Project Tango has been in development for several years. Google has previously released limited-edition devices to showcase the technology but so far it has yet to make an appearance on a consumer phone. Back in January, Lenovo announced it would launch a Tango device this year. It is now planning to demonstrate the phone on June 9th at its Tech World conference in San Francisco.
According to Lenovo, Project Tango “turns the screen into a magic window” that overlays digital information and objects onto spaces in the real world. Tango gives smartphones access to the augmented reality depth sensing and motion tracking features found on headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens, enabling a device to react to the movements of its user and drive new in-app experiences.
Tango also includes unique location-sensing technology. Phones using Tango are able to work out whether they are indoors or outdoors, the kind of room they are in and their position relative to other objects. It works differently than systems such as GPS, allowing more precise location tracking on a scale that lets you find specific items in homes, offices or stores.
A sensor in the phone can work out the spatial dimensions of the room it is in. This information can be used by apps such as home design software for accurate measuring of rooms when purchasing items such as furniture and decorations.
Tango is powered by a unique array of cameras and spatial sensors. Developers are able to use the hardware in their apps, bringing existing experiences into the augmented reality space. Google has started an app incubator to get developers building Project Tango content.
Lenovo is pitching Tango as a revolutionary new way to experience smartphones. It will be sold as a key feature of its handsets. “To break new ground in today’s hypercompetitive smartphone and tablet industries, we must take innovation risks – it’s the only way to truly change the way people use mobile technology,” Chen Xudong, senior vice president and president of Lenovo’s mobile group, said in January. “Together with Google we’re breaking down silos by working across mobile hardware and software. Turning our shared vision into reality will create a more holistic product experience that captures the imagination of today’s consumer.”
The first Tango phone will launch globally later this summer with a display “less than 6.5 inches” in size and a price tag under $500. It will be powered by a Qualcomm processor as the chip manufacturer is a third partner in the project. Tango relies on Qualcomm technology for its complex processing, optimised for the firm’s Snapdragon mobile chips. Details on the rest of the phone’s hardware remain unconfirmed.
