Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) on Wednesday announced it is launching a new smartphone which uses Google Tango 3D technology, allowing users to experience augmented and virtual reality.
The Zenfone AR is just the second handset to incorporate the Tango computing platform, which allows for indoor mapping, augmented reality and more.
The new device, unveiled by Asustek at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is also one of a small number of smartphones that is compatible with Google Daydream, the US tech giant’s virtual-reality system.
Photo: CNA, courtesy of Asustek Computer Inc
“We are excited to be the first to enable Tango and Daydream,” Asustek chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) said as he unveiled the new handset, which will be available in the second quarter of this year.
Shih said the new phone “enables interaction with virtual objects” and offers the ability to watch a movie or play a game in virtual or augmented reality.
“This is really the next wave that is going to get consumers excited about smartphones,” Asustek marketing chief Erik Hermanson said.
Project Tango uses depth sensing and motion tracking to create onscreen 3D experiences, allowing users to get a better picture of a physical environment for functions such as home decoration.
Google Project Tango leader Johnny Lee, who joined the Asustek media event, said he expected “dozens of Tango-enabled apps” to be available soon on the Google Play store.
The only other handset using Project Tango is Lenovo Group Ltd’s (聯想) Phab2 phone, which was released last year.
Asustek said it would be releasing another new smartphone, the Zenfone 3 Zoom, with upgraded camera technology that delivers professional-quality images.
Separately, HTC Corp (宏達電) is launching trackers for its Vive virtual-reality system that users can attach to physical objects such as bats or toy guns to make them part of a virtual-reality adventure.
During a media briefing at the show on Wednesday, the company showcased a number of tracker-enabled accessories, including what it says is the first virtual-reality camera, multiple rifles built for virtual-reality shooters and haptic gloves.
The tracker weighs less than 85g and to foster more development, HTC is giving away up to 1,000 to developers.
The company is also launching its first ever app subscription service, which allows unlimited access to virtual-reality apps for a flat monthly fee. The service is to launch early this year, but HTC did not say how much it would cost.
Meanwhile, China’s Huawei Technologies Co (華為) is adding Amazon.com Inc’s artificial intelligence application Alexa to its flagship Mate 9 smartphone.
The Mate 9, a large-screen phablet marketed as a rival to the big handsets from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co, is to be made available in the US early this year, the firm said at the Las Vegas show.
Huawei said it is the first smartphone with preinstalled Amazon Alexa, a cloud-based, voice-activated digital assistant that can control smart home devices or respond to questions.
Additional reporting by AP
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