Telecom Lead Asia: Asus will unveil its FonePad, a tablet with phone functions, in India on 24 April, 2012.
Peter Chang, regional head – South Asia, Country Manager – System Business Group, Asus India and Debjani Ghosh, managing director – Sales & Marketing Group, Intel South Asia, will attend the press meet in Delhi.
Asus had unveiled its FonePad at the Mobile World Congress 2013. It is a 7-inch tablet offering phone functionality, including 3G connectivity for mobile data and full telephony support.
The Asus FonePad is powered by 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor. It runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and features an HD display with IPS technology for wide viewing angles and clarity. The tablet has 1GB of RAM, and a PowerVR SGX540 chip for processing graphics.
Asus says built-in 3G with HSPA+ mobile data means Asus Fonepad is an always-connected mobile device for seamless web browsing, fast downloads from Google Play Store, and smooth streaming of audio and video. Thanks to its full 3G telephony support, Fonepad can also be used for voice calls using the built-in noise-cancelling digital microphone or an optional Bluetooth headset. With just one mobile data plan to pay for, running costs are also much lower than those of a separate smartphone and 3G tablet.
Fonepad is available in 8GB and 16GB capacities, and has an SD card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage. All models feature a front 1.2-megapixel camera for easy video chat and an optional rear 3-megapixel autofocus camera with 720p HD video recording. ASUS SonicMaster audio technology with MaxxAudio 3 processing by Waves ensures clear, well-rounded sound quality.
This device is already on sale in the U.K. and costs 179 Pounds, which translates to roughly Rs 14,900.
Asus is likely to announce the India tablet pricing strategy at its press meet in Delhi.
Asus is launching the new smart device at a time when Indian mobile market is witnessing competition between Samsung and Apple. Both device makers are offering cost effective EMI packages to attract Indian smartphone users.