The first Google Tango phone is out right now, and it goes by the name of the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro.
Back in June, Google had announced its first Tango-enabled phone which was then being developed by Lenovo. The phone will be the first in long line of phones to come with Google’s new augmented reality capabilities. The best part is that it’ll be coming with 35 new Tang-exclusive apps for users to enjoy Ghostly Mansions and Crayola Colour Blaster.
Tango is a project that was initially developed by Google that uses sensors like motion and depth sensors along with some visioning software that allows for advanced augmented reality experiences. This will enable the phone to envision 3D objects to spawn in the environment in real-time through the phone’s screen, so people can know exactly how a piece of furniture will look in their hall before they buy it. There’s also an app that will allow for the phone to measure the distance between objects that through their screen. And it’s got a pretty straightforward name – measure.
“We definitely are excited about the future of how the technologies of VR and Tango ultimately come together,” says Google’s Johnny Lee. “When I think of Tango, it’s a tracking technology and we’ve done a lot of hard work in reducing the cost, reducing the power, increasing the performance to hit phones. A lot of the work that we’re doing will enable inside out tracking in VR. As Daydream matures and as Tango matures, there’s an obvious crossroads that we’re excited about.”
Like Lee says, the technology will improve experience, but it will come at the cost of some really serious tech. And the Phab 2 Pro will deliver on that experience thanks to its 6.4-inch screen, a Snapdragon 652 chip with 4GB of RAM and a 4,050mAh battery. Google really wants the Tango to come to the mainstream and they’re hoping that more manufacturers apply Tango in their newer phones.
What’s curious is that if Google actually did want to make the Tango popular with the crowd, they could have probably released it on the new Pixels since it would be a good way to bring the popularity of the platform and also introduce some great new features on the best Google device there is.
We’re hoping that since Lenovo will get first dibs, that it doesn’t turn out to be a niche market. It’s a very lucrative platform, so there are tons of possibilities for third party companies, but that depends how well this is kick-started. We’ll have to wait until the tech becomes more common during the beginning of next year when more devices come with it.
As for now, the Phab 2 Pro will be available for $499. For that price, it’s a great Marshmallow device, if users can hold such a huge phone in their hands, that is.