New Delhi: Unlike any other phone, the PHAB2 Pro, powered by Tango technology – a set of sensors and software from Google that senses and maps its surroundings – makes a host of cutting-edge smartphone augmented reality (AR) experiences possible.
“Put simply, we wanted to take what was an amazing concept and transform it into a commercially viable mobile device,” said Jeff Meredith, vice president and general manager of Android and Chrome Computing, Lenovo. “From the moment we saw Tango, we knew it could become pervasive, just like GPS. However, to truly make the PHAB2 Pro a game-changer, we developed it at an affordable price for mainstream consumers, delivering not just a bleeding-edge phone, but an all-around fantastic phone that’s first to market.”
We’re at Lenovo’s Tech World event in San Francisco, where — after months of teasing — the company has just debuted the first consumer phone running Google’s crazy computer vision system, Project Tango (now called just “Tango”).
It’s called The PHAB2 Pro — which, well, doesn’t seem like the catchiest name. But it’s what’s inside that counts, right?
While Tango makes the PHAB2 Pro unique, the device stands on its own as a premium smartphone. It is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 652 processor, which brings efficient hardware integration and processing, leading 4G LTE connectivity, and cutting-edge time stamping and camera and sensor processing capabilities.
Here’s what’s inside:
Android Marshmallow
A seriously huge 6.4″ display running at 2560×1440
64 GB of internal storage
4 GB of RAM
16MP rear camera
8MP front camera
4050mAh battery (with 2.4x Fast Charging)
Fingerprint scanner on the rear of the case
But most notably, it’s got a whole array of sensors on the rear that make it “Tango”-enabled — the first phone to be able to claim as much.
Wondering what the heck Tango is?
First announced about two years ago, Project Tango is Google’s effort to bring hardcore computer vision capabilities to phones and tablets, giving those devices a sense of where they are in a room and what’s around them. Imagine being able to wave your device around to scan a room to create an accurate 3d model, then dropping properly scaled renders of furniture you’re considering right into the room. ; imagine augmented reality games that can be played on your table top, characters climbing over and falling off the table’s edges.
The PHAB 2 Pro will be available globally by September, with an off-contract price of $500.