We knew there would be a few surprises to come out of CES 2017, we just didn’t know they would start this early. The Asus ZenFone AR has leaked and it is the second smartphone to arrive with the Tango camera.
Project Tango was a big thing when it was first announced. VR took over soon after, and while the first Tango phone debuted this year, it certainly wasn’t for everyone. Google recently unveiled their first Daydream-ready device as well with the Pixel phones, which left us wondering which handset would support the new VR platform next. Turns out, the answer is the Asus ZenFone AR.
The Asus ZenFone AR was set to make its debut in a few days, but Qualcomm made a mistake and published material on the handset ahead of time. While the page is already down, the blog post said it would arrive with the Snapdragon 821 under the hood and will be Daydream ready. That means it’s actually ahead of the Pixel phone in that regard as it is the first handset that can do the Tango and Daydream at the same time.
ASUS ZenFone AR (2nd Google Tango phone) pic.twitter.com/ctKQ9IKfeC
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 2, 2017
Other details about the Asus ZenFone AR are sparse, but thanks to @evleaks we do know what it will look like. The photos show a handset that certainly looks like it belongs to the ZenFone family from the front although the back tells a different tale. You can clearly see the Tango’s unique camera setup complete with multiple sensors which will definitely make it stand out in the crowd.
We won’t have to wait long to find out what Asus has in store for us with the Asus ZenFone AR. The specifications will be made clear in a few days (or sooner) and we assume the price tag will follow as well. Like most of the company’s handsets, we expect this one to see a wide release, especially given the Daydream capabilities. It should also be cheaper than the Pixel which could open the doors up on VR to a whole new audience.