ASUS PadFone Mini 4.3 Review

After the success of PadFone Infinity, it became obvious that such a concept of a modular device is highly in demand. However, not all users were comfortable quite weighty docking station with a large screen. So the “younger brother”, ASUS PadFone mini 4.3, was born.

Many users prefer devices of a smaller form factor instead of full-size tablets. They are lighter, more compact, take up less space in a garment or bag. Therefore, a completely logical step on the part of ASUS was the creation of a modular device with a similar screen of reduced size.

Passport details

OS : Android 4.3 (Jelly bean)
Available colors : black / white / pink
Dimensions :
Smartphone: 129 x 65 x 8.68 mm (Length x Width x Thickness)
Docking station: 199 x 119 x 17.7 mm (Length x Width x Thickness)
Weight :
Smartphone: 105g
Docking station: 310 gr
Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226) 1.4 GHz
RAM : 1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
Data Store :
16 GB
5 GB ASUS Webstorage, free
Memory expansion slot : Micro SD (up to 64 GB)
Wireless :
WLAN 802.11 b / g / n
Bluetooth V4.0
Cellular networks (you can install two SIM cards at the same time) :
3G: UMTS 850/900/1900/2100
2G: EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
Navigation : GPS, GLONASS & AGPS
Display :
Smartphone: 4.3 inches, qHD 960x540, S-IPS, multitouch
Docking station: 7 inches, WXGA 1280x800, S-IPS, multitouch
Battery :
Smartphone: 1500 mAh, Li-Polymer
Standby time: 114 hours (2G / 3G)
Talk time: 22 hours (3G)
Docking station: 2200 mAh, Li-Polymer
Camera :
Smartphone:
Front: 2 MP, aperture F2.4
Primary: 8 megapixel, autofocus, flash, aperture F2, optical scheme of five elements
Video playback :
MPEG4
H.264 AVC
H.263
Video recording :
H264 AVC
MJPEG
MPEG-4 SP
MPEG-4 ASP
VP8
H.263
Connectors :
Audio, 3.5 mm
Micro SD (it is possible to connect external devices via OTG)
Sensors :
Accelerometer
Compass
Distance sensor
Light sensor
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Information from the benchmark Antutu:

Contents of delivery

PadFone mini 4.3 comes in a small box with colorful printing. In addition to the charger and USB-micro USB cable, the package includes simple “gag” headphones and two pairs of interchangeable ear cushions of different sizes.

Appearance

A review of the PadFone mini 4.3 version was presented in black. The front side of the smartphone and docking station are made in the traditional minimalist style:



The smartphone visually stands out only a silver insert in the area of ​​the speaker, and at the docking station - the ASUS logo.

Cases of the smartphone and docking station are made of soft-touch plastic. At the docking station, it feels a little “softer” to the touch, while the smartphone has a slightly smoother one. Although the difference is very small and is at the level of speculation. In this case, both devices are very comfortable in the hand, do not slip out. Both the smartphone and the docking station, the frames around the displays are asymmetric.

From the back of the docking station, everything looks much more interesting, here we see a jack for a smartphone with streamlined, “aerodynamic” lines. Actually, this is true for the outlines of the enclosures of both devices.



Smartphone jack has a wide silver edging. The speaker grid is located to the right of the socket.



On the right side are the micro USB socket and plastic, in the color of the case, the power and volume buttons. They have a much softer move than a smartphone.



The upper and lower ends of the docking station are not occupied by anything. The design of the smartphone socket is similar to the PadFone Infinity:





In PadFone Infinity, it was possible with a little effort to insert the smartphone incorrectly, with the screen facing out. Here, the developers have taken into account this shortcoming, and you can insert the smartphone backwards only with great effort, and then not completely, which clearly hints at the erroneous actions of the user.



On the back of the smartphone are the camera, flash, logos ASUS and PadFone:



At the bottom there is a microphone and a connector for connecting to the docking station:



On the right side, the power and volume buttons stand out beautifully. Such an arrangement of the power button, it seems to me, is much more convenient compared to the upper end.



On the left side - inconspicuous micro USB connector. But it was not located very conveniently. Unfortunately, this is a necessary measure, since the lower end is occupied by a connector for connecting to the docking station.



The audio jack is located above:





Remove the back cover of the smartphone. The battery is removable, next to it are slots for SIM-cards, and from the left end - a slot for a memory card.



In terms of appearance, the difference with the PadFone Infinity lies, first of all, in the abundance of plastic and a somewhat less “noble” design. The build quality has no complaints, everything fits perfectly, does not creak. The smartphone weighs very little, only 105 grams. In combination with a simple appearance and a plastic case, a feeling of some kind of frivolity is created. Due to the modest diagonal of the display and the small thickness of the smartphone, it will be most convenient to use those with small or medium-sized hands. If you have large brushes, then the smartphone may seem too small.

