The much awaited ASUS ZenFone AR is finally out. CES 2017 was where the Taiwanese tech company chose to launch the Tango-powered smartphone that brings augmented reality and virtual reality together. This is perhaps the next era of smartphones since mobile industry has been flat for some time. Sure, there are enhancements in basic features and camera technologies but phones are still the same. We only see improvements in specs but slow on main functions—until this ZenFone AR comes along.
The new ASUS smartphone brings mobile users outside reality. We can go in the augmented and virtual realm now with the ZenFone AR that is a first of its kind in the world. Well, it’s the second Tango-enable phone but this one also supports the Daydream VR platform directly.
The ZenFone AR handset takes advantage of Google’s latest Tango and Daydream. It’s powerful enough to support the two technologies. The AR part of the phone lets you use it with apps that can recognize space and dimension to bring virtual objects on screen. the idea is for you to see first on augmented reality how an item fits or looks in an area. Whatever the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro can do, expect the ZenFone AR also can and more.
The phone comes with a 23MP rear camera and makes use of a TriCam system, a computer vision software, IR projector, depth-sensing camera, and a motion-tracking camera.
For its VR capability, the phone has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED panel that shows vibrant colors, deep blacks, NTSC color full coverage, and a WQHD 1440 × 2560 resolution. The phone is ideal to use with the Daydream View from Google because of its size, specs, and speed as made possible by the Adreno 530 GPU and Snapdragon 821 processor.
The new Snapdragon 821 chipset is able to handle Tango and Daydream for better AR and VR mobile experiences. In the coming months, expect to hear more AR and VR apps to be launched especially for the ZenFone AR. This phone is definitely revolutionary because if brings AR and VR in a more mobile and compact experience. The specs have been optimized for the special features that are set to make some major changes on the tech horizon.
ASUS ZenFone AR will be ready next quarter in North America. No information on pricing yet but we’re guessing it will costmorethan the latest ZenFone devices we know.
ASUS ZenFone AR Keys Specs:
• OS: Android™ 7.0 with brand-new ASUS ZenUI 3.0
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Adreno 530
• Display: 5.7-INCH WQHD AMOLED, 2560 x 1440 resolution, Gorilla Glass 4
• Dimensions: 158.67 x 77.7 x 4.6 ~ 8.95 mm (WxDxH)
• Weight: 170g
• Battery: 3300mAh (non-removable) with Quick Charge 3.0
• RAM: 6GB/8GB
• Storage: 32GB (expandable)
• Cam: 23MP with motion tracking and depth sensing
• Cam: 8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB, 4G/LTE, WiFi direct, USB Type-C 2.0, NFC
• Others: Built-in Mono speaker, ASUS SonicMaster 3.0, 4K video recording, dual SIM card slot
ASUS ZenFone AR Hands-on Photos:
SOURCE: ASUS
