So, ASUS has created a phone + tablet combo. Much like the phone that connects to a screen & keyboard "laptop." However, instead of the phone doing the processing and running as a computer, the ASUS PadFone is just as it suggests, it's a phone that fits into a tablet and the phones screen is shifted to the tablet.

I think it's pretty clever. The acting in the press conference video is horrid. The joke in the linked video, goes above the audiences head, . Below, is an embedded demo/concept/behind-the-scenes video of the device.

I'll never have a chance to personally try the integrated duo, but it looks like a great idea for people not wanting to spend money on a phone then again on a tablet (iPhone + iPad, Android Phone + Android Tablet). I can only imagine the OS is Android (2.x or 3.x for "tablets?"), I also hope the tablet aspect has it's own battery that powers the display and may also power - not charge - the phone.

I haven't looked more into it than watching the videos linked here in my post.

Interesting. Any idea what the specs on it are? Is it comparable to the Galaxy S tablet?

There isn't a "Galaxy S tablet" - do you mean the Galaxy Tab 10.1? Currently phones and tablets have basically the same guts, so there isn't any reason this shouldn't be as fast if not faster than the current batch of tablets (dual core, 1gb ram, all that fun stuff)

The PadPhone has its own battery that will also charge the phone. I think it is an awesome idea for a reason not yet mentioned - only one cell plan needed. No need to spend $40 for data for your phone AND $40 for data for your tablet (or $30 for the tethering plan for your phone, ugh). They claim it will be running Android Ice Cream Sandwhich, and technically the switching between phone and tablet should work just fine.

My only thought is, why the F did it take this long for someone to make this? I mean it seems pretty obvious to me that this was a much better way to go than two basically identical devices.

Maybe I'm the f--, but I only need a phone that makes phone calls, and sends texts when I'm not in a position to speak aloud. All the cool gimmicky stuff can be done just fine on my netbook...

That said if I did want an annoying expensive phone and tablet(which is good for web browsing I guess, assuming you didn't buy apple) to ignore everyone with, this would be the way to go.

Literally, the only reason I can think of for getting an android tablet would be for the Air Hockey app...

I don't really know if this is relevant, but you _can_ turn an iPad 3G into an iPhone after jailbreaking.

This.

I've had this idea for a long time! As well as the idea of just building a tablet with a slide-out keyboard, like many phones have. Would that not solve the major problem with most Tablet PCs having to swivel around the laptop? With everything going mobile and compact and such, I was relieved to find someone finally doing just this. I've also found one or two other people doing this as well. Fujitsu, who has been working on tablets for a long time, being on of them.

Not to distract from the OP. I love the idea! Maybe they could combine the tablet/laptop hybrid idea (slide-out keyboard) with this, and then it'd be the perfect laptop-phone-tablet combo!

I especially like the fact that it relies on the phone, which gives me hopes that the tablet screen will be at least somewhat universal to a specific line-up of Samsung (and other?) ice cream nomminess phones.

I don't see the point of a sliding keyboard on a tablet myself, I rather like the idea of using an on-screen keyboard, like a PADD from Star Trek.

I don't mind the on-screen keyboard at all for phones and such, but its a bit difficult sometimes on a tablet. Not to mention it takes up a large amount of screen real-estate. I don't mind them all too much on tablets, but it'd be nice to be able to have both!

If we get into eventually replacing netbooks with the type of capability the OP suggests, it'd be a great addition to have a sliding keyboard in addition to the on-screen keyboard.

I'm not so sold on that. You browse the web on a tablet and perhaps some document editing. If you want a keyboard why not by a bluetooth keyboard and connect it? Don't sacrifice the width of the device just so you can have a keyboard. I also feel the people wanting keyboards with tablets is so small, companies would just be better off selling a keyboard with a dock for the device.

What do you mean by sacrificing the width? It'd be the same width ^^,

Or are you referring to the depth/thickness? In which case, if it were more of a netbook-tablet, I don't see how it would effect the depth/thickness anymore then a netbook? In fact, with size of tablets it would probably be thinner then netbooks. It'd be a great netbook alternative. Especially if the sort-of "hybrid" netbook-tablet ran something like Windows 7 tablet or something similar.

I personally think it'd be an awesome little Tablet PC

Combine the PadPhone with the Transformer and you've got pretty much the perfect device. Phone, tablet, and netbook with no need to sync data between them as they are all the same device.

Bleh. I don't want a keyboard on my tablet. It's for *consuming* content, not creating it.

Precisely. It'd effectively replace all of those devices. I can't see how it would significantly degrade the usability of any of them, either.

I still would prefer the on-screen keyboard, it saves space and can be reconfigured however I need it. Hell, I could even have a Japanese keyboard for those obscure games.

Edit by comic: This is a family oriented forum, so lets keep it that way :)

People seem to have forgotten that Tablet PCs have been around for over a decade, and I don't just mean you guys. I can't live without my laptop being a tablet PC, and every laptop I've ever purchased has been one. I like it being a tablet for notes and drawing and sketching and doodling, and a laptop when I need to do real stuff.

True, but there are Tablet PC's then there seem to be Tablets. Swivel is leaning more towards a Tablet PC than a normal, touch tablet like mentioned in the topic starting post.

Indeed. And yes, Tablet PC's have been around for quite a long time. The idea would be to sort of combine the Samsung Series 7 with the Padfone. The phone would do the processing power, while the Tablet PC portion would simply have the sleek-look and slide-out keyboard of the Series 7, that would extend the phone's and screen's on-screen keyboard, as well as enlarge the screen.

The problem I see up until now would mainly be the platform. Android ice-cream nomminess? Or even Windows 7/8 with 3G/4G phone capabilities?

Indeed. I actually loved abut my previous Tablet PC that the screen was both capacitive multitouch (fingers) and had a Wacom digitizer (pen).