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Google's ARCore technology is building steam since its initial test launch on Pixel and Galaxy S8 phones. This came with a promise to support more phones, which was followed a few weeks later with a half-dozen more phones added during MWC. To keep the momentum going, Google also featured nearly 90 new apps and games that made use of ARCore in some way. Now with the latest update, we can likely guess at the next phones on the list.
The ZenFone AR was a peculiar device when it launched. Just looking at the specs, it seems rather beefy for the time—few phones with the Snapdragon 821 had 6/8GB RAM options. This was all intended for use with Google's Project Tango augmented reality platform, but that was unceremoniously killed last December. As a result, the ZenFone AR is getting a $200 price cut.This brings the 6GB RAM / 64GB storage SKU to $399, and the 8GB/128GB SKU to $499. This is a first for the higher-end model, as it didn't see a discount in January.Android Police reviewed the ZenFone AR, concluding that "Tango is cool and all, but you'll likely play with it a few times and never open it (or the apps) again." While the ZenFone AR seems to still be on 7.0 (Nougat), it was updated to the December 2017 security update, and supports the bootloader unlock tool.Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for ASUS to revive the PadFone.Source: Amazon (6/64GB, 8/128GB)
If you're interested in experiencing augmented reality on Android, you have very few options. The ASUS ZenFone AR is one of them. We reviewed it back in August and came to the conclusion that it's not a bad phone. Now you can pick one up for 9.99, $100 off its MSRP, on Amazon.The ZenFone AR sports a 5.7" 1440p AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with microSD expansion, a 23MP rear camera with OIS, an 8MP selfie-shooter, and a 3,300mAh battery. Also on board are a headphone jack, USB Type-C, and a fingerprint sensor. Our review noted poor battery life and that AR hadn't changed much since the Phab2 Pro, but we liked its screen, camera, and fingerprint sensor.If you want one, head over to Amazon. Do note that the discount only applies to the 6GB/64GB variant; the 8GB/128GB model is still sitting pretty at $699. I wonder how many people have actually purchased the 8GB/128GB version.Source: Amazon
ASUS isn't traditionally a manufacturer of expensive or interesting phones, but the ZenFone AR satisfies both of those characteristics. At $699 in the top spec, the Tango-equipped ZenFone AR was (and is) a tough sell. But if you were interested in the 6GB RAM/64GB storage version, you can now score one for $50 off MSRP from a few retailers.Both the Verizon and unlocked versions of the ZenFone AR came out in August, and the one discounted is the unlocked model. Specs include a 5.7" 1440p AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with microSD expansion, a 23MP rear camera with OIS, an 8MP selfie-shooter, and a 3,300mAh battery. There's also USB Type-C, a fingerprint sensor, a headphone jack (!), and of course, Tango support. It's also dual-SIM, for what that's worth. In our review, we noted that the screen and camera were pretty good, though battery life wasn't the best. Unfortunately, Tango doesn't seem to have matured much since the Phab2 Pro, but it has its niche use cases. It's definitely one of the more unique phones on the market.Amazon, B&H, and Best Buy are all running $50 discounts on the 6GB RAM version, making the current price $549.99. The 8GB/128GB model isn't discounted, but who really needs 8GB of RAM on their phone? Hit the source links below to view their listings.Source: Amazon, B&H, Best Buy
It's been a busy month so far for Asus, what with the launch of the myriad different phones in the ZenFone 4 family and the Project Tango equipped ZenFone AR going on sale. With the new products comes a new software skin nobody asked for, ZenUI 4.0, and one of its key features has been released as a standalone app.
Google has partnered with another manufacturer to produce a phone with Tango on board, for better or for worse. Stepping up to the plate this time is Asus with the ZenFone AR. The first phone ever to support both Tango and Daydream VR comes in a much, much smaller package than last year's Phab2 Pro from Lenovo, and accomplishes both things in an arguably better manner.
There has only been one Tango phone up to this point, the hilariously oversized Lenovo Phab2 Pro. Now, Asus is arriving on the scene with a phone that actually looks like a phone rather than a re-badged tablet. The ZenFone AR went on sale through Verizon last night, and now it's live on Amazon as an unlocked device. For a mere $599, you can begin exploring augmented reality, which I hear is way cooler than regular reality.The ZenFone AR has a 5.7-inch 1440p AMOLED display, so it's capable of Daydream VR in addition to AR. At this point, who even needs regular reality? The device is much smaller than the Phab2 Pro was, and all the Tango modules fit in a block on the back of the phone. Inside is a Snapdragon 821, 6-8GB of RAM, and 64-128GB of storage.The version with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is in stock now on Amazon for $599. The 8/128GB variant can be purchased now, but it won't ship for 2-4 weeks, according to the site. That one is $100 more at $699. These are GSM unlocked, so AT&T and T-Mobile along with the various MVNOs are the targets. CDMA networks aren't supported.Source: Amazon
The first phone to be equipped with Google's Project Tango augmented-reality capabilities was the Lenovo Phab2 Pro. If you read our review, you'll know that it wasn't a good experience at all. But another Tango-powered phone is on the way, and you can order it now from Verizon.
Mobile VR hasn't really taken off, and Google's augmented-reality Project Tango experiment is in the same boat. The first publicly-available phone with Project Tango, the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, launched last year. If you read our review, you'll know that the massive size, poor performance, and price made it a hard sell even for VR/AR enthusiasts.
This year's CES has a couple more days yet to go, but the announcements for the show have settled out, and we probably won't be seeing any more big news from the world's largest technology conference. As such, we're about to head out ourselves from Las Vegas, and we're leaving you with some of our favorite technology announced this year. Without further ado, these are Android Police's picks for the Best of CES in 2017. (Presented in no particular order.)
Asus is announcing two new smartphones at CES, and each of them is notable for different reasons. There's the ZenFone 3 Zoom (left), which as the name implies, has optical zoom. Then there's the ZenFone AR (right), which was leaked by Qualcomm's site a few days ago.
This is definitely an "Oops" moment for Qualcomm. The chipset manufacturer accidentally leaked/revealed the newest Asus device ahead of the CES announcement. While new devices are sometimes worth getting excited about, this one is actually special: the ZenFone AR, as it is named, will be the second phone with Tango built in. Qualcomm noted in its now removed blog post that the ZenFone AR will use the Snapdragon 821 SoC and that the new phone would also be Daydream-ready. Of course, this would be the first device to run both of Google's augmented and virtual reality platforms.