Asus has finally given the Asus Padfone 2 a UK release date of sorts, with pre-orders opening on Friday March 1.

While its successor was shown off at MWC 2013 today, we’re not expecting to see the Padfone Infinity hit the shelves for a good while yet so if you’re keen to enjoy a phone in a tablet, then the Padfone 2 is your best bet.

Unfortunately, it’s not a cheap buy. To get the Padfone 2 with its Padstation dock, you’ll have to shell out £599; but you do get a choice of black or white, so there is that.

Is it a Pad or is it a phone?

You’re getting a pretty nifty device for the cash too – in our hands on Asus Padfone 2 review we advised that you think of it as both a smartphone and tablet which means you only need the one data plan for both.

Then there’s the grunt: a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4.7-inch Super IPS+ display and a hefty 2140mAh battery (if you opt for the higher-capacity model).

Our full Asus Padfone 2 review is in the works but in the meantime you can check out our comprehensive hands on which may help you make up your mind.

Though the iPad mini has been on sale for only a few days, rumors are already circulating about its replacement.

The story goes that the iPad mini 2 will have an even sharper display of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels packed into the same 7.9-inch space.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman – who was in China visiting chip companies in mid-December 2012 said: “iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple’s gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content.”

So could that mean the iPad mini 2 release date is early 2013?

It seems like Apple has been surprised by the iPad mini demand, although there are no real sales numbers for the device from Apple as yet. iPad mini supply will be short until the new year it seems.

iPad Mini 2 display

That is the same resolution as the grownup iPad 4 with Retina display, and the next mini should either have that Retina tech or something similar.

Since the mini is much smaller, it means even more pixels can be cramped into every inch; the mini 2 is said to have a crisp 324 ppi density.

Upping the screen resolution isn’t the most surprising upgrade for the potential iPad mini 2.

The biggest criticism of the current iPad mini so far is its 1,024 x 768 resolution. Critics wonder why a Retina display wasn’t incorporated into the first iPad mini to begin with.

Cynics will say Apple went with a lower resolution so it had some low hanging fruit to grab for the next upgrade. Production problems surrounding the iPad mini might also be the culprit.

Anand Lal Shimpi and Vivek Gowri of Anandtech suggest that there are three things Apple has to do to bring a retina display to the iPad mini.

iPad mini 2 price

Just a few weeks ago, reports said the iPad mini’s steep price point of $329 (£269/AU$369) was due to manufacturing difficulties.

The new GF DITO touchscreen technology that helps make the mini so small is reportedly one of many production hurdles.

AU Optronics (AUO), the company that produces the current iPad mini LCD panels, was also having yield issues with the mini screens at first, so a Retina-like display could have caused additional production headaches.

However, AUO claims it smoothed out production problems surrounding the current panels, already resolving the light leak issues that held up fabrication.

Despite construction constraints, there are still plenty of the present iPad minis to go around.

iPad mini 2 release date

The mini went on sale last Friday to a lukewarm reception, and though Apple sold out of the tiny tablets in some places, they are still fairly easy to find.

It seems like Apple might have to do a little more than pump up the screen resolution to get consumers excited for the next pint-sized iPad.

With production of the sharper screens projected to start by the later half of 2013, Apple has the iPad mini 2, or whatever Cupertino decides to call it.

The iPad mini has finally arrived after months of rumours and speculation and as stores around the world gear up for the November 2 release date of the Wi-Fi only models we take a look at who’s offering it in the UK.

The iPad mini price, as expected, is a little steeper than the likes of the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and for those wanting to get hold of a cellular model, you may want to start saving, as you’ve got a couple of weeks to wait until these 4G/3G enabled slates hit.

Apple also dropped a bit of a surprise at the iPad mini launch event, announcing the new iPad 4 as well, with a beefed up processor and HD FaceTime camera, so we’ve also taken a look at who’s offering this alongside the 7.9-inch tablet.

EE

EE will offer the iPad mini and new iPad 4 with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to the UK’s first 4G mobile network.

The brand was one of the many logos shown on stage by Apple at the launch, but only recently have we got confirmation of its appearance.

EE’s 24 month tablet plans have now popped up on its website, with the cheapest offering setting you back £25.99 a month for 2GB of data.

There’s another two tariffs to choose from, with 3GB of data costing £30.99 per month and 5GB coming in at £35.99.

Don’t forget there will be an upfront charge for the iPad mini and new iPad 4 (no word on exact cost yet) on top of this, so you may want to call your bank manager and shuffle your finances.

Orange and T-Mobile

Parent company EE also revealed: “Orange and T-Mobile will also offer iPad mini and fourth generation iPad on fast HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA networks” – still no word on the iPad 4 and iPad mini price though.

Three

Three claims it will offer a range of data plans for the iPad mini and iPad 4, but exact details of price and release date remain unknown.

Customers who opt to take out a Three data plan on a new iPad mini or iPad 4 have been promised connection to the carrier’s “ultrafast network, planned to cover almost 50% of the UK population by the end of the year with average speeds of 6-8 Mbps”.

Vodafone

A Vodafone spokesperson has told TechRadar: “Vodafone UK will be offering iPad mini and fourth generation iPad. We’ll confirm availability date and pricing soon.”

Carphone Warehouse

The high street retailer has confirmed it will be stocking the iPad mini, although it hasn’t said which networks the 7.9-inch tablet will be available on, nor is there any word on release date or price.

O2

We’ve contacted O2 about the iPad mini or new iPad 4, and we’ll update this article once we hear back.

Phones4U

Phones4U is yet to jump aboard the Apple bandwagon and furnish us with iPad 4 and iPad mini prices.

With the Windows 8 launch just around the corner, LG is the latest to unveil its new-OS running wares with an all-in-one PC and tablet-notebook hybrid.

The company hasn’t been all that forthcoming with details on the LG H160 hybrid, we do know that it’s an 11.6-inch screened device, with an LG-made IPS panel.

In terms of thickness, it comes in at 15.9mm and LG’s clocking battery life at around 10 hours, and we’re looking at Wi-Fi, HDMI-out, USB and a microSD card slot when it comes to connections.

Touch-friendly

Everyone who’s anyone in tech has announced a tablet-notebook hybrid this year, with the touch-friendly tablet version of the OS, Windows RT, urging them along – it’s not clear if the LG H160 is running Windows RT or Windows 8 though.

Moving on the all-in-one, LG’s V325 has a touch-screen, third-gen Core i5 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GT640M for graphics.

No international release date for either computer yet, but they’ll be hitting Korea on Windows 8 launch day, October 26.