American manufacturer Akyumen will soon bring a very intriguing device to the Windows 10 ecosystem (via Windows Central). Its Holofone Phablet is a 7-inch device that sports an Intel Cherry Trail processor, a built-in projector, but more important it is said to be “compatible with both Android and Windows OS.”
Akyumen may not be well known as a manufacturer, but the company currently sells a Windows 10 tablet and an Android phone with built-in projectors, plus other phone accessories. However, the Holofone Phablet is a whole different beast: according to the official spec sheet, the device has a “2 in 1” operating system with both Windows 10 and Android Lollipop.
The Holofone Phablet also sports a 4G LTE chip compatible with the GSM network, though it’s not clear if it is a real phablet (which means it can be used as a phone) or a very small tablet with data connectivity. In case you’re wondering, manufacturers are now allowed to develop Windows 10 devices with screens as small as 7-inch (the limit was previously 8 inches before Microsoft changed the hardware requirements for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update earlier this year), but Windows 10 doesn’t include a phone stack like Windows 10 Mobile does.
Additionally, the device’s 35 Lumen Projector is meant to be used for both business and consumer use cases: in the different marketing shots, the device is being used to project a Windows 10 desktop in a business meeting or in a living room. However, there is not a single marketing shot that accurately shows Windows 10 running on the 7-inch Holofone Phablet.
If you’re curious, here are the full specs of the Holofone Phablet:
- Intel Cherry Trail z8300 quad-core processor
- 7-inch Full HD display
- 4 Gigs of RAM
- 128 GB of storage, upgradable
- 3500 mAh battery
- 13 megapixel rear camera, 5MP front camera
- 2G/3G/4G LTE (GSM) and Wifi, Wifi Direct, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC
- Illuminated screen projector of up to 35 lumens to share your work and media on screens up to 100 inches
According to the official website, the Akyumen Holofone Phablet will be available on September 1, 2016 in four different packages starting at $600. Interestingly, the cheaper bundle is the “Education Package” while the most premium bundle only adds a $100 game controller to the preceding bundle:
- Education Package ($600) : Basic Saber Stand, Sabertooth Pen, DNA Earbuds, Basic DNA Speakers, Screen protector and Akyumen School Bag
- Basic Package ($750) : Sabertooth pen, high quality ear buds, basic device stand, screen protector
- Premium Package ($850) : Sabertooth pen, high quality ear buds, screen protector, external wireless Bluetooth speaker, Saber stand with built-in battery, allowing up to an additional 5 hours of battery life
- Advanced Package ($950) : Sabertooth pen, high quality ear buds, screen protector, external wireless Bluetooth speaker, game controller, Saber stand with built-in battery, allowing up to an additional 5 hours of battery life
We don’t really know what to think about the Akyumen Holofone Phablet. So far, Microsoft has never been a fan of devices featuring dual operating systems, and so this Windows 10/Android combo would be a first in that form factor. Furthermore, is there really a market for such a confusing product? The built-in projector could be a gimmick as modern Windows 10 laptops can already cast their screens using the Miracast wireless technology.
Lastly, the Holofone Phablet seems quite expensive for what looks like a compromised product: it could have been more interesting if it was a real phone running Windows 10 Mobile, but so far small Windows 10 tablets have never been popular in the market. Let us know in the comments what you think of the Akyumen Holofone Phablet.
