HN Explorer

Combining a phone and a tablet, anyone?

5 points by tytung ↗ HN
I would like to get some opinion from you guys....

I am a startup developing a new kind of mobile device that combines a phone and tablet - putting a 7" screen on a less than 5" phone body. (It is not like the Galaxy Note, where the size is fixed.)

SO when you just want to make calls, check SMS and emails, just use the "phone mode" with a 4"+ screen. When you want to surf web, watch videos/photos, transform it into a 7"-screen tablet. All of this in ONE SINGLE device, no detachable parts.

Now my question is about the potential market for this device, as it seems that no company is creating a device like this, I am worried if there's no market for it.

a) For those of you carrying two devices (a phone and a tablet), are you feeling a bit inconvenient, annd would you like to have this device?

b) For those of you carrying only a phone, would you like to have a bigger screen, perhaps 7", while retaining the same portability?

c) Would you still buy a 10" tablet after you have this device? (assuming you already have a laptop)

Your help will be very much appreciated!

16 comments

[ 5.2 ms ] story [ 49.0 ms ] thread
mwilcox
http://www.asus.com/Mobile/PadFone/
tytung
Thanks for your reply.

There are some aspects of Padfone that we don't think it will be a market success: 1. You still need to carry the 10" screen, and it is not as portable as a 4+" phone 2. When the phone is inside tablet, you'll need a headset to receive and make calls

Anyway our product is not in compete with padfone, although we have something in common - to combine devices from different categories. The key difference, besides the size, is that we emphasize on PORTABILITY; while they probably emphasize on versatile performance.

Our device is small and light and easily slip into pocket, yet comes with a beautiful 7" screen.

BTW, I think the combination of device (our device + laptop/ultrabook) is more reasonable than (Padfone + laptop/ultrabook), because Padfone size is already very similar to laptop.

Mz
I have a tablet and no phone. I mostly need a phone to occasionally call my mother but there are also times people ask me for a phone number for some reason. I can text with it, I think, at least get texts but not actual calls. I can't understand that. I am not a phone person. I used to be but I am much more an email person these days. It annoys me that I can't also make calls with a tablet. I really do not want yet another device, especially one I use so little.
tytung
Thanks...So may I know what's the best tablet size for you? Do you prefer a 7" or 10" tablet while on the go?

You can think of our device as a 7" tablet that can shrink and turn into a smaller sized phone and make calls :)

Mz
I have a 7".
revorad
I would love such a device. But how does your screen expand? Does it fold or slide out? How bulky is the device in phone mode?
tytung
All I can say now is it's a slide-out design. We will keep the thickness as thin as possible, but its thickness in phone mode should be standard as other Android phones.
revorad
Is the OS going to be Android? If you actually pull this off, I'll buy two.
tytung
We will be using Android. But might also consider other new OS.
SHOwnsYou
I wouldn't be interested in something like this.

Having two devices for me is a feature rather than a burden. If I'm using my phone, someone else can use the ipad. I can also talk on the phone while browsing on the tablet. Two devices is a good thing for me. The weight of both is negligible, so I'm not worried about carrying both around.

Additionally, there is something to be said for the convenience of having a big screen to view things on. If I'm reviewing comps, it's a lot easier on the ipad precisely because of the 10" screen.

tytung
Thanks for your reply..it seems portability is not your top priority when using mobile devices... I wonder what do you think about Asus' Padfone?
tytung
I would like to understand more abt your behavior if you don't mind :) If you like to have a bigger screen to view/edit contents, isn't it better to have a macbook air/ultrabook? I ask this because of a recent survey saying that people now find less time to use 10" screen due to inconvenience in carrying around, and also no time to consume media for long time outside home.
dorsiak7
as I see it, you must think of cost, how much of a bargain would it be to have me the potential buyer purchase such a device, and not have two separate ones instead. Another key aspect is the battery life, big screens mean your battery won't last that long, and it would suck to have both your phone and tablet dead.

I think if these 2 are resolved, people will consider buying such a device.

tytung
Yes. We will take these to heart.
JVIDEL
How do you go from a 4" screen to a 7" screen?