Is it Possible to Merge the Smartphone and Tablet into a Single, Complete Mobile Package?
The first smartphone/tablet hybrid device, called the "Dell Streak," was launched by Dell in June 2010. Currently, the company offers five- and seven-inch touchscreen versions of this device. Both models use Android as their operating system. The Dell Streak received mixed reviews when it was launched, and it has not been a big seller.
Some critics declared these smartphone/tablet hybrids to be a fantastic concept and thought the Streak successfully merged the large screen and features of a tablet with the communication options and portability of a smartphone. Others, however, were not impressed, claiming the Streak's size was awkward and its price was too high. Be that as it may, Dell's device played a breakthrough role in introducing smartphone/tablet hybrids to the consumer market. Other companies are certain to be more successful when they launch similar products.
The Dell Streak's failure to be commercially successful has caused skeptics to wonder whether it is even possible to successfully combine the vibrant display of tablets with the portability of smartphones. But, many experts in the field will argue that the Streak's poor sales figures are not attributable to the idea of smartphone/tablet hybrids being a poor one, but are instead due to the integration of tablet and smartphone features into one unit being accomplished indifferently at best. ASUS has seen the potential of smartphone/tablet hybrids and has announced the development of its own version.
ASUS has not yet announced an official release date for its planned smartphone/tablet hybrid, but anticipation is building as more and more details about the device are coming to light. Announcing the name of the unit to be the PadFone, ASUS has described their device as a two-piece device which consists of an Android-powered smartphone and a tablet. When the two portions are docked, the tablet will power the smartphone and permit it to be operated like a tablet. Both pieces of the PadFone are described as featuring dynamic display switching, and they share a hard drive and SIM card. By making this hybrid a two-piece device but designing the pieces to work together, ASUS will avoid having the PadFone be criticized for an awkward sized screen.
In the future, businesses creating smartphone/tablet hybrids should have a better understanding of what is and is not an acceptable design due to the critical response to the Dell Streak. Instead of taking the Streak's failure to succeed as an indication that a market does not exist for smartphone/tablet hybrids, ASUS identified the problem: the Streak's design positioned it awkwardly in between a smartphone and a tablet. In creating a two-piece design where the pieces can be used separately or together, ASUS intends to improve upon the Streak's concept and make smartphone/tablet hybrids more usable and popular.
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