Lenovo is launching Phab2 Pro, the world’s first phone with Tango, the augmented reality (AR) technology from Google. The phones, with a price tag of $499 will be coming to the US later this year.
Augmented reality is technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. What happens when augmented reality meets phone? The virtual world of fantasy suddenly comes to the living room. For example, using AR apps, students can place true-to-scale virtual dinosaurs in their classrooms. Users can play virtual dominos on the kitchen table, raise a digital pet in the bedroom. Homeowners can use their PHAB2 Pro to remodel their homes by visualizing real home furnishings in their living rooms and kitchens (Lowe’s has developed a Tango-enabled phone that lets customers do just that).
From the moment we saw Tango, we knew it could become pervasive, just like GPS
“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.”
“Tango enables our devices to sense physical motion and space and, as a result, has the power to change how we interact with our surroundings. We believe that devices with positional tracking functionality will be pervasive.” said Johnny Lee, Engineering Director at Google.
The technology behind Tango
Three core technologies bring Tango experiences to life: motion tracking, depth perception and area learning. Through motion tracking, the PHAB2 Pro’s “eye” sees its own location in 3D. Area learning tells the smartphone its location. Depth perception lets the device analyze the shape of the world around it by detecting surfaces and obstacles. Phab2 Pro sensors capture more than 250,000 measurements a second, says Lenovo.
Tech Specs – Phab 2 Pro
- Processor – Snapdragon 652 processor, Tango edition
- Memory – 64 GB ROM / 4 GB RAM
- Display – 6.4″ QHD (1440 x 2560)
- Camera – 16 MP rear camera / 8 MP front camera
- Audio – Dolby Atmos / 5.1 Audio Capture
- Body – 8.9 mm aluminum unibody. Fingerprint scanner. 2.5D curved glass
- Battery – 4050 mAh
Lenovo also announced the Phab 2 and Phab 2 Plus phones, continuing the launch of the company’s Phab line of phones unveiled last year.