ASUS ZenFone AR, Google Daydream and Tango in a phone (Updated)

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Google has recently taken on ventures that seem to follow the mainstream these days with the emerging technologies Virtual and Augmented Reality as the highlights. Daydream is their take on Virtual Reality which focuses on VRs capability to create new worlds just like well...daydreams and is currently supported by Google's very own phones. Tango on the other hand is their attempt to bring Augmented Reality to the pockets of consumers which was debuted on the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Well, it now seems that both these technologies will be featured on the ASUS ZenFone AR. 

 

 

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Specifically, the post reveals that the device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 chipset. And while we already know it's Tango-enabled, the post notes that the handset is Daydream-ready as well, making it the first smartphone of its kind.

 

"With Zenfone AR and the Daydream View headset and controller, you’ll be able to explore new worlds with apps like Google Street View and Fantastic Beasts, dive into your personal VR cinema with YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and HBO, and get your game on with Gunjack 2, LEGO BrickHeadz, Need for Speed and dozens other titles," the blog post says.

 

Famous leakster Evan Blass, also known as @evleaks, has outed the press renders for the upcoming Zenfone AR, before the phone's official announcement on Wednesday. You can see them below.

 

I honestly didn't expect ASUS to release a phone of this kind though anything can happen at CES. The phone seems to mimic ASUS phones of the past with a bigger portion reserved at the back of the phone for the sensors required to create the Tango and Daydream experience. I don't particularly plan on acquiring the phone considering the fact that Tango isn't fully fleshed-out as of now and Daydream doesn't really entice me as much as other VR experiences albeit pricier. I do hope that more companies jump on board with ASUS and Lenovo on introducing Augmented Reality as a platform that is more than just Pokemon Go, but so far there hasn't been much to see other than the occasional update to fix bugs and glitches that plague the system. Other than that everything else will be revealed at the official conference at CES so expect this post to get updated with the complete list of specifications and price.

 

Sources: GSM Arena, The Verge, evleaks

 

UPDATE:

 

Specifications from ASUS:

 

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• Finish/Color
  Leather-like finish : Charcoal Black
  Premium-crafted metallic diamond-cut
• Dimensions
  158.67 x 77.7 x 4.6 ~ 8.95 mm (WxDxH)
• Weight
  170 g
• Operating System
  Android™ 7.0 with brand-new ASUS ZenUI 3.0
• Processor
  CPU:
  64-bit Qualcomm® Quad-Core ProcessorSnapdragon™ 821 @2.35Ghz
  GPU:
  Adreno™ 530
• Display
  5.7-inch
  WQHD (2560 x 1440) Super Amoled 
  79% screen-to-body ratio
  Tru2life technology for high contrast and outdoor readable
  Bluelight Filter for Eye Care
  Corning® Gorilla® Glass4 (Super Anti Scratch)
  NTSC over 100% /3,000,000 : 1 dynamic contrast
  Touch:
  10-finger capacitive touch 
  Industrial-leading 60ms touch response time for smooth gaming experience 
  Support glove touch
• Memory
  RAM 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4
• Capacity
  Internal Storage:
  UFS 2.0 32GB / 64GB / 128GB / 256GB
  Micro SD:
  Micro SD(SDXC) Card up to2 TB 
  
  ASUS WebStorage: 5GB free for life 
  Google Drive: 100GB free space (2 years)
• Battery
  3300mAh (non-removable)
  BoostMaster Fast Charging : 60% battery capacity in 39 minutes (18W)
  PowerDelivery 2.0
  Quick Charge 3.0
  Depending on testing conditions, results may vary.
• Audio
  Speaker:
  Built-in Mono speaker
  “New” 5 magnet speaker for up to 40% better performance
  ASUS SonicMaster 3.0
  DTS Headphone:X™ for virtual 7.1 surround sound
  Hi-Res Audio 192kHz/24-bit standard that is 4 times better than CD quality
  NXP Smart AMP technology delivers up to 4X sound volume
• Video
  