Fully assembled device becomes quite weighty, 415 grams. I must say, in PadFone mini 4.3 there is a general completeness - both devices have the same outlines, material, rounded corners and edges. In PadFone Infinity, the smartphone and the docking station were still different in design, especially in assembled form. There is no dissonance here, the devices are ideally suited to each other, not only in appearance, but also in mass.

Display

On both devices, displays with S-IPS matrices are used: 4.3 inches at the smartphone (960x540) and 7 inches at the docking station (1280x800). Safety glass Corning Glass with oleophobic coating.

The color rendition of both devices is at a good level. The clarity is also quite good, but for a smartphone it is somewhat higher due to the higher pixel density. The brightness reserve is quite enough for work on a sunny day, but still after a while the eyes will start to get tired. In general, the displays can be described as very good.

Camera

Despite the 8 megapixel and 5-element optical scheme, the camera takes pictures of satisfactory quality even with sufficient external lighting. However, in the twilight it is better not to photograph, the noise level becomes unacceptable.





With the aspect ratio of images can be 4: 3 and 16: 9, depending on the selected resolution. There is a quick shooting mode with a frequency of 20 frames / sec.

Software

The device is running Android 4.3. The graphical shell is traditional for ASUS smartphones and tablets. When you install and remove the smartphone, the running application automatically switches to another screen resolution. If such a switch is not provided by the authors of the program, then a message appears, offering to close the program or restart.

In the docking mode, it is possible to launch ASUS proprietary utilities that can work on top of any full-screen applications:





From the "standard" branded applications can be noted SuperNote, which allows you to create notes and send them to the "cloud", as well as recognizing real-time handwriting.

Wireless and Navigation

Like most modern smartphones, PadFone mini 4.3 supports GPS and GLONASS positioning systems. However, the functionality in the wireless communication is reduced: neither LTE nor 5 GHz Wi-Fi is supported. But the device can work in the access point mode with the distribution of traffic via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.



Working with two SIM-cards is very conveniently organized. Choosing the right "SIM" when dialing a number or SMS is very simple:





You can call even if the smartphone is installed in the docking station, it is equipped with a microphone and a speaker. And the conversation will not be interrupted, even if you take out the smartphone. However, it will not be interrupted even when the smartphone is installed in the docking station.

At the same time, both SIM cards work only in 2G mode. In 3G, you have to choose which of the "sims" should be active.

Performance

The “heart” of the system (as you remember, the docking station does not have its own processor and memory) is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226), operating at a frequency of 1.4 GHz. Responsible for the schedule Adreno 305.









All benchmarks were made in smartphone mode. In most cases, applications and games run on PadFone mini 4.3 without any brakes. Of course, it will not always be possible to set the maximum graphics settings painlessly, but overall, the CPU and GPU performance is enough for 90% of everyday tasks and most entertainment.

Duration of work

The smartphone battery has a capacity of 1500 mAh, the docking station is equipped with its own 2200 mAh battery. When working with the docking station, you can select the use mode of the batteries of both devices:

• Smart Mode : With fully charged batteries, the smartphone battery is first used until the charge drops to 75%. After that, the smartphone is fully charged from the docking station, then a new cycle begins.
• Preferred phone mode : only the dock charge is consumed, and the smartphone is recharged.
• Charging mode : the docking station is used exclusively for charging the smartphone, the screen does not turn on. You can turn it on for several seconds by holding the power button. In this case, you can exit the charging mode.

Surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi, with periodic watching videos on Youtube and listening to background music, with an average screen brightness:

• Smartphone —7 hours 15 minutes
• Docking station - 10 hours and 20 minutes

Watch FullHD movies (1920x1080):

• Smartphone - 4 hours 20 minutes
• Docking station —5 hours 55 minutes

Conclusion
Despite the fact that PadFone mini 4.3 is a budget model in the line, performance is at a good level. There are no complaints about the quality of the assembly and materials.

This kit can be recommended first of all to those who want to purchase a modular device from the PadFone line, but for several reasons Infinity does not suit them: the price, the screen size, the weight of the device do not suit them. PadFone mini 4.3 competes equally in performance with many 7-inch mini-tablets.

Do not forget that ASUS still has no competitors in this niche. And the main advantage of PadFone mini 4.3 is the absence of the need to synchronize data between two devices. All information is stored on the smartphone, and you do not need to worry about any files left on the tablet, and you need to transfer or send them to your smartphone, and vice versa. Add to this the support of two SIM-cards. So this kit is a very interesting solution for a person whose activity is “tied” to the active business use of two such devices. It is for one person, and not for a family, because without a smartphone, the docking station will not work.

Recommended retail price: 15990 rub.