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Do tell us you noticed it too. Phones are getting bigger and tablets are getting smaller. In 2013, the industry was somewhat on the verge of perfecting the “phablet” (phone-tablet) form factor. MWC’s here and they’re announcing 5 to 7-inch phones in every corner. So, we’re throwing the question: when is a smartphone too big?

Of course, phones weren’t this compact either before. We had huge telephones predating back to 10 years ago. Times have changed and holding those up to your ear can be very awkward.

big

Asus just announced the FonePad, a 7-inch tablet that can make phone calls. Apart from that, we have the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 that can make phone calls as well. If MWC still doesn’t cut it for you, I’d like to burst it by saying Samsung has been investing a lot in the “phablet” space already ever since the first Galaxy Note, even the first Galaxy Tab.

Aside from phone calls, people are also more comfortable using their phone’s camera rather than a dedicated point-and-shoot.

phablets

We understand that bigger screens give way to more content and a better multimedia experience, but we also believe things should have limits. Local companies such as Torque & Cherry Mobile are following suit. If this is the case with the future, are you okay with it? Do you think the idea of having a 7-inch all-around phone is practical? Or do you think this is all just a fad of “bigger is better”?

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Talks of an ASUS tablet with Intel Atom processor at its beating heart has been in the rumor mill even before the last CES begun. But even though the rumored slate didn’t make it for the Vegas tech convention, all is not lost as suggested by the leaked catalog from an online retailer.

The page has already been taken down, but {Techkiddy } was able to secure a copy of the said catalog which reveals the price of the tablet (THB7,900 or Php10,782).

In addition to the 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor, the ME371MG or more commonly known in the rumor mill as the ASUS FonePad (not to be confused with the ASUS PadFone) is said to boast 1GB of RAM, 3MP camera, 3G connectivity and will feature the same screen size and resolution as the famous Nexus 7. This Android Jelly bean slate is said to be released in 2 storage variants, 8GB and 16GB and will be available in two unusual colors (Gold and Silver).

Note though that nothing is final up to this point, so take this with your usual grain of salt. We won’t have to wait too long though to find out if there’s any truth to these allegations as were just weeks away from the Mobile World Congress.

Updated: We have another source close to Asus that confirms this “phablet” (this is how they referred to it) and it will have voice and SMS functionality. The expected price is around Php11,000 and will be the first Intel Atom powered smartphone from Asus. It will be available in the market by March. – Yuga

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