Asus updates Padfone Infinity with Snapdragon 800 CPU, new name for Europe
Asus has given its Padfone Infinity phone/tablet combo a makeover with new internals and a diamond cut finish, and will be known as the new Asus Padfone in Europe
Asus has yet to launch the Padfone Infinity here in the UK, but that hasn’t stopped the Taiwanese manufacturer from updating the phone/tablet hybrid with new internal components and a fresh design, as well as giving it a new name for its upcoming European release.
The updated Padfone Infinity, which was revealed overnight in Taipei, is now powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system-on-chip (SoC) running at 2.2GHz, paired with 2GB of RAM. That’s a welcome bump from the Snapdragon S4 Pro found in the Padfone 2, currently the only Padfone available to buy officially in the UK.
The handset also gains a MicroSD card slot, but says goodbye to the 64GB model – you’ll now only be able to buy 16GB or 32GB versions. That being said, it’s much cheaper to add an SD card than pay for 64gb of flash storage, so it should work out better for customers in the long run.
Android has also been updated from 4.1 to 4.2 Jelly Bean, bringing with it improved performance, cleaner icons and an improved layout for default Google apps. Other tweaks include a secondary microphone for noise cancellation and a diamond-cut metal rear, which is now available in either Titanium Black or Platinum White.
Otherwise, the new Padfone is still the same 5in, 1,920×1,080 smartphone we saw earlier in the year, complete with category 4 LTE support for super-fast 4G, a 13-megapixel rear camera and 802.11ac wireless support. Because the docking mechanism and size of the phone remains unchanged, the new handset is still compatible with the original 10.1in, 1,920×1,200 tablet. International Infinity owners will be able to swap out their phone without needing to upgrade their tablet too.
The Padfone Infinity, or new Asus Padfone as it will be known in Europe, doesn’t have an official price or release date here in the UK. However, an Asus representative told us European customers can expect to pay €599 for the 16GB phone or €699 for 32GB, or buy the phone and tablet together for €799 and €899 for 16GB or 32GB respectively.