Asus Fonepad Review: Can Good Tablets Also Make For Good Phones-----

Answering a call on a tablet was something to be ridiculed just a couple of years ago. But now, with smartphones getting screens as large as 6.4 inches, these 7-inch "tablets with calling facility" might just be what a lot of people want.

And as if it wasn't hard enough to get through the array of similar-sounding names in the crowded Android space, Asus has decided to name two of its own products deceivingly similar. The Asus PadFone is a phone that docks into a tablet; the Asus Fonepad is a tablet with a SIM slot, letting it double up as a phone.

What is it?

Powered by the 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2420 processor, the Fonepad runs on 1GB of RAM and 4.30GB of user-available internal memory, expandable via microSD card. It's got a 7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen with a 1280x800 pixels resolution and 10-point multitouch. The micro SIM slot can give you 3G access and let you make calls, while you can always rely on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. There's a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.2MP cam front-facing camera, while a 4270mAh battery powers it all, running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Who is it for?

If you want a tablet with a 3G SIM slot, the Asus Fonepad is among your best options in the mid-priced range.

Design

We seem to have settled into a low-expectations game when it comes to the build quality of any tablet that costs less than Rs. 20,000. "As long as it's not the type of plastic that's going to break at the first fall, it's all right," we tell ourselves. Well, the Asus Fonepad wants to remind us that we can and should expect more.

The Fonepad has a unibody design with a plastic front and an aluminium back that is hard not to like. For a tablet that costs only Rs. 15,000, this sure feels like it should cost twice that amount. The brushed-aluminium back does wonders for its looks and also makes it pretty easy to grip -- more so than glossy plastic, in my opinion

The back panel is largely unremovable, with only the top part around the camera snapping off to reveal slots for a SIM card and a memory card.

Strangely, the power on/off button and the volume buttons are on the left of the tablet, at the curved bezel. Till I used the Fonepad, I never thought about the difficulties that left-handed people must face with most gadgets, which are usually made for a right-handed person. Not being able to use your primary hand effectively to access the buttons affects the user experience more than I would have thought. It's not even something I got used to in the 9 days I spent with the tablet, but perhaps one adjusts with time.

Using It

Is the Asus Fonepad a capable device to use as your primary smartphone? Like I concluded with my short experiment with the Lenovo A1000, 7-inch tablets can become your main phone device once you get used to them. It's a matter of figuring out whether you want that size.

I was glad to have the Fonepad instead of a regular smartphone when I was watching videos, browsing the web and playing games. These are three activities where a bigger screen leads to a better experience. Videos were particularly good and there was a reassured ease when I switched to a desktop version of a website. Sadly, the Fonepad's Intel processor is not strong enough to play most graphics-intensive games well.

Where it ends up faltering as a phone replacement is in its portability, as well as purely as a phone. This is a gargantuan device to always have on your person. Put it in your trouser pocket and it either sticks out or makes sitting uncomfortable. Throw it in your bag and you can't reach it easily when it rings. Carry it in your hand and after a while, it's too much of a hassle. Try talking on it for a long time and your arm will start paining.

The Best Part

When the back cover of a device is not removeable, I tend to stress the battery to see how well it will hold up since I can't swap it out. And the Fonepad has shown among the best test results, and definitely the best in the 'tablet' category. About an hour of phone calls, half an hour of text messages, 15 minutes of video, half an hour of music, and constantly checking email, social networks and instant messengers throughout the day got us 19 hours of battery life, which would mean you can expect it to last a day on average usage.

Tragic Flaw

Touchscreen devices in general, and tablets in particular, are all about the display. And while the colours you see on the Fonepad are good, it misses out on smaller elements. For example, not having a scratch-resistant surface is a no-no. The whole thing is compounded by the fact that its sunlight legibility is horrible. Granted, none of its competitors offer scratch-resistance either, but at Rs. 15,000, it's something we hoped would protect our tablet than a cheap screen guard.

Test Notes

-The camera on the Fonepad is lousy. The lack of LED flash makes it useless in dim lighting, while during the day, it'll take decent pictures but with almost no details.

-No complaints on the call quality -- it all works as advertised.

-High-end games like Respawnables and FIFA 14 struggled to run smoothly.

-The GPS lock on the device took a little time, much like Indian manufacturers.

-The customised UI is quite cool. I like the concept of floating apps (which can be launched with a dedicated key) and Asus's built-in additions are nice, like the screen colour calibration tool or the phone-style notification bar (although you can use the regular Android one if you want to).

Should I buy it?

In my experience, a tablet is best when it has 3G capability. You end up using the slate a lot more and are freed from the burden of always looking for Wi-Fi. Invariably, 3G capability also means that it can be used as a phone and it's thus a capable backup phone.

Is the Asus Fonepad something that can replace your smartphone? Sure, but I'd say keep your phone where it is for now and buy this as an add-on. A phone should be something you can always pick up and start moving with, without a worry about how or where you'll keep it. With using the Fonepad as a phone, that's a constant concern.

But overall, the Asus Fonepad is still a good tablet, enhanced by its 3G capabilities and voice-calling features. At its current price of around Rs. 15,000, we have no issues recommending it -- but yeah, that screen guard is going to be a bummer.

Lenovo A1000 Specs:

OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Network: micro SIM

CPU: 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2420

Screen: 7-inch 1280x800 IPS LCD (216 ppi)

RAM: 1GB

Storage: 4GB internal, microSD up to 32GB

Camera: 3MP rear camera, 1.2MP front cam

Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE, Bluetooth 3

Battery: 4270mAh Li-Ion

Dimensions: 196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4 mm

Weight: 340 gms

Price: Rs.15,000 approx