Asus Fonepad review

Take a 7-inch ASUS Android tablet, add an
earpiece and a dialer, and what comes out is the
Fonepad.
The ASUS Fonepad — mainly tablet, but also part
phone. And ASUS is definitely marketing this as
something you would use to make phone calls —
just check out their official marketing videos for
proof. But it's also a 7-inch Android tablet, with
Intel internals and a competitive price point. It's
a device with a pretty specific use case, but for
the kind of person who might put the Fonepad to
good use, it could be invaluable. But is it any
good as a phone, or a tablet, or either? Let's take
a look.
Relatively untampered Android 4.1 Jelly
Bean, displayed through a nice looking 7-
inch IPS display. Excellent battery life.
Convenience of having an all-in-one device.
Well-priced for both a budget tablet and a
budget smartphone.
Sluggish performance — the Intel chip inside
is perhaps not really up to the task of
running a tablet. Screen auto-brightness is
too aggressive, and outdoor mode isn't
really bright enough even outdoors. Holding
it up to your head to make a phone call is
just bad.
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.