ASUS to unveil a phone-docking tablet at Computex?

We love teasers, but the wait can be unbearable sometimes. Luckily, all it takes is a tweak in the URL to uncover ASUS' upcoming Computex teaser pics ahead of time, as discovered by our eagle-eyed reader Anas. As you might have already figured out, the image on the left -- which just went live -- seems to be just a reminder of the Eee Pad MeMO's June launch, though the words "A Tablet That Jumps Out at You" could also imply a device bearing 3D functionality of some sort. Maybe ASUS managed to upgrade said 7-inch Honeycomb tablet just in time? We shall see.

But the real meat here lies in the remaining image, which is scheduled to close the loop on the "Pad or Phone" teaser campaign this coming Sunday. What's new is merely the intriguing line "How about Both?" below the old text, accompanying the silhouette of what appear to be a large tablet and a smaller phone-like device. Could this mean ASUS is toying with the idea of an Atrix-like docking combo, except the lapdock is instead just a tablet? We could well be stretching here, but hey, ASUS does say it wants to "break the rules," right? Stay tuned as we'll find out more at Computex 2011 next week.



Update: It should be noted that the phone-docking idea we're referring to is not related to the MeMO and MeMic duo -- look at the second pic closely and you'll see that the smaller device has four Android soft keys, whereas the MeMic has different buttons. Check out the close-up after the break.

A close-up of the devices in the second pic:

ASUS (Facebook)

Pantech Vega No.5 bringing sexy back to tabletphones, packs 1.5GHz dual-core chip

Yes, tabletphones are coming back! Joining the eccentric Dell Streak 5 is Pantech's conveniently named Vega No.5 (or IM-T100K), a 5-inch Android 2.3.3 smartphone powered by Qualcomm's brawny dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8660. Apart from the extra 0.7 inches of screen size, what we have here is essentially the same package as the Vega Racer: 800 x 480 LCD, 8 megapixel 1080p camera, front-facing camera, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 16GB of memory, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and 14.4Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. No word on international availability, but expect this slate to hit the shops in Korea later this month. Hands-on video after the break.

Netbooknews

Bodnara

NEC MEDIAS WP N-06C announced in Japan, shows off slimness with waterproof body

Seriously, why does Japan get all the fun toys? The leaked brochure of this crazy thin NEC MEDIAS N-06C already got us all giddy last month, and now we have a launch date: fans of NTT DoCoMo will be able to nab this device around June or July, meaning owners need not seal this waterproof phone in a plastic bag before heading out for a summer swim. In case you missed the details, here we have a 7.9mm-thick Android 2.3 phone, which easily beats the chubby Galaxy S II at 8.49mm in terms of slimness; though to be fair, the N-06C packs about 9.7mm around its 5 megapixel camera. Inside this tight package you'll also find a 4-inch 854 x 480 LCD, a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255, 512MB RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, and microSDHC expansion. But enough with the specs -- head over to Akihabara News for some wet hands-on pics.

NTT DoCoMo

NTT DoCoMo's Fujitsu LOOX F-07C goes official, dual-boots to Windows 7 and Symbian (updated)

Yes, 'tis quite a shock for a Monday morning, but it turns out the dual-booting Fujitsu LOOX F-07C smartphone is indeed legit. According to NTT DoCoMo's preliminary spec sheet, this 7.69-ounce landscape slider handles both Symbian and Windows 7 (Home Premium, 32-bit Japanese edition) with its 4-inch 1,024 x 600 LCD (that's 297ppi right there!), along with a 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of LPDDR400 RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 32GB of eMMC disk space, and expandable memory via microSDHC. You'll also find a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection on the back, coupled by a VGA front-facing camera. Of course, the main concern is how the battery life fares here: we're told that in "mobile phone mode" you get up to 600 hours of generous standby time and up to 370 minutes of 3G talk time; whereas in Windows 7 mode you'll have to make do with just two hours, and then you're forced into mobile phone mode when the battery level is low. If you're itching to get yourself an eccentric F-07C, then watch out for its launch in June or July. Full list of specifications and press release after the break.

Update: ASCII's just posted a few real-life shots of this device, and mentions a retail price of around ¥70,000 ($860). Oh, and there's HDMI-out via a USB adapter.

Update 2: Akihabara News has a hands-on video -- check it out after the break, and be sure to take a gander at its photos as well.

NTT DoCoMo