At its TechWorld conference Lenovo has not only announced the modular Moto Z and Moto Z Force smartphones but also the first Google Project Tango enabled device, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. The phone provides an Augmented Reality (AR) experience, thanks to its ability to sense 3D-motion and geometry. It can capture 3D-scans of its surroundings and use the data to create 3D-maps, recognize places or track objects. The technology can project virtual effects in real-world spaces, help navigate indoor areas or provide information about objects it has recognized.
To achieve this the Phab2 Pro has a total of four cameras. In addition to the 8MP front module and the 16MP rear camera there are a depth and a motion tracking camera, both also located on the back. Underneath the 6.4" Quad-HD IPS display there is a Qualcomm's Snapdragon 652 chipset running Android 6.0. 4GB RAM and 64GB of microSD-expandable storage are on board as well, along with a fingerprint reader and Dolby Atmos surround sound technology. Energy is provided by a 4,050 mAh battery. All the high-end technology is nicely wrapped up in metal unibody that is available in gold or silver.
The Lenovo Phab2 Pro will be available to purchase online in August and one month later in stores globally. In the US it will cost $499. Lenovo promises that by the time of shipping a special Tango App Store will contain around 25 apps and is planning to expand this number to 100 by the end of the year. The new technology certainly looks promising, and it will be interesting to see how it catches on with consumers and developers. Additional information on how Tango works on the Phab2 Pro can be found in the Lenovo promotional video below.
tango project (and many other similiar) is very interesting and useful technology that is beyond just taking snap photos etc. to have option to scan objects/surroundings in 3d is great, from medicine, mechanics, architecture (that i'm most interested in), list go on.. for example, if my phone will be accurate enough, to substitute classical laser rangefinder and tape measure, i'm in. that kind of technology was expensive as hell not too long ago. now, snap that phone on some cheap drone, put it on auto scan mode, so it fly thru object, while i'm sipping cold drink nearby, that would be something. under 1k even less..
Yep, and any McDonald's outlet probably sells more meals per day than any of the world's finest restaurants (with apologies to those who consider McDonald's to be among the finest restaurants).
Hmm, I have just been waiting for real time, hd video phone calls, without tons of dropped frames. Holographic images of those we are calling would be so cool, but I think we really need much more phone/internet bandwidth first. By that I mean sustained bandwidth, not peak (or advertised) bandwidth.
To Ethan P99, Good luck to them. If moving technology got its 'hands' around global climate change, food and water shortages and energy crisis worldwide, I'd be more impressed by that. Some new 'virtual' reality plaything does little to contribute to our civilization. But I suppose it's a cute but useless diversion rather than facing 'real' reality.
Technology like this might seem pointless or irrelevant to you, or me, or anyone else, for that matter, but it's these kinds of technologies that can change the ways that people communicate. If people can find new ways to communicate, they will find new ways to innovate. If people can innovate, and they can more easily share their new ideas via technology, more problems can meet solutions. For example: If you can SHOW somebody how to build a water pump from a live 3D model without having to waste the resources it takes to actually go to that person/village you are not only giving that person/village the chance of generating their own clean water supply but saving on carbon footprint at the same time. It's just an example.
Augmented reality might be useless in my hands - just a bit of fun - but don't underestimate the technologies behind it and the untapped potential.
To jadot *Slinging, more like. My 'sling' is not directed at advanced technology per se. As a matter of fact, I am an insatiable technology fan and always have been, given my early adult years in aerospace engineering and design. The 'sling' is directed primarily at useless self absorbing gadgets such as 3D imagery with Dolby surround sound in what is after-all a telephone, or more properly a cell phone. And in this case it is a marketing tool to capture 'the must have the latest thing' customer and serves no practical use except to temporarily entertain the user until he or she gets bored and moves on to the next toy. 3D imagery itself is not to be denigrated and is advancing as we speak in the field of big screen and eventually TV entertainment. The current technology remains crude and eye-straining but eventually a breakthrough or two will get us there.
Many good selling points here, but the battery is major.
I never understood and agreed on this thin device craze, that dramatically compromises the battery life. Up to the point where the phone is simply to thin to hold...
The efficiency of the new 820 chip is really good now that you can have an all day battery with the same capacity battery. Battery life in the newly released flagships with this new chip should not be a worry anymore, especially with new quick chargers.
I have a Nexus 6P. It has an 820 chip on it. It will last all day if you don't use the phone. If you use it constantly it lasts about 4 hours. I agree, please design phones which one can use for work, meaning last 8+ hours of continuous use, not standby!
BTW - I do love my phone, not knocking it, but lets be realistic, it needs better battery life.
My Samsung Note 4 lasts 3-4 days with normal use, including navigation. I've replaced the standard battery with a ZeroLemon 10.000 mAh one. No more worrying about power. I reckon it could last week's if I switched to the maximum battery saving mode. Of course it's not an option with the later non replaceable battery models :(
The battery at the same time has to be this big and also can be this big because the phone has a 6.4" screen...some people would probably call it a tablet :)
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