We knew it was coming. Asus’ new FonePad was detected some time ago. Now that the company has officially unveiled the FonePad at the current Mobile World Congress conference, more details about the FonePad are known.

As you might have guessed from the name of this tablet, the FonePad is both a tablet and a phone. It’s also a tablet that has a lot going for it – and it’s not too far off from what Samsung is currently offering.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is also a tablet plus phone combo. The main difference here is what Asus has dropped into its phone slash tablet. Whether or not people will like using a tablet as a phone is unclear, but tablets that double as phones exist all the same. If you can’t wait to get your hands on a phone and tablet hybrid or have always wanted a tablet that’s also a phone, check out the following Asus FonePad details.

Here’s What’s Inside the Asus FonePad

The FonePad starts off with 1GB of RAM, and continues with an Intel Atom Z2420 processor. From there, you will find a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, HSPA+ radio, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS. Asus has also added a battery that lasts up to nine hours – that’s pretty impressive.

Asus has also put some thought into the design of the new FonePad. Instead of equipping this tablet with a rounded back (as is the popular choice by other manufacturers), the FonePad has a sleek metal back. Overall, the design of the FonePad is much slicker than competitor models.

Asus has added a micro-SIM slot and microSD reader to the FonePad as well. It is possible to insert 32GB cards into the microSD slot, which is a great feature. If you’re the camera happy sort, you’ll be happy to note that the FonePad comes packed with a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera and a 3-megapixel rear -acing camera.

It’s not clear whether or not Asus will be releasing the FonePad in North America anytime soon, but there are some rumors circulating that Asus has worked on North American pricing.

Pricing and Availability Details

The FonePad will retail for 179 GBP; 219 Euros; and 249 American dollars (if it reaches the United States, that is). Asus has not yet confirmed a sale date, but it seems likely that the FonePad will hit shelves this coming fall (possibly earlier). Seemingly, the FonePad can do it all – call, surf the web, and take pictures.

But, how likely are consumers to buy a large tablet that acts as a phone? Aren’t consumers moving away from larger phones and looking for smaller phones? Will the idea of a tablet and phone crossover actually work out for Asus?

It seems as though many companies are moving in the tablet/phone direction. These manufacturers must be basing design details on something, and that something is likely a consumer demand for a tablet that doubles as a phone. The Asus FonePad will hit European shelves far before it comes to North America, so we will see just how well this tablet hybrid sells.

For now, you can check out more details on Asus’ homepage.