Well that certainly didn’t take long. No sooner was the Padfone announced but a competing product that will keep Apple users feeling safe and secure in their choice has been floated to the market.
For those a little behind the news, the Padfone is a device that could turn the tablet and Smartphone worlds on their collective heads as it literally combines both an Android Smartphone with a tablet feature, making a 4.3 inch screened phone into a hybrid 10.1 inch screened tablet PC. Of course the fact that Asus has only created the Padfone to work with Android phones means that iPhone users appear to be left out in the cold. That’s certainly not something tech companies are going to let stand, not while Apple is still coming up with great new advances like allowing iWork to be compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.
Now a company called ECS has announced that it is bringing the exact same type of device as the Padfone for the iPhone. Of course the Padfone has a step up on the ECS in that the plans are already in the works to unveil the Asus device early next year if not later this year. Right now the ECS device which doesn’t yet have a name is still in concept form. While it is just a prototype the one bonus that the ECS device will have over the Padfone is that it apparently works with more than just the iPhone. The ECS device is currently being touted as something that will operate with all manner of smartphones including Windows Phone 7 as well as Android and iOS devices.
The ECS device works by connection the video output from the smartphone through an HDMI cord and the tablet itself also has an SD card slot as well as two USB ports and a front facing camera. This means that now even something like the LG Optimus S could suddenly become an iPad 2 with just a few easy connections. ECS is also saying that it knows most people will want to be able to use the device with the upcoming iPhone 5 and that with a few minor software upgrades it will be able to sync with the new phones.
Via: Cult of Mac
