day performance. Of course, they also point out that there are issues with lag and stutter, but nothing bad enough to ruin the overall experience. In addition to the processor and memory, the tablet also comes equipped with 16GB of onboard storage and an expandable microSD slot.
The one area where the Fonepad excels is battery life. When put through battery tests, it lasted 8 hours of intense usage and 20 hours of moderate use. According to Ubergizmo, the battery also charges “crazy-fast,” going from 0 to full in less than two hours.
Although this product doesn’t offer top-of-the-line features, most experts were happy with the budget tablet. Phone Arena says, “The Fonepad…stands out with being a good-looking, 3G-capable slate…” but they go on to say, “Nevertheless, we would definitely recommend you to consider trying the Nexus 7 tablet…it packs more processing power…at a similar price.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Asus Fonepad released?
The Asus Fonepad was released on April 24, 2013.
How long does the battery last on the Asus Fonepad?
The Asus Fonepad has a 16 mAh battery.
Does the Asus Fonepad support wireless charging?
No, the Asus Fonepad does not support wireless charging.
Does the Asus Fonepad have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Asus Fonepad has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Asus Fonepad have NFC?
No, the Asus Fonepad does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I download the Asus Fonepad manual?
You can view and download the Asus Fonepad manual on our dedicated manual page.
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