Asus is expected to launch its PadFone mini hybrid device next week, Digital Spy said.

The company has distributed invites for a launch event in Taiwan on December 11, where the phone-tablet combo will likely be revealed.

The PadFone mini is a scaled-down version of the PadFone Infinity, serving as either a 4.3-inch smartphone or a 7-inch tablet when hooked up to its docking station.

Benchmarking tests suggest that the device will be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, run Android 4.3, Jelly Bean and feature a screen resolution of 960 x 540 when used as a phone.

The device will not feature 4G connectivity, with listings suggesting that it will be 3G-only.

Asus's PadFone mini has been tipped for a pre-Christmas launch given how late in the year its launch event is being held.