  4K video recording
• Wireless Technology
  802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  5 Ghz 2x2 MIMO Support
  Bluetooth V 4.2 +A2DP +EDR
  Wi-Fi direct
• Navigation
  GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS/BDS
• SIM Cards
  Dual SIM card
  SIM 1: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM Card
  SIM 2: 2G/3G/4G Nano SIM Card
  Dual SIM Dual Standby
  Only use the nano SIM card or the microSD card at a time
  Both SIM card slots support 3G WCDMA network band. But only one SIM card can connect to 3G WCDMA service at a time.
• Network Standard
  UMTS/WCDMA/TD-SCDMA/LTE/TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE
  Data Rate:
  HSPA+: UL 5.76 / DL 42.2 Mbps 
  LTE Cat12: DL 600 Mbps 
  LTE Cat13:UL 75 Mbps 
  ASUS phone 4G/LTE band compatibility varies by region. Please check compatibility with local carriers If intending to use your ASUS phone outside the original purchase region.
  DL Cat.12/13, UL Cat.11 speed vary with the mobile operator and regions. 4G LTE is supported in specific countries/regions only.
• NFC
  Yes
• Sensor
  Accelerator/E-Compass/Gyroscope/Proximity sensor/Hall sensor/Ambient light sensor/RGB sensor/IR sensor (Laser Focus)/Fingerprint/Barometer
• I/O Ports
  USB Type-C 2.0
  3.5mm audio jack(1 Head phone / Mic-in)
• Camera
  Front:
  
  8MP Camera , f/2.0 aperture 85˚ wide-viewing angle
  Fix Focus
  Auto Focus
  Dual-LED real tone flash
  PixelMaster Camera Modes:
  Back Light (HDR) Mode
  Low Light Mode
  Manual Mode (for DSLR-like camera detail settings)
  Real Time Beautification Mode
  Super Resolution Mode (for up to 4X resolution photos)
  Night Mode
  Depth of Field Mode
  Photo Effect Mode
  Selfie Panorama
  Selfie Mode
  GIF Animation Mode
  Panorama Selfie Mode
  Miniature Mode
  Time Rewind Mode
  Smart Remove Mode
  All Smiles Mode
  Slow Motion Mode
  Time Lapse Mode
  Panorama Mode
  
  Rear:
  
  23MP Camera, f/2.0 aperture, 6 P Largan lens 
  
  Fix Focus
  Auto Focus
  0.03 second laser auto-focus
  32 second long exposure
  Close-up macro photography (5 cm)
  3X optical zoom / 12X total zoom
  4-axis, 4 stops Optical Image Stabilization for steady photos
  0.03 sec Ultrafast TriTech auto focus
  Ultra-fast 0.03 sec TriTech Focus System : Phase Detection AF / 2nd gen Laser AF / Continuous AF
  Color correction (RGB) sensor for the best white balance and natural-looking colors
  RAW file support
  Blue Glass IR Filter
  Zero Shutter Lag 
  LED flash
  Dual-LED real tone flash
  PixelMaster Camera Modes:
  Back Light (HDR) Mode
  Low Light Mode
  Manual Mode (for DSLR-like camera detail settings)
  Real Time Beautification Mode
  Super Resolution Mode (for up to 4X resolution photos)
  Night Mode
  Depth of Field Mode
  Photo Effect Mode
  Selfie Panorama
  Selfie Mode
  GIF Animation Mode
  Panorama Selfie Mode
  Miniature Mode
  Time Rewind Mode
  Smart Remove Mode
  All Smiles Mode
  Slow Motion Mode
  Time Lapse Mode
  Panorama Mode
  TriCam™ System for Tango:
  Motion tracking camera lets ZenFone AR track its location as it moves through space.
  Depth sensing camera with an infrared (IR) projector lets ZenFone AR measure its distance from real-world objects.
  High-resolution 23MP camera lets you view virtual objects in your actual environment in stunning detail.
• Power Adapter
  Output:
  9 V 2 A 18 W
  Input:
  100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
  Support Fast Charging /Bundle Fast Charging
• Accessories
  Headset
  Adapter
• User Interface
  ASUS ZenUI 3.0
• Note
  2G:Support
  3G:Support WCDMA
  4G:Support FDD/TD/2CA/3CA

 

The specifications are quite frankly what I expected with the phone being equipped with Snapdragon's latest CPU, 6 or even 8 GB of RAM, and Nougat already installed. The battery has a decent capacity albeit non-removable though that is addressed with the phone being equipped with the capability for QuickCharge 3.0 and other software that can aid in charging the said device. One of the highlights of the phone is of course its cameras and sensors which will be key given the implementation of Google Tango. The phone is also equipped with USB Type C 2.0 and of course the gimmicky headphone jack (who even needs that right? /s). It's also nice to see a phone that offers expandable storage especially considering the current trend in the market.

 

I still do not see myself purchasing the phone and the price hasn't been disclosed as of now though I expect it to be priced quite high given the specifications given and the features the company is boasting about. The key to the success of the device will be the software especially Google's Tango and Daydream which are still very young and need to be further developed or the features won't really matter which will lead to it becoming more of a phone with gimmicks.

 

Sources: ASUS

Edited January 5, 2017 by DatSpeed