Asus' rare breed of phones could arrive in the US next year

Asus is looking to enter the U.S. smartphone market in earnest, the Taiwanese company confirmed in an interview published today.

Asus Chairman Jonney Shih told AllThingsD that Asus is "hard at work" on smartphones for the U.S., though we may not actually see them until 2014.

"For the phone, frankly speaking, we are still the latecomers," Shih said. "We are making progress." He added that a release in the U.S. next year is "more reasonable" than one in 2013.

Asus meanwhile has reportedly been taking its time to build relationships with carriers and retailers to help ensure the success of whatever it does come up with.

Coming to America

Asus' smartphone products include the Padfone Infinity and Fonepad, smartphone/tablet hybrids available in a number of countries.

The Padfone line, including the Padfone Infinity's two predecessors, is capable of docking in the back of a larger device and becoming a tablet for all intents and purposes.

The Fonepad, meanwhile, is simply a 7-inch smartphone.

The original Padfone made it to the U.S. last year in an unlocked state, but only at unofficial retailers. For the future Asus is apparently eyeing a much more thorough U.S. launch.

And who's to say their next handset will even be a Padfone or Fonepad at all? The company may be better off starting fresh for its first official entry in the U.S.

After all, Shih promised "even more revolutionary" products moving forward.

• TechRadar explains why Asus has got the right idea but the wrong answer when it comes to gonzo hybrids like the Android/Windows Transformer Book Trio.