Review: Asus PadFone X for AT&T
The central question posed by the PadFone's existence is can a single device serve as both a smartphone and a tablet. The answer is yes, but not without compromises.
You can quite easily carry around the PadFone's handset by itself and be happy with the product in your pocket. The phone has decent build quality, a good screen, reasonable network performance, and excellent battery life. The UI is intuitive and should be familiar to anyone with knowledge of Android. The messaging tools function well, and the media powers are sold enough. It's a pity that call quality is so iffy.
The tablet, or Station, does require a handbag, backpack, or at least some space in the back seat of your car to lug about. It serves to expand the size of the screen for some tasks, such as browsing, viewing photos, or watching videos. For my money, though, the bulk and quality of the screen - or lack thereof - make the PadFone X a dubious purchase. I am much happier to carry around a separate smartphone and thinner, more manageable tablet.
The question then boils down to economics. If you have a limited budget and only want to pay for a single data plan, then the PadFone X makes more sense. The device costs $200 on contract and can be paired with AT&T plans that start around $50 or $60 per month. I'll always use separate devices, but I can see how the PadFone X might work for some people.
Our Ratings
Hands-On: Asus PadFone X
Hands-On: Asus Padfone Mini, PadFone X
AT&T to Sell Asus PadFone X June 6 for $200
Asus PadFone X to Reach U.S. Consumers Thanks to AT&T
Asus Goes Big with Zenfone 11 Ultra
Asus PadFone X
