A new type of mobile device coming out of Mobile World Congress is not a new smartphone or a new tablet, it's a hybrid of both. ASUS just announced its 7-inch FonePad with phone functionality built in.

Follow us

We've been seeing a trend in the smartphone world with phablets. The 5+ inch smartphones got that name due to being a cross between a smartphone and a tablet. It appears the new theme going at Mobile World Congress is full-sized tablets with phone functionality built in. ASUS is the second company to announce such a device, the ASUS FonePad 7-inch tablet.

Samsung was the first tablet maker to launch a tablet with built-in phone functionality, its Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, which also debuted at Mobile World Congress. Samsung was the first smartphone manufacturer to launch a phablet when it launched the original Samsung Galaxy Note. Smartphone makers saw the success Samsung was having with this new category and many have followed and launched their own phablets. ASUS' FonePad will join Samsung in this new category of mobile devices: full-sized tablets with phone functionality built-in.

The ASUS FonePad features a 7-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS (in plane switching display), an Intel Atom 1.2GHz Z2420 processor,  PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.2-megapixel front facing camera, microSD slot with support for up to 32GB cards and 4,270 mAh battery.

ASUS announced pricing for the tablet as $249 when it launches in the U.S. and €219 in the UK. ASUS has not revealed when the FonePad will ship, or if the U.S. version will have phone functionality disabled. Samsung has already confirmed that its Galaxy Note 8.0 will ship in the U.S. with phone functionality disabled; rumors have indicated that Samsung was urged by U.S. carriers to disable phone functionality in the U.S. version of the Galaxy Note 8.0. 

Join Our Conversation

Smartphones

Former Nokia Team Jolla, Announces First Sailfish Powered Smartphone For Asia

Motorola XFon May Hit Verizon, Sprint Later This Year

More BlackBerry Devices On The Way, Says Sprint

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Samsung Galaxy S3 Transform It Into Galaxy S4 (To Some Extent)

Tablet / Laptop / PC

Lenovo ThinkPad Helix Hybrid Tablet-Ultrabook Now Available Starting At $1679

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Leaks In Benchmarks With Intel Inside

Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 8.0 Top Consumer Reports Rankings

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8-Inch Specs, Photo Leak Online

Gadgets

Recharge Your Phone In 20 Seconds With This Revolutionary Device

Ouya Will Be At E3 2013, But Not Where You Think

Next Microsoft Xbox To Sport Dashboard UI Update And Tile Changes

Google Media Streamer Hits FCC To Replace Nexus Q

OS / Software

Former Nokia Team Jolla, Announces First Sailfish Powered Smartphone For Asia

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Samsung Galaxy S3 Transform It Into Galaxy S4 (To Some Extent)

iOS 7 To Come With Flickr, Vimeo Integration

Samsung Galaxy S4 'Google Edition' Will Be Available In U.S. Only?

Internet / Social Media

AT&T Promises Cellular Video Calls, Mobile Video Chat For All Customers

Flickr Boasts 'Spectacular' Redesign, Offers A Whopping 1TB Of FREE Storage

Download 40 GB In A Second: Researchers Set Up World's Fastest Wi-Fi Network In Germany

YouTube Shoppable Videos - Will Google Hit A New Jackpot?

What's App

Nokia Xpress Now Web App Announced For Asha Devices

Samsung Galaxy S4 App Contest Boasts $800,000 Total Prizes For Talented Devs

Intellicam App Brings First Hands-Free Camera Feature To Windows Phone 8

Seven New Apps Coming To Google Glass: Facebook, Twitter, And Evernote Included