Lenovo has unveiled the world’s first consumer Project Tango device, the Phab 2 Pro at Lenovo Tech World.
When you’re creating a world’s first, you better do it right. It seems Lenovo are on the money after showing off the new Phab 2 Pro in San Francisco.
The non-consumer Tango devices, Peanut and Yellowstone, were a tad on the hefty side to be consumer products, nor were they intended for a consumer launch. Google has done right to ensure the first Tango device is at a consumer friendly-ish size. The Phab 2 Pro will have a massive 6.4-inch quad HD IPS display. It’s still massive, but necessary to include the necessary sensors for augmented reality experiences. A fingerprint sensor will be on the back of the metal unibody, to help you unlock the gigantic device, less awkwardly.
It sports an incredible four sensors; front-facing 8-megapixel camera, 16-megapixel rear-facing, a motion sensor and depth sensor. The extra cameras are to aid with Project Tango, giving the Phab 2 Pro the ability to map physical space and even recognise spaces it’s scanned before.
A big phone means a big battery. The Phab 2 Pro will have plenty of juice with a 4,050mAh battery, capable of 2.4 fast charging.
Google’s Johnny Lee took the opportunity to tell the world Project Tango has rebranded now as Tango. Lee took the stage to also show off Tango playing games of dominos that seemed a bit finicky. The Phab 2 Pro analysed the space around the stage to lay out the game.
Predictably Google showed off how the Tango can be used to redesign your house, by aiding the visualisation process, with actual visuals. A Tango app will be made available in the Play Store to make use of Tango.
The possibilities are endless with Project Tango but will consumers buy a device from a manufacturer that isn’t one of the top 3? The Phab 2 Pro is the first Lenovo smartphone to touch US soil, it could prove difficult to sell to an unfamiliar market. Which would be a shame as Project Tango is true innovation in the smartphone world. You can talk about how innovative wireless charging and more cores in a processor is, but it really isn’t.
The Phab 2 Pro will be available for $499 (£344) in champagne gold and gunmetal grey. A release date is yet to be confirmed but Lenovo has hinted at a Christmas release.
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