Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Comes to Life With Google Tango Augmented Reality

With augmented reality pegged as the next big thing in mobile apps, Google Tango will be a welcomed feature of the Phab 2 Pro smartphone. Here’s how Tango separates the Phab 2 Pro from other smartphones.

Support for Google Tango is the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro’s main attraction. The feature is an augmented reality engine that uses the device’s camera to see virtual elements over the real world. Better yet, Tango can measure objects and digitally visualize items and spaces to help users navigate in a house, factory or office. The Phab 2 Pro is the first smartphone to come with Tango, making it interesting to anyone interested in the future of augmented reality.

To deliver a better Tango experience, Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro comes with a 6.4-inch screen. The display has a resolution of 2,560 by 1,440 pixels and can adjust to variable lighting conditions so it can still work outside in direct sunlight. The Phab 2 Pro will ship with one of the best (and most attractive) smartphone displays on the market.

The Phab 2 Pro comes with a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera to complement its 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It also has a third camera on the back (its sensor size hasn’t been revealed) that helps the smartphone render 3D images. If Tango takes off, expect more smartphones to come with a three-camera array—and for sensors to load up on megapixels.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, which has less power than the Snapdragon 820 and 821 chips users would find in other Android-based handsets. However, Lenovo was quick to note that the Snapdragon 652 has been optimized to work with Tango, which stands in stark contrast to other processors. So, while the Phab 2 Pro’s processor might not be as high-powered as some of those in other Android devices, it’s required to get the most out of Tango.

Lenovo has kept quiet about how long its Phab 2 Pro’s battery can last on a single charge, but expect it to hold up quite well. The smartphone will ship with a 4,050mAh battery, one of the largest cells on the market. In addition, Lenovo says the battery will come with turbocharging so users can get back to work more quickly.

Lenovo hasn’t forgotten about security in the Phab 2 Pro and will offer a fingerprint sensor on the rear of the device. While the company hasn’t said whether the smartphone will come with hardware-based encryption, a fingerprint scanner will at least make it more difficult for hackers to get into the smartphone or make unauthorized payments through Android Pay.

Since the Phab 2 Pro is the first smartphone to support Tango, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Google Play marketplace has only a few apps that support the smartphone. In fact, as of this writing, the marketplace has just a little more than 20 Tango-ready apps available, including some that focus solely on gaming, such as Castle Defender. But it’s a start.

In addition to interesting gaming apps, there are a few Tango-ready programs that might actually appeal to corporate users. For instance, one app, Tango MeasureIt, lets users measure the distance between real-life objects. Another, Tango Constructor, lets developers record and view 3D models of their surroundings from the handset. As more apps come online, it’s likely that devices running the Tango AR environment will gain greater support from business users.

The Lenovo Phab 2 Pro ships with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. While more storage would be good, it’s the RAM that counts here. With 4GB of RAM, the Phab 2 Pro should be able to handle augmented reality apps with ease and simultaneously support other Android functions. Less RAM, and the Phab 2 Pro likely wouldn’t offer a suitable Tango experience.

Lenovo hasn’t set a specific delivery date in November for the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Whenever it hits store shelves, look for the Phab 2 Pro to come unlocked in the United States and sell for $499. To put that into perspective, most other high-end devices, including Apple’s iPhone 7 and Google Pixel, start at $649.