In a review of the newly upgraded Asus Fonepad, tech experts found the £180 device too big with its 7-inch screen to function as a phone. As a tablet, the gadget is neither impressive and is hampered by a lackluster screen.

CNET, in its review, said it was not surprised by the 7-inch screen since the Taiwanese firm is the same company behind the Nexus 7 tablet, which the Web site said is a better device.

CNET pointed out that while Asus thinks the Fonepad is a sensible choice for a main phone, it isn't, stressing that "At 7 inches, the Fonepad is unquestionably a tablet, not a phone. Squeezing it into your pockets in a challenge and holding it up to make a call in public will rightfully make you feel embarrassed."

"Unless you have hands the size of small planets though, the Fonepad is just too big to make it a viable option for everyday use," CNET said.

With your £180, rather than go for a device that is neither a phone nor a tablet, CNET suggested instead buying the Nexus 7, which has a more powerful processor and can be linked with an existing phone contract for those who need Internet connection.

The Fonepad measures 196 mm long, 120 mm wide and 10 mm thick and its humongous 7-inch display has a resolution of 1,280x800 pixels, similar to the Nexus 7 in terms of clarity, but quite inferior when it comes to brightness and colour tone. It runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

The upgraded version now clocks a faster 1.6GHz from the previous 1.2GHz because of the shift to the Intel Atom Z2460 chipset from the single-core Intel Atom chipset.

Reiterating that the Fonepad is too big for its own good, CNET said, "There's no question either that you will look utterly ridiculous making a call on it. I felt foolish enough make a call on Samsung's whopping Galaxy Note 2, and that's only 5.5 inches. The Asus Fonepad is in a whole other league of humiliation."

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