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The Nexus 7 was a breakthrough product for Google. For too long Android tablets had struggled to make an impression in a market dominated by Apple's iPad, and it was Asus that stepped up to the plate and gave Google the ideal hardware platform with which to shift the balance of power. However, the Nexus 7 is now a year old and there's a fair chance that owners will be on the lookout for potential upgrades. The Asus FonePad - with its similar dimensions, low price point and familiar manufacturer - could certainly be considered one such option, but there are some pretty significant caveats present here - as well as a few major enhancements, too.The Nexus 7 was impressive from a technical standpoint, but some owners took issue with the cheap build quality - an almost inevitable consequence of cramming what was then a cutting-edge chipset into a device with such an aggressive price-point. Asus has atoned for this shortcoming with the FonePad, granting it a robust and solid structure which showcases none of the creakiness of its Nexus-branded sibling. The back of the tablet is metal, while the bezel which runs around the tempered glass screen is glossy black. Smaller 7-inch slates rarely have the kind of visual pulling power of their larger relatives, but the FonePad certainly cannot be considered ugly. It's no heavyweight either - light enough to hold with one hand without experiencing any discomfort.
A plastic strip along the top edge of the rear of the FonePad betrays one of its most unique selling points - it has a Micro SIM slot and essentially functions as a phone with a massive screen, hence the unusual moniker. Needless to say, you should be prepared for some rather odd stares from strangers should you decide to put the FonePad to your ear and make a phone call in public; a more sensible option is to use a Bluetooth headset. The other obvious upshot of having cellular capability is 3G data, which makes the FonePad a more mobile option when compared to the entry-level WiFi-only Nexus 7.
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