Asus 7" Fonepad

[ponyo]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/25/4027214/asus-fonepad-specifications-features

Now here's an interesting tablet and something similar to what I've been waiting for: 7" tablet with phone capability, sd card support, and affordable $250 price. And it's running Intel atom to make it interesting. I have been looking for a tablet to replace my 7" original Galaxy Tab. I think I will buy this and replace both the Tab and the Nexus 7.

 

[Red Storm]

HDMI?

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I wonder how hard it would be to put Windows 8 on it, it is Atom powered after all.

If someone does get 8 running on it I'll buy it for that reason alone.

 

[Roland00Address]

I wonder how hard it would be to put Windows 8 on it, it is Atom powered after all.

If someone does get 8 running on it I'll buy it for that reason alone.

Sorry but there is no way I am touching single core atom even with windows 8 and 3g capabilities

 

[ponyo]

HDMI?

Hopefully MHL.

This thing is supposed to have 9 hours of battery life so if people want a GSM phone with long battery life, this is it. :awe: This Fonepad along with Nexus 4 makes you think about the absurd new phone prices though. $250 7" tablet which is essentially a giant phone and $299 4.8" phone. Death to antiquated $650 new phone pricing can't come soon enough.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Sorry but there is no way I am touching single core atom even with windows 8 and 3g capabilities

As someone who want's a <10" tablet and Windows 8 or RT there aren't any alternatives.

 

[Roland00Address]

As someone who want's a <10" tablet and Windows 8 or RT there aren't any alternatives.

At the moment you are correct. We will see if that is a case in the next 12 months.

• Windows Blue (windows 8+) will supposedly have 7 and 8 inch form factors. It should be out in the next 12 months
• In the next 12 months we will also see silvermont (the new atom that will be up to quad core, redesgin so it will be OoO, 22nm planar tech, and a variant of intel hd2500 graphics)

I think it is very likely we will see both of these techs combined. But that is in the next 12 months, that is 2 redesign cycles at the current speed the phone/tablet market is advancing at.

 

[BladeVenom]

I'll have to check it out when they become available.

 

[lopri]

Between this and Note 8.0, will carriers give up the lucrative voice plans without a fight? I can see these things becoming popular among students and some other demographics, even being "hip." For $250 and no contract GSM, and possibly (gasp) LTE coming with these devices, carriers can lose out on both data-only plans for tablets and their contract-stronghold voice networks.

And of course nothing stops these things from showing up in smaller form factors with everything but the screen/battery size intact. Then all of a sudden people start paying less than half of what they're used to pay for their phone services. And they get data plans for free!

Plus, HD VOIP products are on the way. Both software and hardware. If these devices get advanced VOIP solutions that utilize LTE bands.., well, what will AT&T, Verizon, et al will do when confronted with such a reality?

 

[Roland00Address]

I guess one good thing about this device is that since it is a phone you can combine it with the $30 dollar t-mobile data plan. Root it and you then you can also use it as a mobile hotspot as well

 

[luv2liv]

im really excited about this tablet! here's hoping it will have GPS as well

 

[IntelUser2000]

I wonder how hard it would be to put Windows 8 on it, it is Atom powered after all.

If someone does get 8 running on it I'll buy it for that reason alone.

You can't.

The "Medfield" Atom being used in this Tablet(and also in Smartphones) don't support features that allow running Windows 8, or any other version of full Windows. The BIOS is changed for something much simplified called SFI for one, and there are other things too.

Basically, its x86, but in a subcriteria all by itself. It would probably support the phone version of Windows 8, the Windows Phone 8, but full version? Forget about it.

 

[lifeblood]

Something doesn't sound right. Does Google have an x86 version of Android? Will Android apps written for Arm run on an x86 Atom?

 

[SunnyD]

Something doesn't sound right. Does Google have an x86 version of Android? Will Android apps written for Arm run on an x86 Atom?

Intel does.

Irony: Screenshot of OSX.

 

[ponyo]

Something doesn't sound right. Does Google have an x86 version of Android? Will Android apps written for Arm run on an x86 Atom?

Intel atom phones are not new. It's just that none were sold in the US. Here a list of phones with Intel inside
Review of Razr i with Intel Atom
There are some Android app compatibility issues but most apps run just fine. I have Logitech Revue Google TV which has the Intel Atom and it's running Android Honeycomb 3.2.

 

[Chiropteran]

Intel does.

Irony: Screenshot of OSX.

Could you hack this to run on an atom (or other cpu even?) netbook? I guess lack of touchscreen would pretty much kill the UI though.

 

[Broheim]

Could you hack this to run on an atom (or other cpu even?) netbook? I guess lack of touchscreen would pretty much kill the UI though.

you could, but it would take quite a bit of effort.

 

[BladeVenom]

Is Anandtech going to review one when they come out?