Asus PadFone Infinity phone/tablet to land in the US
The phone that turns into a tablet is destined to hit the US next year, while a new Mini model has just launched in Taiwan, says Engadget.
Asus has global ambitions for its PadFone.
A higher-end version of the PadFone Infinity is set to reach the US during the second quarter of 2014, CEO Jerry Shen told Engadget. Shen teased the device's US debut by saying Asus has a big operator lined up but didn't spill any specific names. And after the US, Europe is next on the agenda.
"Once this product is launched [in the US], we will definitely have no problem tackling Europe with the same product, because this US operator is very big." Shen said.
The model being prepped for the US and Europe is a higher-end version of the Infinity, while a more "mainstream" lineup is being targeted for the Asian market, Shen explained. The CEO didn't reveal any details about the upcoming high-end edition but dropped some hints that it may offer a new and improved keyboard dock, an item that was missing with the PadFone 2.
The PadFone Infinity starts life as a 5-inch smartphone but then transforms into a 10.1-inch tablet when docked with the included PadFone Infinity Station.
Asus is also keeping busy in its home base with its launch of the new PadFone Mini in Taiwan, Shen told Engadget. The new version shrinks in size to a 4.3-inch phone and a 7-inch tablet. This model also will be available in China, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia, but no word on a US launch just yet.