ASUS will launch new smartphones in US in 2014

In an interview with All Things D, ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih said that his company will be launching its smartphones in the US in 2014. Shih said that his company has been busy talking with carriers and building the relationships that will be necessary for the company to succeed in the US smartphone market.

"For the phone, frankly speaking, we are still the latecomers," Shih said in an interview after Google's Nexus 7 launch last week. "We are making progress. I think next year is more reasonable." This news could mean that ASUS could be bringing the hybrid 7-inch Fonepad to the US along with its companion, the Padfone. Both devices combine to transform into a true phone / tablet mashup and is actually where we get the term "phablet" from.

This would fall inline with the company's Transformer Book Trio, which combines Android and Windows 8 into a tablet, laptop, and desktop all-in-one device. Shih closed out the interview by saying, "I think we are going to have something even more revolutionary for this series."