Asus has now put the ZenFone AR up for preorder in the United States. Interested customers can go to Verizon and either shell out $648 outright or enter a leasing plan for $27 a month.
This is possibly the first time we've seen an official price tag for the Tango-capable phone since Asus has been tight-lipped about it, remaining so even during its hands-on press event in San Francisco last week. But right now, the product page is up on Verizon, and that means Asus will announce an official launch date soon hopefully.
Keep in mind that there's only a 128 GB option, but perhaps Asus plans to make other configurations available down the line too.
If you want to snatch one up now, hit up Verizon product listing and choose between paying for the retail price or the 24-month plan. The latter option doesn't require a down payment, though it might be available for "qualified customers" only.
Asus ZenFone AR: Tango And Daydream
The ZenFone AR was announced earlier this year during CES. It is the second phone after the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to come with full support for Google Tango technology, meaning it has the necessary hardware such as advanced cameras and sensors to "see the world" around it. The combination of hardware and Tango software lets the phone detect objects, determine depth, and use that information to deliver a polished augmented reality experience.
Apart from Tango, the ZenFone AR supports Daydream, Google's virtual reality platform. So essentially, it's the total mobile VR and AR package. You can insert it in a Daydream View headset and let it roll. The Daydream platform has quite a few apps and games in its belt, and the list is growing.
Asus ZenFone AR Specs
Underneath, the ZenFone AR packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip, Adreno 530 graphics, a whopping 6 GB of RAM, and a 3,300 mAh battery. It sports a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display at 515 ppi. If 128 GB isn't enough, the phone does offer up to 256 GB of expandable storage.
The highlight, however, is on the back. You'll see a massive 23-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization features, phase detection autofocus, plus depth- and motion-tracking sensors powering Tango.
For now, it seems the device only comes in Charcoal Black. It will run Android Nougat out of the box, with a likely Android O update, whenever that launches. Considering the ZenFone AR's onboard VR and AR features, the price doesn't seem that all expensive, especially for a decked-out flagship with premium specs. Expect due coverage when we find out its official shipping date.
Thoughts on the ZenFone AR? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
