kabirbedixy: Shocker! ASUS to launch Padfone at Mobile World Congress, we'll be there! (Update: hands-on video)

Monday, 9 January 2012

Shocker! ASUS to launch Padfone at Mobile World Congress, we'll be there! (Update: hands-on video)

Strictly speaking, CES doesn't even start until tomorrow, but ASUS has just handed us an invitation to its Padfone event at Mobile World Congress next month. If all goes well, this will fit nicely within the expected early-2012 window that Jonney personally promised. Obviously we'll be in Barcelona to cover the launch, so stay tuned, dear tablet freaks.

Update: We just got our hands on a working engineering unit of the Padfone. Eagle-eyed reader might notice the odd tweaks here and there on the outside, and we also spotted three new mysterious contact pins along the USB and HDMI side of the phone. The product manager was away so we couldn't get an answer for what the pins are for, but we'd imagine they're for an external antenna. After the break you'll see a demo video of the Padfone switching screens as it slides into the tablet -- we've been told the final product will be able to switch even faster, so here's hoping ASUS can keep its promise.

Gallery: ASUS Padfone hands-on at CES 2012