Asus PadFone Arrives On American Shelves In 2014

The Asus PadFone has been around for quite some time, having been introduced all the way back in 2011 at Computex. But for most gadget fans in North America, the introduction was followed by a long-term snubbing in which the newly-introduced device wouldn't come in the entire North American house. That's a development that Asus CEO Jerry Shen is out to fix, however, with several new phones and a new market strategy that involves bringing the PadFone to markets that have never seen it before, like the United States.

The reports from Shen indicated that the PadFone is not only set to hit the U.S., but also Europe as part of a “high-end line” of devices from the company. Meanwhile, the Asian market will get a more “mainstream” product line, allowing the company to cover both ends of the spectrum. Originally, most of Asus' mobile line found itself focused on Taiwan, and following the launch of the PadFone Infinity, the device went on to sell over 200 units a day, sometimes pushing 300 a day, just in the period between June and August alone. That point in itself was a giveaway to Shen that expansion should be afoot.

Shen elaborated, saying “The fact that such an expensive device still managed to sell nearly 300 units per day in Taiwan means the user base is quite stable. So in June, I was confident enough to tell my team that it's time to go mainstream. Without knowing our customers' acceptance, I did not dare to go mainstream, because going mainstream requires a lot of effort.” With that idea firmly in mind, the PadFone Infinity was born, and it's already available in a fairly mainstream capacity, found in not just Taiwan, but Hong Kong, Russia and a large swath of Europe. 

The PadFone Infinity may look similar to its earlier-released counterparts, but there was a significant boost undertaken to the user interface. That boost came as the result of consultation with and modifications made by over 300 Android engineers, and offers some improvements like simpler icons and a design language that stays more consistent throughout the overall experience. For instance, there's a new mode known as Hi-Light Mode, or alternately, “Owl Mode.” In this mode, the PadFone Infinity's camera combines four sensor pixels into one, producing smaller, three megapixel shots that produce, at last report, great image quality even in low light. There are even reports that Asus is already at work developing new products for a launch in the second quarter in American markets, as the company is working with a “big operator.”

Though it could be said that Asus' release strategy was perhaps a little over-cautious, especially given how much airtime the PadFone got from the media in the United States, there's something to be said for due caution. Using Taiwan as a test bed likely wasn't a bad idea, and shows that the product line has some serious potential to catch on. Of course, the down side to this strategy is that much of the United States market that would have been interested when the PadFone was first heard about almost three years ago may well have moved on by now, and that could put a bit of a crimp in Asus' wider market aspirations.

Still, with the kind of device sales spotted in Taiwan, a brisk United States release may not be out of line. Only time will tell just how well it all goes, and likely less time than some may think.