Huawei's new 7-inch MediaPad Vogue feeds Wi-Fi+3G phablet frenzy Chinese electronics giant Huawei has jumped feet-first into the emerging tablet-that's-also-a-phone market with the release of the MediaPad 7 Vogue, a seven-inch tablet that can be had in either a Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi plus 3G phone call–capable version. "We're delighted to introduce the MediaPad 7 Vogue, our call-enabled tablet …
I've never understood this bizarre media campaign against adding modems to tablets. I find a mobile data connection can come in handy when out of WiFi range. I've even found a cunning way of making phone calls without looking stupid! Don't you have Bluetooth/headsets on planet Journalista?
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Right on.
Modern smartphones are pretty dumb at making phone calls anyway. Times have changed. Email, FB, Twitter, SMS has moved communication from real time (when two people have to prioritise each other at the same time) to the old office spike mode. You send messages when you want and are read (usually last first) by recipients when they choose. And it can be one to many.
Which means when I'm on the train its the small screen size of my Nexus 4 that is the limiting factor. I could take our Nexus 7 but that would die out of WiFi range and even if it was 3G/4G enable that means taking two mobile contracts.
So for those of us who use mobile devices mostly for data with some urgent calls (via bluetooth?) this factor is close to ideal. Obviously the SIM size needs to be compatible with the smartphone you use when you need to pack discretely or conveniently in an inside pocket.
So you cut people off as soon as part of your body comes into contact with the touch sensitive part of a phone - like when you press it to the side of your face? Presumably this device can turn off the screen when it detects that it is close to your head, just like most phones already have done for a long time already. Alternatively the software could ignore all inputs except in certain areas of the screen as soon as the device goes into call mode.
It's more likely that this is simply a promotional picture and you're nitpicking to jump on this particular bandwagon.
Dunno - I don't have a smartphone, I've never used a smartphone, and I have no intention of ever purchasing a smartphone.
I think that touch-sensitive interfaces have so many things wrong with them *for my uses - your mileage may vary* that I have neither need nor desire to use one. I do have a mobile phone; I use it for making calls. It's quite good at that.
Despite the possibility of bluetooth headsets, video calls or what have you, it's still a fail as a form factor for making calls.
The reason I say that is I don't take a tablet with me on a night out, and I do still need to be able to make phone calls.
Now, I could own two devices, many of us probably already do, but what I definitely don't want is two contracts with {insert preferred network}.
So all that said, I need a phone that isn't massive, for the times when I don't want to carry a tablet but do need the possibility of making calls/sending texts/accessing data/etc...
Maybe what this really means is that the form factor isn't a fail, but that the business model for selling it is. If it could be coupled to my existing account then maybe some days I would just take my tablet and a bluetooth headset, and on other days I'd just take my phone...
I would like a 7inch tablet that just has WiFi and a separate phone that is small and basic but provides a personal WiFi (or Bluetooth) hotspot for my tablet. It would be nice if the contacts were synced between the two, and the phone told me if I had a new email, showing me the subject line – I would use the tablet to read the email. The phone does not need more then a small b&w screen.
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