Asus FonePad launched in India for Rs 15,999, features voice calling, 3G-support, and a 7-inch display

Asus launched the FonePad in India for Rs 15,999, which is the first Intel powered Android tablet. Interestingly, Asus decided to call it a phablet as the 7-inch tablet can also make voice calls over a regular 2G or 3G network. I spent some time with the FonePad at the launch event and here are our first impressions.

The FonePad looks every bit a premium product, unlike many plasticky tablets that come our way on a daily basis. It feels solid and sturdy with no creaking sound when we held it tightly.In terms of core hardware specifications, the front of the FonePad has a 7-inch HD IPS display with 1280×800 pixels resolution. Above the display is a 1.2-megapixel secondary camera, which can be used for voice calling over 3G networks. Though the seven-incher is fine to look at, Asus could have reduced the bezel size from the top and bottom of the display to either have a larger display or a smaller overall footprint. The display looks pretty sharp for a tablet at its price and has decent viewing angles. However, it is a finger print magnet and we were left cleaning smudges after handling it for a few minutes. Also, it does not have Gorilla Glass protection on top, which could make it susceptible to scratches and cracks.The top part on the back holds a detachable panel to put in SIM card and microSD card. The sides have volume rocker and power on/off keys. The top edge has been kept clean while the bottom has a micro USB port and a 3.5mm jack.
The FonePad is the first Android tablet to be powered by Intel’s Lexington Z2420 chipset that features a 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor and a PowerVR GC540 GPU. It is paired with 1GB of RAM and comes with 8GB of internal storage. There is a microSD card slot that can accommodate up to 32GB of additional storage. It runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and Asus says it will be updated to Android 4.2 but isn’t committing on updates beyond that.