News & Reviews:   Asus FonePad 7

A fairly interesting Samsung device has appeared on China's Tenaa in the form of the SM-T2558. At first glance, it looks like a really large phablet, but it actually has a 7-inch screen. Weighing in at 245g and measuring 191.24 x 99.7 x 8.95mm, the device also has a camera with LED flash and looks to be able to make voice calls. Tech specs and features on the SM-T2558 include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, microSD support, a 7-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and Android 4.3. It will also support TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA connectivity, so it can go mobile if you need it to. In terms of design, it doesn't look like standard Samsung tablets as it has narrower bezels but it could be a smartphone tablet or tablet with phone capabilities like the ASUS FonePad 7. No news on pricing or Malaysia release dates but we're certain that quite a few people would be interested in it here in Malaysia.

ASUS originally made the announcement for other ASUS FonePad 7 versions at MWC 2014, with the dual-SIM version being one of them. It should appear in Malaysia very soon for RM699. While the overall look and feel is the same, certain other tech specs and features are also different as this dual-SIM version carries a 1.2GHZ Intel Atom Z2520 processor (the earlier ASUS FonePad 7 had a 1.6GHZ Intel Atom Z2560 processor). Storage for the dual-SIM version has also been cut down to 8GB.

The ASUS FonePad 7 is generally known better for it's budget price than for it's performance but the 2014 edition promises to not only fix issues in the previous version but make it even better. Does it manage to do so with flying colours or is it just another slightly above average all-in-one tablet device? Read on and find out in our in-depth review of the ASUS FonePad 7.

ASUS Fonepad 7 users can now update their 7-inch phablets to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Released as a software update by ASUS Malaysia, the update brings improvements to the video player, photo viewer, gallery, album browsing and other minor user interface elements. To download the update follow the steps below:

• Make sure your ASUS Fonepad 7 is connected to the Internet
• Open Settings
• Tap About
• Tap System Update

While it was leaked complete with tech specs, the Asus FonePad 7 finally gets the official announcement. Going for more or less the same look and feel of tablet with phone capabilities, the FonePad 7 takes up where the original Asus FonePad left off. Featuring a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 with tech specs that include a 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel screen, a 5MP rear camera, 8GB/16GB/32GB storage, 1.2MP front camera, 10.5mm thinness, weighs 340g and has a 10-hour battery, the FonePad 7 ups the internals somewhat by offering the better screen. Hopefully the revamp won't see too much of an increase in price as the original FonePad was rather well known for it's budget capabilities. Unfortunately, there isn't any news yet on pricing for the Asus FonePad 7 and no Malaysia release dates too. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted as to any new developments.