Last year, Asus surprised everyone by announcing the first Snapdragon 821 smartphone. Now, with the newly launched Zenfone AR, the company has managed to stun us again. It is not only the first handset to feature both Google Tango and Daydream simultaneously, but also the only phone to rock 8 GB RAM as of now. These are just a few. The Zenfone AR also has some pretty amazing features to make it stand out among the crowd of mobile devices
One of the most notable thing about the new Zenfone is its compatibility with both AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality). With the Google Tango and Daydream, you can do some mind-blowing things with the Zenfone AR which you might have seen only in science fictions. Read on to know about all those features which make the smartphone somewhat unique in the mobile industry.
Google Tango – Augmented Reality
Tango is an Augmented Reality (AR) platform developed by Google. It takes help of computer vision to make handheld devices like smartphones and tablets aware of their surroundings. After the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, Asus Zenfone AR is the second device to be compatible with Google Tango. The smartphone uses a wide array of inbuilt sensors to gauge its position with relative to the surrounding environment. This is done without the help of any external signals such as GPS.
You can use the highly advanced camera system of the Zenfone AR to draw 3D maps of your living room, measure distances, and dimensions of objects, simulate an augmented reality and more. I will talk about the state of the art camera along with its accompanies sensors later here.
Recommended: Asus Zenfone AR FAQ, Pros & Cons, User Queries and Answers
Google Daydream – Virtual Reality
Just as I mentioned before, the Asus Zenfone AR is fully compatible with Google’s virtual reality platform Daydream. It is considered one of the simplest yet advanced VR ecosystem. With Daydream, you can place the Zenfone AR inside a Daydream VR headset and enjoy virtual reality to its fullest.
The 5.7-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) Super AMOLED display ensures a pleasurable VR experience. You can run VR-ready apps like YouTube, Google Play Movies, Google Maps, etc. and other virtual reality contents on your Zenfone AR. As virtual reality is going more and more mainstream, with time there will an abundance of VR applications.
Camera – TriCam System
The rear camera system of the Zenfone AR may be deemed as the most advanced and innovative part of the smartphone. Named as the TriCam System, it consists of three different cameras. The primary camera is a 23 MP Sony IMX 318 which acts as the conventional photo shooter. The additional motion tracking camera helps the smartphone to keep track of its position as it is moved around. Lastly, there is a depth sensing camera, which works with an infrared (IR) emitter. This helps the Zenfone AR to measure distances of surrounding objects.
The smartphone uses all of these sensors for its advanced AR activities. Additionally, there is 3X optical zoom along with 12X total zoom. The Asus Zenfone AR also features 4-axis optical stabilization, EIS, 92 MP super-resolution image capture, RAW, manual shooting mode etc.
Asus Zenfone AR: Specs
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Conclusion
The Zenfone AR is undoubtedly a future ready device. The AR and VR are combinations may be an upcoming trend among the smartphone manufacturers. Specification-wise, Asus has left no stones unturned. However, the availability and pricing of the phone is a vital aspect. We do hope that the Zenfone AR becomes available for purchase before the Snapdragon 835 goes mainstream.
