Your next Fone?
Technically, the Fonepad is a perfectly
adequate smartphone. We had no complaints about call quality, although the
quiet speaker on the bottom edge means it isn’t ideal as a speakerphone. Since
it uses a near-stock Android 4.1.2, there’s very little wrong with the dialer
or the contact-management side of things, either.
The Fonepad has its fair share of
limitations, however. It’s far too broad to be comfortably used in one hand,
and the matte rear of the device is slippery, making it difficult to hold it
one hand securely. We’re not happy about the lack of Gorilla Glass on the
front, either. You’ll have to take care; it will quickly pick up scrapes and
scratches, especially if you use it as your main communications device.
It’s
far too broad to be comfortably used in one hand
Its size means it simply isn’t as practical
to keep on or around you as a smaller device. In the car, you can’t simply drop
it into any old cubbyhole, and if you pop out to the shops for a sandwich,
you’ll need to be wearing a coat with extremely large pockets if you want to
take it with you.
Still, for those who make only the
occasional voice call, and don’t mind using a Bluetooth headset and leaving the
Fonepad in a bag, it could make a ready replacement for phone and tablet. In
fact, even if you choose not to take advantage of the calls capability, the 3G
data modem is well worth having.
A
small panel at the rear covers the SIM and microSD slots
Software
As we’ve already mentioned, the Fonepad
runs a version of Android 4.1.2 that’s very close to stock. However, Asus has
tweaked it a little here and there.
The most significant of these alterations
is the introduction of a selection of mini, pop-up apps, which appear in a row
along the bottom of the screen when you tap the small arrow in the bottom-right
corner. There are 12 apps in total, including a stopwatch utility, sticky
notes, a to-do list and even a compact web browser and video player. It’s
possible to run all these apps simultaneously, as if on a very small Windows
desktop, although things become cluttered very quickly. Elsewhere, the changes
are limited to bundled apps, which, as has become customary with Asus tablets,
are numerous.
There
are 12 apps in total, including a stopwatch utility, sticky notes, a to-do list
and even a compact web browser and video player
Asus Story provides a means for compiling
photo albums, complete with animated page-turns; App Backup allows you to take snapshots
of apps and their data in case you need to reinstall; and the handy App Locker
utility allows you to password-protect certain apps and files - a godsend if
you’re sharing the tablet with young children. There’s also a “lite” version of
Asus’ excellent note-taking software, SuperNote; video editing in the shape of
Movie Editor; and, if the excellent battery life just isn’t enough, a
power-management tool that, among other things, allows you to set the tablet to
adjust the screen brightness according to the app you’re using.
The
Fonepad runs Android 4.1, with only a few small changes
Verdict
The Asus Fonepad has weaknesses, not least
the fact you’ll have to wait on Asus for OS updates - with the Nexus 7, you get
the latest version of Android as soon as it’s released. It isn’t very practical
to use as an everyday smartphone, either. But, even if you think the phone
capabilities are frivolous, there’s no denying the Fonepad packs a hell of a
punch for a budget tablet. Indeed, it’s good enough to elbow the iPad mini off
our A-List.
Asus Fonepad specs
Body
- Dimensions: 196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4 mm (7.73 x 4.73 x 0.41 in)
- Weight: 340 g (11.99 oz)
Display
- Type: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
- Size: 800 x 1280 pixels, 7.0 inches (~216 ppi pixel density)
- Multitouch: Yes, up to 10 fingers
Sound
- Alert types: Vibration, MP3 ringtones
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm jack: Yes
Memory
- Card slot: microSD, up to 32 GB
- Internal: 8/16 GB, 1 GB RAM
Data
- GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
- EDGE: Class 10, 236.8 kbps
- Speed: HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
- Bluetooth: Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
- USB: Yes, microUSB v2.0
Camera
- Primary: 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus (selected
markets only)
- Features: Geo-tagging
- Video: Yes, 720p
- Secondary: Yes, 1.2 MP
Features
- OS: Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean)
- Chipset: Intel Atom Z2420 / Intel Atom Z2460
- CPU: 1.2 GHz / 1.6 GHz
- GPU: PowerVR SGX540
- Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass
- Messaging: (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
- Browser: HTML5
- Radio: No
- GPS: Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
- Java: Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
- Colors: Titanium Gray, Champagne Gold
Battery
- Non-removable Li-Ion 4270 mAh battery (16 Wh)
- Talk time: Up to 9 h
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