14 DAY TRIAL // Asus promised to release its own Tango-enabled smartphone, but it did not provide a release date for the upcoming device. The good news is we are closer to an official unveil than we might think.
We're two days away from CES 2017 and Qualcomm announced the world's first Tango-enabled smartphone to be powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor, the Asus ZenFone AR.
Unfortunately, not many details about the ZenFone AR are available at the moment, but we do know that it should be the world's first Tango smartphone to be Daydream-ready.
According to Qualcomm, “the ZenFone AR is the second commercially available Tango-enabled smartphone. The Lenovo PHAB2 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 652 processor, was the first, launched in June, and is available now.”
It's worth noting that the Snapdragon 652, 653, 820 and 821 processors all support Tango, and so will future Snapdragon 800 series and 600 series processors, which is why we expect the Snapdragon 835 CPU to be used in a flagship Tango-enabled smartphone throughout 2017.
No word on price and availability yet
Moreover, Qualcomm has confirmed that the ZenFone AR will be the world’s first Tango-enabled and Daydream-ready mobile device, which will allow users who also own a Daydream View headset and controller to explore new worlds with apps like Google Street View and Fantastic Beasts.
Some other VR content that you can watch on the ZenFone AR includes YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and HBO, as well as games like Gunjack 2, LEGO BrickHeadz, Need for Speed, and dozens of other titles.
“The ZenFone AR with Snapdragon 821 is built for VR with high-resolution display, ultra-smooth graphics and high-fidelity sensors for precise head tracking. Snapdragon 821 provides the cutting-edge visual, audio and interactive technologies required to deliver truly immersive mobile VR experience for leading Android smartphones,” explains Qualcomm in a press release.
Asus ZenFone AR will be showcased at Qualcomm's booth at CES 2017, but visitors will be able to check it out at Asus' booth as well.