If the Asus Padfone sounds like a familiar device name to you, that’s because Asus first announced the development of this phone back in May. But, in true tech style, Asus didn’t really say much about the phone last spring. Finally, Asus has released some details about the Padfone, using this week’s tech conference in Barcelona as the chosen stage for this announcement.

The Padfone is an interesting phone that may prove to be very popular once the phone actually arrives on North American shelves (and throughout the rest of the world, of course). What’s so interesting about Asus’ newest phone addition? This phone is not just a phone, it’s really a phone that can double as a tablet, and it’s also a phone that comes with many different phone features.

What the Padfone Includes

The biggest news surrounding the Padfone isn’t actually the phone itself. Instead, it’s the Padfone docking station that can be purchased alongside this phone. The docking station will allow users to dock the phone and also turn the phone into a 10-inch tablet. Essentially, the Padfone docking station is a tablet that users can use if a bigger screen is needed. According to press, Asus has made the transition from phone to tablet seamless, and switching between the two is really quite simple once the phone has been docked.

The Padfone docking station also comes with a separate keyboard that will allow users to type long messages using a traditional keyboard. In addition to the (optional) docking station and keyboard, the Padfone comes with a Stylus pen. As you might have noticed Stylus pens are popping up everywhere lately. Samsung has a new phone that comes with a Stylus pen, and now Asus has adopted this technology too. The word is still out on whether or not consumers actually want a Stylus pen attached to a tablet or phone, but it’s interesting to see these phones pop up nonetheless.

Padfone Specs

Aside from the optional docking station, separate keyboard, and Stylus pen, the Padfone also comes with some other interesting features. With this phone, you’ll get Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich); an 8-megapixel camera attached to the back; a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen; and 64-GB of storage space. Clearly, this phone has everything that you’ll need to surf the net, send texts, download any one of Android’s apps, and turn your phone into a tablet just in case you need some extra space.

I really wish that Asus had let the world know how much this tablet and phone duo would retail for, but pricing information is still unknown. What is known is that Asus plans to ship this phone (and optional features) worldwide in April of 2012. If you’re in the market for a new phone by the time April rolls around, you might want to take a look at the Padfone. Just keep in mind that a bevvy of new phones are rolling out of Barcelona right now, and plenty of interesting options will soon be available – the Padfone included.