ASUS won't sell the Padfone keyboard dock in Australia

Aussie users won't have option to purchase the Padfone keyboard docking station Down Under

Ross Catanzariti (PC World) on 31 July, 2012 14:14

No keyboard dock for you: ASUS won't sell the Padfone keyboard docking station in Australia

ASUS won't sell the keyboard dock for its new hybrid Padfone device in Australia, the company has revealed.

The Taiwanese giant confirmed this morning that the Padfone, its long-awaited all-in-one Android smartphone and tablet device, will launch in Australia on Tuesday 14 August at a cost of $999.

The Padfone uses a modular design consisting of an Android smartphone that docks inside a tablet shell, effectively combining a 4.3in smartphone and a 10.1in tablet device.

The Padfone package sold in Australia will include the Padfone, the "Padfone Station" tablet device, a Bluetooth stylus that allows users to answer phone calls when in tablet mode, and a "smart sleeve" case to store the device.

In other markets, ASUS also sells a Padfone keyboard dock as an optional accessory, but the company has confirmed this accessory won't be available in Australia at this stage

"There is a specific keyboard dock for the Padfone which also extends battery life however it is not yet available in Australia," an ASUS spokesperson told PC World Australia.

Australian users who want to add a physical keyboard dock to the Padfone will need to purchase the company's original Eee Pad Transformer (TF101) keyboard dock for $199. It will enable typing, but its built-in battery isn't compatible with the Padfone and therefore won't extend the battery life of the device.

"At the moment the keyboard dock for the Transformer is available from Harvey Norman which is 90 per cent compatible with the Padfone and Padfone Station. The ASUS Transformer keyboard dock works with the Padfone, it just does not charge the unit."

ASUS claims the original Padfone keyboard docking station increases the battery life of the Padfone up to nine times.

The ASUS Padfone has a 4.3in Super AMOLED qHD display with a resolution of 960x540, is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. A microSD card slot allows memory expansion, while an 8-megapixel rear camera and front VGA camera for video calling are also included.

The Padfone Station component of the Padfone is just a 1280x800 resolution screen, so all the processing power, memory and connectivity comes from the Padfone itself. However, the Padfone Station does have a 6600mAh battery which charges the Padfone whenever it is docked.

The ASUS Padfone will be available through Harvey Norman retail stores in Australia from Tuesday 14 August for $999.

Are you disappointed the ASUS Padfone keyboard dock won't be sold in Australia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.