With CES 2017 officially kicking off tomorrow at Las Vegas, Chinese manufacturer ASUS has managed to turn some heads at its Zennovation event a day before the popular tech show commences. As rumored before, ASUS has finally unleased the “Zennovative” ZenFone AR. Being the first ever Google Tango and Daydream supported handset, the ZenFone AR is definitely a phone to look forward to this year.
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For starters, the ZenFone AR sports a 5.7-inch WQHD AMOLED display on the front, the sweet spot for easy handling and immersive experience. ASUS certainly did not skimp on any of its internals, given the fact that it features Qualcomm’s powerful top-tier Snapdragon 821 processor. The phone isn’t only the first Tango and Daydream compatible device, but it is also the first ever handset with 8GB of RAM. As ridiculous as 8GB RAM may sound, it is probably needed for all the Tango and Daydream capabilities. The ZenFone AR comes packed with up to 256GB of internal storage, alongside storage expansion for up to a further 128GB.
The fun part begins with the ZenFone AR’s TriCam System that is made to support Google Tango. Seen on the rear panel of the device is a Fisheye camera which tracks motion, a depth sensing camera with an IR blaster for measurement of distances, plus a 23MP Pixel Master rear camera for viewing of virtual objects in real environments. Speaking of which, the 23MP rear camera is of the Sony IMX318 sensor, featuring an f/2.0 aperture, 6P lens, 4-axis OIS and 3-axis EIS. The rear camera also boasts a subject tracking TriTech Autofocus system, plus a speedy 0.03s instant focus.The front camera on the other hand is of 8 megapixels with an aperture of f/2.0.
The ZenFone AR comes packed with a 3,300mAh battery, which is decent though we would expect a little more power given the fact that it will be used for Tango and Daydream VR purposes. The phone supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 via its USB Type-C port. Other features include a brand new 5 Magnet Structure Speaker for less distortion of sound while being able to go louder at the same time. Along with that is a virtual 7.1 surround sound from DTS Headphone:X technology, plus 24-bit Hi-Res Audio.
The first ever Tango and Daydream ready handset runs on Android 7.0 Nougat. ASUS hasn’t revealed the pricing of the ZenFone AR, but the company has announced that the handset will be released in Q2 later this year. Stay tuned with us for more CES 2017 coverage live from Las Vegas!