The ZenFone AR is one of just a handful of devices to support either Tango or Daydream. Offering both renders it a unique device, although few consumers are likely to be familiar with either name.
Daydream is Google’s new virtual reality ecosystem that launched with Android 7.0 Nougat. It lets you place the ZenFone AR into a headset and immediately immerse yourself in another world. It’s different to augmented reality, which overlays visuals on the real world.
This is where Tango steps in. The ZenFone AR is only the second phone to offer the technology, the first being Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro. Tango uses sensors and computer-vision software to enable augmented reality on mobile devices. While the number of supporting apps is currently low, it offers a new way of interacting with the space around you.
Asus has had to optimise the ZenFone’s hardware so it supports Tango. A special camera system, Asus TriCam, has been developed to power the phone’s augmented reality features. It uses three camera sensors to let Tango work out its location in real-time. The 23-megapixel primary camera is accompanied by motion-tracking and depth-sensing sensors.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor within has also been specially optimised. To handle the demands of Tango, Asus has included 8GB of RAM, making the ZenFone AR the first smartphone to offer so much. The package is completed by a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, a 3,300mAh battery, NFC, Qualcomm Quick Charge and up to 256GB of storage.
With powerful internals and support for both AR and VR, the ZenFone AR could appeal to smartphone power users interested in emerging technologies. That niche is still relatively small though.
To really succeed, the ZenFone AR will need a large roster of AR and VR content. As it stands, these ecosystems are still emerging. Asus’ website contains links to a handful of games and in-home utilities that work with Tango but there’s not anything likely to make AR a must-have feature this year. Although Asus promises “endless entertainment opportunities,” in practice it seems likely Tango could end up being neglected by early adopter owners.
Asus hasn’t announced pricing for the ZenFone AR yet but it’s not going to be a cheap device. Availability information is also yet to be revealed with the company only mentioning the second quarter of 2017. It’s unusual for a smartphone to be revealed so long before its launch and it won’t be many months before Asus’ record-breaking spec sheet is replicated by other brands.
