Google's First Project Tango Smartphone Coming Next Month As Lenovo Phab2 Pro

Google's Project Tango effort to pack 3D
mapping in a smartphone will reportedly hit
the scene next month, starting with the
Lenovo Phab2 Pro.
After Google's Project Ara got canceled and
Lenovo's Phab2 Pro was delayed, there was a
lot of uncertainty surrounding Project Tango.
The Phab2 Pro was supposed to launch this
summer as Google's first Project Tango
smartphone, but was delayed to a vague "fall"
release.
Some wondered whether Project Tango would
ever see the light of day, but it now seems
that it will — and soon. According to CNET,
Google's Clay Bavor confirmed that Project
Tango's Lenovo Phab2 Pro is all set to debut
in November.
For those unfamiliar with the massive phone,
the Lenovo Phab2 Pro boasts a 6.4-inch
display and 3D mapping capabilities, tracking
your surroundings and displaying content in
an augmented reality manner like it's right
there in front of you. This could be greatly
useful in various scenarios where visualization
is essential, such as redecorating or picking
out new furniture.
The phablet packs a Snapdragon 652
processor specifically optimized for Tango
apps, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, microSD
support for up to 126 GB of additional
storage, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow on the
software side. The massive 6.4-inch display
has a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels
and can adapt to different lighting conditions.
The Lenovo Phab2 Pro will come at a
$499 price point unlocked and go on sale in
the United States sometime in November,
albeit a specific date is not available at this
point.
It's worth pointing that while the new Google
Pixel smartphones will play nice with the
Daydream VR headset, the Lenovo Phab2 Pro
will not be compatible because it doesn't
have an AMOLED display to properly support
VR.
Consequently, those looking to buy a new
Google phone next month may want to think
twice whether they want AR or VR. Both the
Lenovo Phab2 Pro and the Google Pixels will
go on sale in November, but they will offer
different experiences.
If you're looking for augmented reality, the
Lenovo Phab2 Pro should do the trick. If VR is
more up your alley, the new Google Pixel and
Pixel XL will be the first two smartphones that
are Daydream VR-ready.
Google has yet to make an official
announcement regarding Project Tango and
the Lenovo Phab2 Pro release, but we'll let
you know as soon as it does.

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