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Asus Padfone 2 UK release date finally confirmed

Padfone 2

The long awaited Padfone 2 will finally be available to pre-order in the UK on the 1st of March, Asus has announced

Asus has finally committed to a date when customers will be able to buy the Padfone 2, the company’s combined smartphone and tablet docking station package. First announced back in October 2012, the wait will finally be over on the 1st of March.

The Padfone 2’s smartphone component is a 4.7in device with a 1,280×720 IPS display, running Adnroid 4.1 Jelly Bean. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 pro Quad-core processor, backed by 2GB of RAM, and has a 13-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video or 6fps burst photos. 64GB of built-in storage, full 4G LTE support and a 2,140mAh battery complete the specs list, with Asus claiming 16 hours of talk time or 13 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing.

It’s defining feature is the ability to connect it up to the bundled tablet and turn the pair into a 10.1in slate capable of making calls. The 10.1in tablet has a built-in 5000mAh battery, which extends talk time to 36 hours and is capable of charging the phone three times over. The 1,280×800 display resolution might fall behind the likes of Apple’s iPad or Google’s Nexus 10, but should make a big difference when it comes to watching films saved to the phone.

Eager customers were previously forced to buy a Padfone 2 as a grey import, but Asus has finally announced a release date for the device here in the UK: the 1st of March, when it will appear as a pre-order at Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis and Selfridges stores, as well as on Amazon, Ebuyer, Scan, Box and laptopoutlet onine. It will go on full sale later in the month.

Expect to pay £599 for the pair, in either black or white – although now that Asus has announced its successor, the Padfone Infinity, we aren’t sure whether the Padfone 2 will be flying off shelves come next month.

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News | Tablets